CDN Ver: Advise for snow driving

[jamesp@sasknet.sk.ca (Patrick James)]

There are many "types" of snow with different traction . 

The type you encountered is one of the most slippery as it is "new fallen"
and probably of high humidity. Both of these factors cause it to change 
back to water under the weight of your tires and thus causing this reallignment
of your car and confidence. 

The first way to avoid this is to slow down (boring) and wait till you nose
is past the apex and then accelerate in a smooth fashoin or nail it.
Safe but not satisfying. Smoothness of car inputs is very inportant also,
the braking,steering and acceleration are should be gradual so not the break
traction with peaks of input. Once traction is lost it takes a large speed 
decrease and time to regain it. A lot of times drivers lose traction on 
one factor ie acceleration and then contiue to lose it by backing off 
too much and letting the engine braking lock the 4 wheels.    

Secondly is on older quattos is to lock the 1st seleetor or mid diff for both 
wheel to pull you around . This makes the understeer worse but that leads 
to number three.

Using the handbrake to get the rear end around to match the slide ot the 
front the use the throttle to pull the car through the corner. They use this
in rally to set up the car for the corner.
 On the smaller quattros is very effective but is frowned on by the locals.
They don't show same enthusiam for a neatly sliding 4000q with tires
grappling for traction on local streets. 

Or - tires ...



>Newbee greetings from snowy Carolina!


>
>Well, us North Carolians don't experience much snow, but as I post this, we
>have been getting 5+ inches today. This is the first snow I experienced in my
>200tq, and had to run an errand after about 3 inches had fallen.  Coming home
>in the unattended neighborhood streets, I took the turn into my culdasac in
>1st gear, and ended up sliding into the curb.  Will be going to the shop on
>Monday for that alignment!!!!
>
>I have Dunlop D60 A2 with only about 10K on them, Now, I may have taken the
>corner too fast (thought I was going appropriately slow) but take that
>possible reason out of the question, do I have crappy M&S tires?  I recall
>them being having an "A" rating in that catagory.  Should I press the quattro
>button between the seats for most/any snow travel below the 20 something MPH
>threshold it automatically disengages?  
>
>I would appreciate any other snow driving tips for around the town on
>two/four lane medium size city streets (population 100K), both offensive and
>defensive!  .   
>
>TIA, 
>
>
>Scott
>89 200tq
>
>
>
>
Patrick  James
pat.james@sasknet.sk.ca 


86 4000q  - Year round fun.... 
82 Honda CX500Turbo