magley64 Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 I was just overhearing a conversation about our current weather situation. One person feels that an SUV or 4WD pickup are a necessity here in our state. Personally I feel otherwise. I used to have a 86 blazer with 33" mud tires, a suspension lift, detroit lockers front and rear, and lockout hubs. I also used to have a 1967 Pontiac tempest/gto with a decent set of tires on the rear (235/70/15 mud/snow).Personally I prefer a RWD muscle car over a 4WD truck/suv. The car felt more stable on the road given the longer wheelbase, and I never had an issue with getting stuck anywhere. The limited slip rear end gave plenty of traction when I would put the hammer down. And I definitely don't prefer FWD for snow/ice (breaking traction = no steering). at least with RWD you can stomp on it and still point the vehicle in the direction you want to go... What was your favorite winter vehicle and why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disclaimer Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 4WD FTW... It's like a "use in the case of an emergency" type deal. I'd rather have it and not use it than need it and not have it. If I had my druthers, I'd be in a WRX, but in keeping with the rather have it and not use it than need it and not have it... I'll probably always be stuck in a truck as my everyday cage vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
that dude Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 my favorite for snow is real simple.. a 4x4 truck or 4x4 suv..trying to say my old rear wheel drive cars handled better in the snow is like saying my bike is the best on ice. why the fuck am i puting the hammer down in snow/sleet ice? been driving in this shit for many years and my 4x4 and front wheel drive cars do just fine.do you need a 4x4 9/10 NO, but they are days when you do if your going out on the roads. 4x4 is a luxury not a necessity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DollFace Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 I have a Honda Pilot with 4WD and an Odyssey Mini van, which with good tires, handles fine. You don't need a crazy 4wd vehicle unless you plan on off roading...in my opinion. And, I am from the south, and even I know not to be out driving around when three feet of snow is falling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magley64 Posted April 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 trying to say my old rear wheel drive cars handled better in the snow is like saying my bike is the best on ice.what??Breaking traction in snow is not a question of "if" it's a question of "when"... and when i break traction, i definitely prefer to have the ability to steer.maybe YOUR old RWD cars handled like crap in the snow, but MY old RWD car was AWESOME, I could drift it around a parking lot, throwing snow in every direction and have no problem controlling which direction I went..the second i break traction in the FWD, steering is gone...you go whichever direction momentum takes you until you get traction back... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
that dude Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 again if its that bad that the car cant navigate fine, whick does 99% of the time unless im driving like a asshole, the 4x4 has yet to break traction that i can notice..in a perfect ohio world you own both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magley64 Posted April 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 I just don't like my steering wheels to be drive wheels, too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NinjaNick Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 I'd much rather go up a hill on the road with 4 wheel or front wheel drive than slide up it or back down it in a rear wheel summer car. 4wd is king, front wheel 2nd, rear for power and dry pavement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cdubyah Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 If you know how to drive in the snow it really doesn't make any difference. That is normally the problem, you have soccer mom (just using as an example) who has a nice 4x4 suv, thinking that she is king shit of fuck mountain because she has 4x4. Driving down through the snow at 60mph, and wrecks. Then wonders why her luxery 4x4 suv didn't help her out any. Or the kid in his suped up front wheel drive ricer. Thinking that the superior street tires he put on are gonna make the difference. More tire = more traction right? Not in the snow.The common problem here is the person driving. Always has been, always will be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpspeed Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 4wd Chevy dmax is my winter ride, my rwd car stayed in the garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magley64 Posted April 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 are there no "old schoolers" that have driven a 'heavy' rwd? (not a truck or a camaro or a mustang) something with a ton on the rear wheels? My old tempest had a 30 gallon gas tank out of an old 7.0 liter caddilac sedan deville, full tank of gas, and a bunch of steel...traction was not a problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2wheels>4 Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 NECESSARY?? No. Nice? Hell yes. In some areas of Ohio 4WD IS VERY necessary if you want to leave the house when it snows good or with freezing rain. I can take you to several places that you will NOT leave after a good snow unless you not only have a capable 4x4 vehicle, but know how to use it as well.... In fact, I can take you places your Honda might not make it even in summer, and I don't mean forest quad paths either. 4WD/AWD>FWD>RWD>2wheels on ice/snow/mud (reduced traction of any kind)This is not a debatable subject, just simple fact. Anyone who wishes to argue is a silly city boy/girl with inadequate experience. Now, on DRY pavement... 2wheels>RWD>AWD>FWD This equation is more debatable, but only with personal preference on driving style, in which I will allow AWD>RWD if you are doing rally/drifty shit.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artmageddon Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 I don't think a 4WD is necessary, but it is helpful. Most of our snows are pretty light,and when it does really come down, generally we don't have to drive as much. MY last 4 cages were a Toyota pickup 4x4, Jeep Wrangler, Ford Mustang GT, and I currently have a Ranger 4x4. The Toyota was a beater, so I had fun in the snow with that, The Wrangler was awesome in the snow, I drove from Wheeling to Columbus when we had the blizzard 8-9 years ago, it was me and semis on the road, everyone else was in ditches. I had oversized all terrain tires on both. The Mustang was horrible, that much power on a rear wheel drive just didn't work for me. The Ranger is a beast. I have over-sized Firestone Destination A/T tires on it, and they are awesome. There have been times that I have tried to spin and play in it, and traction was so good in 4WD I couldn't unless I really crank on it. I don't even bother putting weight in the bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NinjaNick Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 I drove a V8 mustang in the snow Level 2 many times. Had to go WAY slower than a front wheel drive and way way slower than a 4 wheel drive. I'll put my money on out driving anyone in the snow or being just as good, but to say rear is best is ignorant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaper Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 Moving from florida to ohio was a change but it's not hard. Driving my rear wheel drive truck in the snow even with the crap street tires that came stock i will get better tires hopefully. It's Nice to have the Limited slip rear i just want to get a 3 inch lift and 33's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artmageddon Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 I drove a V8 mustang in the snow Level 2 many times. Had to go WAY slower than a front wheel drive and way way slower than a 4 wheel drive. I'll put my money on out driving anyone in the snow or being just as good, but to say rear is best is ignorant. + 1I grew up learning to drive in the snow in Eastern Ohio/ WV Panhandle, where there are roads in the hills that make your butthole pucker at times. I have great faith in my snow driving skills, but I'll take 4WD over rear wheel every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r6allstar Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 4wd no doubt.. my everyday driver is a F150 and last winter I had a cavalier and an s10.. the cavalier did ok but the S10 was crap... I wont own another everyday 2wd vehicle after having my 150.. I had a Wrangler in the past and my F150 did a lot better in the snow than the Wrangler, guessing it was a weight issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magley64 Posted April 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 allright, I'll put it this way, if you covered a road course with snow...and we all took turns driving the course in different vehicles, I'm confident that MY best time in a RWD Muscle car would be better than My best time in a FWD or 4WD. Although your trends might be different, I know my confidence level, and skill set where I'm best at slinging snow in a RWD... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disclaimer Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 My ol' man put my mom in a 1996 Impala SS and a 1980 Corvette the last few winters she was working... you don't want to hear her opinion on RWD vehicles in snow. It's not that it CAN'T be done, it's just takes a lot more to do the same thing.Like putting up a fence. It CAN be done using a screw driver, but why wouldn't you get a power driver?Also, I don't care how many drive wheels you have in the snow... they might help you go, but stopping is almost the same regardless of the vehicle. The advantage to 4WD/AWD/FWD vehicles is that you can use the throttle to steer the vehicle, even on dry pavement. Case in point... FWD.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPCGnkApnDU&feature=player_embedded Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpspeed Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 allright, I'll put it this way, if you covered a road course with snow...and we all took turns driving the course in different vehicles, I'm confident that MY best time in a RWD Muscle car would be better than My best time in a FWD or 4WD. Although your trends might be different, I know my confidence level, and skill set where I'm best at slinging snow in a RWD...I'll take your rwd on with a sti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artmageddon Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 allright, I'll put it this way, if you covered a road course with snow...and we all took turns driving the course in different vehicles, I'm confident that MY best time in a RWD Muscle car would be better than My best time in a FWD or 4WD. Although your trends might be different, I know my confidence level, and skill set where I'm best at slinging snow in a RWD...I believe you, but I have my chain and hitch if you get stuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2wheels>4 Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 I drove a V8 mustang in the snow Level 2 many times. Had to go WAY slower than a front wheel drive and way way slower than a 4 wheel drive. I'll put my money on out driving anyone in the snow or being just as good, but to say rear is best is ignorant. I have driven RWD and even powerful V8 RWD sport cars in snow plenty, which is why I know they SUCK. Now, if snow is light, no traffic, and I don't have a schedule, yeah a RWD is fun as fuck. NOT good for commuting though.... allright, I'll put it this way, if you covered a road course with snow...and we all took turns driving the course in different vehicles, I'm confident that MY best time in a RWD Muscle car would be better than My best time in a FWD or 4WD. Although your trends might be different, I know my confidence level, and skill set where I'm best at slinging snow in a RWD...Your best time might be in a RWD, but it will be way slower than mine....And you don't need 4WD for a slippery paved road.... the people that tell you that a 4x4 is necessary mostly live in rural areas like where I hail from. There are plenty of roads and driveways outside 270 that you WILL NOT navigate without MODIFIED 4x4 after a good snow. Usually a stock Jeep or 4x4 is sufficient, but there are plenty of places that you simply can't access after a snow without 4 wheels spinning and a few extra inches of ground clearance.... And contrary to popular belief, the wide mud tires SUCK on slick pavement... Mud, yes. Snow, not so much.... Anyone who doesn't believe me, I will be happy to tow your cage out home this winter and leave you there. See ya in the spring when you get out again too.... Winters have been mild lately, but I remember some fucked up shit growing up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
that dude Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 this thread equals EPIC FAILURE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrillo Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 this thread equals EPIC FAILUREpretty much... this past winter I had a 4x4 s10 and it was AWESOME! I liked the 4x4 because at first the rear would kick out then if I kept on it the front would pull the rear back in line.. advantages of rwd & fwd in one! it was sooo fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NinjaNick Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 allright, I'll put it this way, if you covered a road course with snow...and we all took turns driving the course in different vehicles, I'm confident that MY best time in a RWD Muscle car would be better than My best time in a FWD or 4WD. Although your trends might be different, I know my confidence level, and skill set where I'm best at slinging snow in a RWD...No way! It would be harder for the RWD to accelerate on the straights much more than the front or 4wd because of the weight on the wheels. And pulling is much better than pushing in the snow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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