Ok, the story is the roads are really slippery in New York these days, paricularlly last night. In an effort to teach myself how to control a slide, I purposely initiated one on a public road by turning sharply. Anyway, I eneded up ina ditch. What I want to know is how to control a front wheel drive slide (not how to prevent it, I can do that)? I know 4 wheel slides are possible, how do you do it with fwd?
Snow
- Thread starter timEspeed
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Ummm...slow down? 
Ummm...you purposely put yourself in a ditch?!? 
Seriously though...best place to practice what your car feels like out of control is in an empty parking lot...get up to speed and...tramp on the break...cut the wheel...try many different braking situations...learn what it "feels" like to NOT have control...then when you don't have complete control...you'll know it by the "feel" of it/the car. After that...practice how to counteract that situation...trust me...I live on the East Coast of Canada...I know about driving on snow, ice, black ice, etc. My girlfriend is amazed at how I keep the car on the road in some situations.
Next best tip..."GOOD" WINTER TIRES! All-Season = Three season, trust me you'll notice a difference on bare pavement...you'll REALLY know a difference on Ice and Snow. I'd rather pay $400 for a set of good snow tires than pay for damages to my car, someone else's car, or call my insurance company.
Here's a few "tips" that I accumulated for "winterizing" your car:
http://www.jasonlorette2.50megs.com/custom3.html
Hope this helps,
Jason
PS> Also the 'driving' tip I can give...downshift...downshift...downshift...don't touch the breaks...let your engine slow you down....your wheels are still turning but at a slower rate....thus not trying to grab something that is not there...easiest way to slow down on bad roads.
Ummm...you purposely put yourself in a ditch?!? Seriously though...best place to practice what your car feels like out of control is in an empty parking lot...get up to speed and...tramp on the break...cut the wheel...try many different braking situations...learn what it "feels" like to NOT have control...then when you don't have complete control...you'll know it by the "feel" of it/the car. After that...practice how to counteract that situation...trust me...I live on the East Coast of Canada...I know about driving on snow, ice, black ice, etc. My girlfriend is amazed at how I keep the car on the road in some situations.
Next best tip..."GOOD" WINTER TIRES! All-Season = Three season, trust me you'll notice a difference on bare pavement...you'll REALLY know a difference on Ice and Snow. I'd rather pay $400 for a set of good snow tires than pay for damages to my car, someone else's car, or call my insurance company.
Here's a few "tips" that I accumulated for "winterizing" your car:
http://www.jasonlorette2.50megs.com/custom3.html
Hope this helps,
Jason
PS> Also the 'driving' tip I can give...downshift...downshift...downshift...don't touch the breaks...let your engine slow you down....your wheels are still turning but at a slower rate....thus not trying to grab something that is not there...easiest way to slow down on bad roads.
I dunno, I just do it.
liquid00meth
Senior Member
I learned by initiating drifts in a big snowy lot. I suggest you try to learn in the same fashion, instead of on the road near ditches. Lol.
Get going about 30 (for the first run) And turn sharply left (arbitraty). As soon as the car starts to turn barely, rip the ebrake and hold the button. Turn the wheel sharply right and go light on the gas to try and correct the slide. If you want to drift, mash the gas and spin the tires. Enjoy your newfound sideways motion
Get going about 30 (for the first run) And turn sharply left (arbitraty). As soon as the car starts to turn barely, rip the ebrake and hold the button. Turn the wheel sharply right and go light on the gas to try and correct the slide. If you want to drift, mash the gas and spin the tires. Enjoy your newfound sideways motion
rudeludenotmeanthough
Senior Member
Dont touch the breaks, the easiest way to control a slide.
They covered most of it. Easy on the gas, little or no brakes, countersteer, and don't wait to long to correct. Sliding sideways is fun , but there comes a point of no return, especially on snow. Do the parking lot thing(cops here give tickets, WA). Practice, learn, enjoy. Also, try getting some speed up in reverse, then turning your wheel quickly about 1/4 turn. At this point(and hold on tight), you'll start spinning around. Lock the brakes. Push in the clutch, and grab first(while coming around). Hit the gas and let the clutch out. The whole goal is a seamless 180 degree turn without losing speed. It can be accomplished on dry pavement, but it's safer and just as satisfying on snow in a parking lot. One of my favorites
, but there comes a point of no return, especially on snow. Do the parking lot thing(cops here give tickets, WA). Practice, learn, enjoy. Also, try getting some speed up in reverse, then turning your wheel quickly about 1/4 turn. At this point(and hold on tight), you'll start spinning around. Lock the brakes. Push in the clutch, and grab first(while coming around). Hit the gas and let the clutch out. The whole goal is a seamless 180 degree turn without losing speed. It can be accomplished on dry pavement, but it's safer and just as satisfying on snow in a parking lot. One of my favorites cool page jason,welcome to a hockey fan from a puck freak.
I hail from georgetown CO. and my parents driveway is a massive slope,my stepdad's 4x4 has a hell of a time and all our honda's w/snows pull right up till the bumpers' covered.Iam a firm beliver in studded snows...severe weather rated so I dont have get out and fit chains for the passes
I hail from georgetown CO. and my parents driveway is a massive slope,my stepdad's 4x4 has a hell of a time and all our honda's w/snows pull right up till the bumpers' covered.Iam a firm beliver in studded snows...severe weather rated so I dont have get out and fit chains for the passes
ryanwolfe911
Senior Member
Buy an old 4WD turbo Subaru Wagon, preferably one with a High/low rangetranny. I have had a one for a winter car for like 3 years, and that thing has never let me down, plus with the turbo xs rfl BOV I have on it it sounds kinda mean. (You should see the look on some Honda owner's faces, when I rev on them.) 4WD Scooby's oWn!!
Originally posted by deth101@Dec 3 2003, 02:34 AM
cool page jason,welcome to a hockey fan from a puck freak.
I hail from georgetown CO. and my parents driveway is a massive slope,my stepdad's 4x4 has a hell of a time and all our honda's w/snows pull right up till the bumpers' covered.Iam a firm beliver in studded snows...severe weather rated so I dont have get out and fit chains for the passes
Hey dude...thanks...feel free to drop by my "pages" anytime...and speaking of driveway's...man the snowplow driver (my winter nemesis) fills the end of my driveway as high as my hood every time I shovel it...luckily in the winter I back in my driveway...I'll put my little car up against anything any time...it's amazing what these little cars will go through...SUV...why? I go the same places they do and use half the gas...
...oh and about the snowplow driver...anyone know where I can get a rocket launcher?
Jason
thanx for the feed back guys. Countersteer? That would be RWD, however I have been practicing left foot braking to bring on oversteer. Its real helpful becuase you reach a neutral balance before you get to a rear bias.
~timE
yeah, I had two snows up front last year, but so far I have no money to sprung for another set. The old ones are on my Ef/ZC thats been in the shop for like 3 months.
~timE
I know this is going to sound stupid...but I've proven it and many a "tire guy" have told me the same thing...
If you're only gonna buy two (waist) ...put them on the "back"!
What the first thing that slides on a honda? The ass end.
Best bet...all four on a separate set of rims...spring hits...take them right off and save them for next year...if you do this you will get 2-3 years out of a good set of winter tires...
Better than an accident...
Jason
not to flame or anything, I don't know about you guys but every time I slide the front loses traction first. The rear wheels just follow because there in nothing powering them, they come along for the ride whether its forward, backward or sideways. This is where the left foot braking comes in however. By applying brake and throttle at the same time, the frontwheels keep the car in motion while the back locks up resulting in over steer.
I don't agree here either. When you brake, which tires do the work? The front, because of forward weight transfer. The fronts also power the car so snows help in accelleration too. I'll put wet/dries on the back, this worked well last year.
I don't agree here either. When you brake, which tires do the work? The front, because of forward weight transfer. The fronts also power the car so snows help in accelleration too. I'll put wet/dries on the back, this worked well last year.
you could do the same thing without the left foot action by using the e-brake
but left foot braking is a good thing to learn anyway
putting the better tires in the back will only cause more understeer
when in an understeer situation the paniced response of hitting the brakes is correct.... but when in an oversteeer situation you need to countersteer and apply the throttle (hitting the brakes will only make the rear come around more)... this behavior needs to be learned, its not as instinctive as just mashing the brakes
while understeer is better for soccer moms that cant drive in the snow and shouldnt be on the road anyway ... it sucks ass for people who know how to drive in the snow, people who actually want to get somewhere in the snow, and people who want to have some fun in the snow
put the good tires up front and learn how to handle oversteer
ryanwolfe911
Senior Member
SUBARU!!!!!! They own the snow!!!!! I have 3 hondas , and I wouldn't dare drive any of them in the snow, specially my eg hatch. the ass on that thing is so light, it just slides all over, without even hittng the brakes. Trust me on this one. save your nice Honda for the summer. You know how they rust very easily. 
Citizen_Insane
Senior Member
Damn it, i just sold my '90 subaru wagon for my crx hf! ....and now its winter....
-Kai
....and now its winter....-Kai
