Ice Driving

[Svendahornking]

I had some fun last week. My 2000 model is only connected via a viscous coupling. A tad slow but I thought it was ace with 4 wheel skids. Anyone managed to engage over steer on the awd xc70? I love this car.

[Leyburn]

Originally Posted by DieselDoNicely

Yes but you wouldn't use the Land Rover for 700 miles a week to work and back.
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DDN

Good point!

[Leyburn]

Originally Posted by rxtian

The DSTC allows a wheel speed differential based on vehicle speed - so from a stop it will let you get the front wheels spinning quite dramatically, but once the car has some speed it becomes much stricter.

Baring in mind people complaining at having to turn of TC so they can spin the wheels to get going it seems like a sensible plan.

Thanks, I shall test further. In adverse conditions (just above freezing and damp roads) I get wheelspin and some torque steer in 3rd gear, fronts are Dunlop Bluresponse with 3-4mm of tread, generally good in the wet, but perhaps not at their best in the cold.

[niggly]

Great test showing how effective FWD with winter tyres is v 4WD without. Ford Cougars on an indoor ski slope.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfuE00qdhLA

[petey]

I always find it odd how people seem to think that they’re invincible with 4wd when in reality, due to the dynamics and styling of SUVs like an X6 etc, they end up needing tyres that have so very little grip to avoid them toppling at the first corner they come to. It is inevitable that despite having drive to all wheels they will always do badly in bad weather driving.

And far more importantly than having drive to one or both axles, all cars already have 4 wheel braking, and if that doesn’t work, who cares how much traction grip there is?
No, far more important is getting the right tyres as they will always reap more benefit than any level of clever torque distribution.

[Svendahornking]

I am sure tyres were more versatile years passed and now they're more specific. I carry auto socks for a worse case scenario. Volvo say for to only front wheels where the grip is most. Volvo passed always had great grip and weight distribution. I had a 960 with those Chinese ditch finding accelera alphas on. I went out in a serious amount of snow and that car out performed any front wheel drive car I've owned. The volvo was my daily hack as I'd got at the time a v6tdi Passarella estate which was my best car... that was only fwd but with esp and It was hopeless in the snow.

[DieselDoNicely]

Originally Posted by petey

Avon tyres are NOT made in Somerset; they’re made on the banks of the river Avon in Melksham, Wiltshire. There’s been a tyre manufacturing unit there a century in different guises. I suspect some of the sausages served in the cafe will prove that...


(I worked there for ten years, designing race tyres)

Opps sorry.
DDN

[petey]

Originally Posted by DieselDoNicely

Opps sorry.
DDN

Not at all, it’s a silly thing for me to be pedantic over, but they paid my mortgage and destroyed my passport for 120 months whilst supporting what often felt like a world tour of Irish bars, I kinda feel I should correct inaccuracies...

[Leyburn]

Originally Posted by petey

I always find it odd how people seem to think that they’re invincible with 4wd when in reality, due to the dynamics and styling of SUVs like an X6 etc, they end up needing tyres that have so very little grip to avoid them toppling at the first corner they come to. It is inevitable that despite having drive to all wheels they will always do badly in bad weather driving.

And far more importantly than having drive to one or both axles, all cars already have 4 wheel braking, and if that doesn’t work, who cares how much traction grip there is?
No, far more important is getting the right tyres as they will always reap more benefit than any level of clever torque distribution.

I think it's only the Mercedes G-wagon that can lock-up all diffs as sold by the factory, not all models either. Difficult to steer and probably causes all sorts of mechanical issues if used on tarmac in that mode. Other SUVs can be modified to achieve this.

Pram wheels and wide summer tyres are a desperate combination in the snow