Got a new tool (Tire groover) (1 Viewer)

[bikersmurf]

Wow! I find my locked cruiser taps out in 2 foot of power snow even aired down with chains on all four fully locked, less in heavy greasy snow. The axles just don’t have the clearance.
Yours must have been a monster.
View attachment 2878039



Siping doesn’t help get you much further, it helps you stop those uncontrolled slides.

When you slide your tread fills with snow becoming flat like slicks. siping allowes little gaps to flex open that don’t fill with snow and act like little claws.

“Stock” 40:
1/8” steel floor and inner fenders (essentially 1/4 tub less outer 1/4 panels)
950 kg front axle
1150 kg rear axle
Within 50 kg side to side (depending on cargo and fuel)
Open diffs (on flat streets less of a concern than off road)
Bush bumper that acts like a plow (enough anyway)
250 hp 350 SBC
31 x 10.50 tires

Got stuck countless times. Unstuck process started with digging out the grill so air could reach the rad, shovelling out from under rig and behind wheels, backing up, taking another run at it, getting stuck again, and repeat.

It wasn’t powder… once I risked airing down below my regular 21 psi, I found it’d pack hard enough to climb up it enough for axles not to get high centred. In deeper ruts the momentum helped me to slide across somewhat… and the ruts being from wider vehicles must have done the rest.

It’s not a monster… so I’m not 100% sure how I was able to do it. I had parents to get home to their 1.5 year old… and needed to get home later myself. The freezing rain at first had me stalled, but 10 psi gave me enough flotation to make forward progress again.

It was one heck of a way to test drive a swapped in running engine. The carb was in desperate need of a rebuild, yet it did its job. That engine ended up lasting 20 more years after I threw in an RV cam and 4 barrel. The sludgy state inside of it was likely what ultimately led to a spun rod bearing… and it being pulled.

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

Wow! I find my locked cruiser taps out in 2 foot of power snow even aired down with chains on all four fully locked, less in heavy greasy snow. The axles just don’t have the clearance.
Yours must have been a monster.
View attachment 2878039



Siping doesn’t help get you much further, it helps you stop those uncontrolled slides.

When you slide your tread fills with snow becoming flat like slicks. siping allowes little gaps to flex open that don’t fill with snow and act like little claws.

I often tell people I'd rather be winter driving in a 2wd car on four new good quality ice/snow tires then in the most prepared lifted/locked big tire 4x4 on all season or mud tires. 4x4's don't turn or brake any better than a 2wd. Power to the second axle generally just gives a false sense of security, and is really only helpful in the first few seconds getting the vehicle moving. (this all for highway/city driving of course.)

 

[stevebradford]

Got stuck countless times. Unstuck process started with digging out the grill so air could reach the rad, shovelling out from under rig and behind wheels, backing up, taking another run at it, getting stuck again, and repeat.

That makes more sense.

More exciting snow anarchy tonight!!

I don’t do much driving around here in the snow, in fact i avoid it. too manny YaaHoo’s your likely to get hit by a dumbass in a pickup truck.

I don’t daily drive my cruiser, it gets used for my winter and summer road trips. Half of its life driving is in the snow on my winter Ice fishing trips to the interior. I’m not worried about some extra tire wear in the summer, I would rather be confident in the worst conditions on the mountain passes.

 

[seapotato]

I often tell people I'd rather be winter driving in a 2wd car on four new good quality ice/snow tires then in the most prepared lifted/locked big tire 4x4 on all season or mud tires. 4x4's don't turn or brake any better than a 2wd. Power to the second axle generally just gives a false sense of security, and is really only helpful in the first few seconds getting the vehicle moving. (this all for highway/city driving of course.)

I'm always shaking my head at idiots blasting past me on the highway when it's a dusting of snow over ice.

Snow seems to bring out the dick measuring in 4x owners, they like to drive fast to show off when it snows. 4x helps with a bit of fishtailing and accelerating, but it's the same brakes and 4 tires and illusion of traction everyone else has when they go to stop.

I don't think the vehicle matters much until you get into fancy traction control systems.

It's just weight spread across the contact patch of 4 tires. As long as the spread is somewhat even.

Swmbo's honda crv is the best thing I've ever driven in snow, it just maxes out and starts dragging it's girly parts when it gets deeper than 6 inches or so, and then the cruiser is better.

Cruiser is better for having idiots bounce off it I guess.

 

[seapotato]

I'm gonna have to bribe you for some groovy action one of these days.

I don't have a better pic, but you can sorta see that my kub's front tires are a little past their prime...bald as an egg

( I was doing some roofing, in my usual fashion with no assistants, so this was my garbage bin)

Correct tires are no longer available, these are lowboy boat trailer tires, but they're not the right rolling circumference when they're new. Hence the lack of tread.

There are some ATV tires that will work, but their load capacity is a bit marginal.