Outer Limits 4x4 Board

I'm planning to head down the the snow this year, but this will be the first time in my car. I've got wrangler mtrs and I'm just curious, how will they handle if the roads get wet/slippery/icy down there?

While I can't comment specifically on the MTRs (never had them) most of our Resort vechiles have Cooper STs, STTs or BFG ATs on them and so long as you drive sensibly there's no problems at all.

I've got MTZs on my own rig and they've been fine as well.

If it's icy it'll always be slippery regardless of the tyres that you're running. Most vehicles have no problems so long as the driver remembers that the transfer case lever just engages 4wd and is not an invincibility stick!

muffins wrote:I'm planning to head down the the snow this year, but this will be the first time in my car. I've got wrangler mtrs and I'm just curious, how will they handle if the roads get wet/slippery/icy down there?

Mine have always been good, on GQ and the GU...
Again, comes down to pressures, and your driving attitude.

I assume you mean you're on groomed resort roads?

If so, an MTR will be fine but on the agressive end of the spectrum of what works.

If you're talking deep, fresh, snow, and MTR is also excellent, but it's on the borderline "mild" side of what works.

Steve.

TSL BOGGERS or SWAMPERS!!!!!

i read in a rally mag once that they believe the best thing to grip snow is snow so they use tyres that hold it. Only what i read so dont shoot me down.

Yes, that's correct, only snow grips snow.

however, when the snow is deep you need some lug to compress the snow and move the car forward or you just spin.

I did my first snow trip in 1991. Aggressive tyres are the go once it's deep. If it's compressed/light all terrains etc are very good.

Steve.

muffins wrote:I'm planning to head down the the snow this year, but this will be the first time in my car. I've got wrangler mtrs and I'm just curious, how will they handle if the roads get wet/slippery/icy down there?

Fine. Been driving on MTRs regularly for the past four seasons and rarely put it in 4wd.

Of course if you hit ice, you'll be wanting some chains.

Would running directional tyres backwards be better? so tread doesn't self clear. (claws for example?)

I can only comment on my one trip to the snow, involving a small amount of snow driving on A/Ts.

On flat ground in deep snow they where fine, as soon as I tried to climb an embankment it was near impossible. Mate with Bighorns got up but still had trouble.

KiwiBacon wrote:Of course if you hit ice, you'll be wanting some chains.

We rarely get ice on the roads driving up to the snow in NSW. By the time the general punters are driving up to the slopes it's all been turned to slush.

my last trip to NZ snowboarding we hired a corolla on nearly bald road tyres and it made it up everything i threw it at (icy and snowy roads)... of course sometimes there was some, lets say, creative steering (read: "holy crap i cant feel the wheels")... we got up everything we intended to... 4wd alone on road tires would have made things a breeze - unless you're going offroad snow i wouldnt think its too much of an issue.

alien wrote:my last trip to NZ snowboarding we hired a corolla on nearly bald road tyres and it made it up everything i threw it at (icy and snowy roads)... of course sometimes there was some, lets say, creative steering (read: "holy crap i cant feel the wheels")... we got up everything we intended to... 4wd alone on road tires would have made things a breeze - unless you're going offroad snow i wouldnt think its too much of an issue.

Of course rental cars aren't bound by the laws of physics.

The biggest problem on ski roads isn't usually going up, it's coming back down.

i dunno - for me going up was more difficult - going down i just sat in 1st or 2nd and engine braked all the way... the front wheel drive was just useless at powering up a hill and steering at the same time. of 2 weeks driving we only fitted chains once, and it was -8C and snowing, so fair enough =)