Didn't really know where to post this topic. Guys, any clues on driving third gens on the snow? I've got 91 Camaro RS, and it's a bitch to drive it on a snow.

 

Very carefully, and with a lot of expericence! For you guys who haven't done it much just take it slow and DON'T accellerate fast. Give plenty of room too!

 

Oh yeah and downshift... lot easier driving in the snow if you have a standard, although you can sownshift in an auto. If you have an auto use the lower gears... thats what here there for!

 

I can give you two pieces of advice - one I am sure of and the other I am pretty sure that it is true:

1) Get good snow tires. I bought Bridgestone Blizzaks a few weeks ago for all four corners. I am very impressed and have no apprehension now when I get in the car when it is snowing or is icy.

2) According to another post on this forum, the shifting of the 700r4 is firmer in drive than in overdrive. This should reduce the probability that the rear end will break loose on upshifts.

I can tell you that the tires are a sure bet. I am extremely pleased with them.

 

Do you have a LSD rear? They help immeasurably. I put 75lbs of lead in the "trunk" and usually fill up the tank when it is slippery out. Drive smoothly....it is like autocrossing at 15mph!

 

I don't know, KeithO, about the firmer shifts in Drive as opposed to overdrive. GMTech reminded me how trans line pressure is almost double that of "normal" when the stick's in 1 or 2. There's barely a difference in line pressure between D and OD.

As to driving tips, I have one-

1. Slow way down
2. Pretend there's an egg under the gas & brake pedals; go easy on them.
3. Never... EVER... hit the gas on a turn.
4. Make sure your cold tire pressure is at spec; a flat tire will want to "ski" over the snow.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

Some of these have already been said, but I will reiterate them.

1) Get the most aggressive winter tread you can get for all 4 tires. All-seasons just don't cut the mustard.

2) Put as much weight as you can in the back. F-bodies are extremely light on the rear (63/37 weight bias from front to rear). The extra weight helps you dig in.

3) Do everything slowly and carefully (I agree with the "egg" theory), but also for your brakes and steering wheel.

4) If you find yourself skidding, steer into the the direction of the skid. If you brakes are slipping while stopping, oscillate your brakes, which is slight different than pumping. You don't want to push hard on the "pump".

5) When you approach a stop sign or light, slow down way before it and keep yourself rolling as long as possible. It is far easier to accelerate if you are rolling than if you are at a complete stop. This is especially important on hills.

6) Ignore the SUVs and minivans that blow by you at the same speed as if the road was dry. You'll see them a little further ahead, usually flipped upside down off the road. People with SUVs seem to think that just because they have a 4x4 that they can drive as if it is a bright sunny day in the summer. They forget that they have to stop and turn.

 

I wouldn't downshift, it will cause the rear end to slide on a slick surface. D or OD will work the best(less torque multiplication). If you are sliding to (or through) an intersection, put it in neutral so the back tires won't 'push' you.
Weight in the back.
Good, properly inflated tires(the skinnier the better)
The best thing you can do is just drive slow.

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82 camaro--original steering wheel, brake/gas pedals, seats--everything else modified
82camaro

 

I think you meant don't downshift in the snow. That's one of the first snow rules I had to learn and I learned it quick. If you rear tires try to push the engine (especially into high RPMS) the frictional force of the engine will quickly overcome the frictional force of the tires to the street and it will be like locking up the rear tires.

The best thing you can do for winter driving is to teach yourself what works and what doesn't. Just like when you turned 16 and started to drive, anyone can tell you how to drive, but you're going to suck until you practice. I always go onto a completely ice parkinglot and move around and try to learn how to gain control of the car just don't over do it and get people calling the cops. Try putting yourself into a spin then get yourself out of it. Plus this method is much more fun . These cars are rather heavy compared to most econoboxes so you need that extra distance for slowing down (either FWD or RWD here).


Oh yeah, and on really, really, snowy days....joining a car pool or calling a friend isn't a bad idea

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1984 WS6 Trans Am Hartop
Former L69 Car under restoration
1984 WS6 Trans Am T-top car
4-bolt main 350, headers, Holley 650, T-5 and 3.23's.
Daily driver and restoration

 

Also, one of the reasons a standard is better than an automatic in the snow is because you can force the car to start (and to remain) in a higher gear.

With snow, you want to be in the highest gear possible to avoid spinning. When I had standard cars, I would often start in second gear to minimize the wheels from spinning.

With automatics, you can't start in a higher gear and you can accidentally downshift by going to slow. Believe it or not, this is when I am GLAD I have a torquey V8, they tend to stay in a higher gear longer.

 

Alek, as a tow truck driver who lives in snow country I can offer these tips for driving on snow and ice. First, don't! If you can avoid being out in that kind of weather you should. rear wheel drive cars and trucks are the were never intended for that. Second, If you have to be out, Drive slow, avoid sudden movements of all controls. If studded tires are legal where you are get them they help the most ( other than chains ). Chain up if you need to but do not go over 25 mph and keep the cahins tight using bungee cords on the sides. Use as little brake as possible.
If all else fails do what I do for my wife, Get good towing insurance, and tell them you broke down. I have farmers and towing costs me $26 every 6 months, that covers up to $150 per tow, once a month maximum. you can get several other policies that are towing only like AAA or Road one. I feel its cheap to not have to worry about locking the keys in the car or changing a flat in a rainstorm or in this case, white out conditions and you can sit back relax and let the "Car Taxi" to you and your car home. ( Also great idea when you go to the bar and don't need to be driving! )

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'87 RS 402 Big Block
'92 S-10 clazer 4X4
'77 3/4T Chevy 4X4 P/U with 500 Cadillac

 

Ok everyone mentioned something about driving it in snow!!!

But i had a question!!!

Does the snow and salt do a lot of damage to the underneath - after all our cars are gonna be about 10 years old this winter - atleast ten!!!

If it does then what could u do to reduce or totally prevent any damage!!!

I know im bringing up an old topic and one that nobody wants to worry about in the middle of summer - but i dont think ill have saved up enough to go buy myself a winter beater/eveyday car!!! So i gotta prepare!!!

Thanks
Jay

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Acceleration = Adrenaline

 

First off, unless you have Posi, these cars are not meant for driving in snow.

Second, this is where judicial use of the shifter comes in handy. Along with steering into a slide, putting the tranny into neutral can do allot to regain control of a car (BTDT). Also, if you put it in D instead of OD you will have some engine braking when you let off of the gas which is helpful and often better than hitting the brakes on a slippery surface. I often go to Man 2 or 1 depending on speed and conditions. Going down a slippery slope is the best time for manually downshifting, as long as you didn't put in the biggest boost valves there were ever made, but that is another story.

 

This post is back in July?
I still say don't downshift and don't run in the lower gears. Any engine braking when it's slick will cause the rear tires to slide. The higher the gear ratio the better.

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350 with stealth intake, holley carb, 470 lift cam. 700r4 with .5 boost valve, vette servo, tci lock-up kit, B&M megashifter. Richmond 3.73 gears, powertrax locker, timkin bearings, synthetic lube. Custom 3 inch single into 2 2.5 pipes. 1 1/2 drop springs, 1 5/16 solid front sway bar, 1 inch rear bar, custom subframe connectors, custom LCA relocation brackets. Kobel ground FX, current red metallic paint. Lots of other stuff...
82camaro

 

Get a beater car for a couple hundred bucks. I bought a 79 Toyota pickup for $350 when my 94 Z-28 (traded for 87 IROC) was my daily driver. Figured one good slip into a high curb or parked car would cost more to fix than the purchase price of that truck. Besides, it's fun to have 2 cars.

 

HiSpeed,

This is an excellent time to bring up the topic. This is the best time to to clean up after the "winter kill" from salt and sand on the Kennedy and Damn Ryan.

A thorough flush/wash of the underbody is a good start. Get out the hose and plan to get wet. A 90°F day is ideal for this. Raise the car and place it on secure stands or ramps. Wet the entire underside of the car to dissolve the salt and soften the packed sand and gravel. Using a medium-stiff brush and the hose, clean off all accumulations and flush out all the recesses and hidden spots. I've had good success with a wallpaper paste brush since it is fairly stiff but won't srcratch through the paint.

Once everything is clean and dry, go nuts with the rust treatment, like Permatex/Duro Extend. Brush it on where you can, and spray it into the recessed areas that you can't reach with a brush. Wear latex gloves, unless you want your hands to be stained pitch black for a week or so. After you have allowed the treatment to dry for the specified time (usually a couple of days), prime and/or paint the areas that are a problem.

Once everything is cleaned and resealed, it will be easier to stay ahead of. Flush the underside of your car in winter when you can (if the temperature is above 20°F) to strip off any accumulated salt and sand. The sand doesn't cause corrosion, but can abrade through the paint and allow the salt to start a nice rust spot. Salt, or more specifically a salt solution, will begin to attack raw metal almost imediately, causing ionic leaching and eventually oxidation (rust). Keeping the underside as clean as possible during the winter can help a lot.

If you read the owners' manual, the annual underflush is part of the recommended service that most people overlook - probably why most people drive really crappy cars, like Hondas, Chryslers, and Toyotas.

Incidenetally, a locking differential SUCKS on a lightweight rear end in marginal traction conditions. I had a TA that had posi, and even releasing the brake pedal (no accellerator) at a stop light would allow the diff to lock up, causing both wheels to spin and let the rear end of the car slide sideways down the crown of the road. If you only have rear drive, an open diff can be better if you are not stupid about it.

I drove an older Firebird all through the winter of '78-79, when 4WD trucks were getting stuck. The car had the 326, Powerglide automatic, and an open 2.73 rear, and only had a problem once, when a moron in front of me stopped in the middle of an Alpine hill for no apparent reason. As usual, no amount of equipment technology can conpensate for the sheer power of stupidity...

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Later,
Vader
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"Let the bodies hit the floor!"
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[This message has been edited by Vader (edited July 15, 2001).]

 

With an auto going down a steep incline, shifting into neutral removes the load off the rear tires and makes it easier to control.