UPDATE: New Falkens and heavy snow

Don M

Don M

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We had our first real snowfall two days ago, about 4" which means that the streets were snow covered (packed) and slushy in some areas from the salt. It was still coming down heavy and traffic was terrible, it took me over two hours to make a 45 minute drive home. Speeds averaged 20 mph with the occasional 30 mph sprint.


My new Falken ZE950's drove like champs and having a manual, I was able to keep the engine between 2,000 and 3,000 rpms. The results? My [back]-end only skipped out once in 40 miles, maybe three inches, less than it would with a power shift into 2nd gear. Even changing lanes was no issue.


Then yesterday on the way to work, I had to drive through my unplowed street (4") and then after stopping at the main road, make an uphill, right turn onto the unplowed main road. The traction control light was flashing like crazy, but I still was able to make it up the hill without any drama - no fish tailing, nothing. The highway was covered in slush and packed snow in between the tire grooves and I was still able to do 40 mph (held up by traffic) with absolutely no issues.


I know that straight winter tires are supposed to be the bomb, but I was really impressed with the Falkens and happy with my choice.
 
Good to hear Don! This will be the first time in decades I've used all season tires on my daily driver but it should be good considering it has AWD. Monday mine get installed replacing the horrible Run Flat Tires is has on it now.
 
Sounds like your winter driving skills are better than 99% of the people around you. RWD takes thinking and preparation, especially in the snow. I accelerate too aggressive. It would take me awhile to acclimate to RWD in the snow.
 
LEDetailing said:
Sounds like your winter driving skills are better than 99% of the people around you. RWD takes thinking and preparation, especially in the snow. I accelerate too aggressive. It would take me awhile to acclimate to RWD in the snow.
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I actually found RWD easier to drive bad weather than FWD. Some people think I'm insane.

Many years ago I purchased a manual BMW in the winter and it was delivered with summer tires. The Monday after I picked it up, the city where I lived was covered in ice when I drove to work. I found the balance of the car and the fact the front wheels only had to steer the car and not steer the car AND propel the vehicle made it much easier to control. I was shocked at the difference in poor weather driveability between it and the FWD car I dumped at the dealership a few days before. I proceeded to drive that car in bad weather for another 7 years on summer or all season tires (I didn't know better) and still think it was the best foul weather car I've owned.

Back to the topic: Glad your Falkens are working out for you. I'll be curious to hear how they hold up.
 
Desertnate said:
I actually found RWD easier to drive bad weather than FWD. Some people think I'm insane.

Many years ago I purchased a manual BMW in the winter and it was delivered with summer tires. The Monday after I picked it up, the city where I lived was covered in ice when I drove to work. I found the balance of the car and the fact the front wheels only had to steer the car and not steer the car AND propel the vehicle made it much easier to control. I was shocked at the difference in poor weather driveability between it and the FWD car I dumped at the dealership a few days before. I proceeded to drive that car in bad weather for another 7 years on summer or all season tires (I didn't know better) and still think it was the best foul weather car I've owned.

Back to the topic: Glad your Falkens are working out for you. I'll be curious to hear how they hold up.
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Those that felt you were insane don't know how to drive. Oversteer is way more recoverable than understeer. On a FWD Vehicle if it plows forward into a slid the only thing you can do is come off the gas and most certainly the brake. In a RWD car if it over steers you can not only steer into the slide but apply gas to help control/regain control.

FWD makes it easier from a start due to weight over the axel and people feel more in control when the car is pulling itself but so long as it's rolling forward it's under control even if it's being pushed. The challenge for them becomes when it's out of control.
 
TTQ B4U said:
Those that felt you were insane don't know how to drive. Oversteer is way more recoverable than understeer. On a FWD Vehicle if it plows forward into a slid the only thing you can do is come off the gas and most certainly the brake. In a RWD car if it over steers you can not only steer into the slide but apply gas to help control/regain control.

FWD makes it easier from a start due to weight over the axel and people feel more in control when the car is pulling itself but so long as it's rolling forward it's under control even if it's being pushed. The challenge for them becomes when it's out of control.
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Having started driving with RWD and driving light-in-the-@zz Crown Victorias for over 25 years has taught me a few things (so did screwing around in empty parking lots :dblthumb2: :dblthumb2::dblthumb2: ) FWD is OK for pulling you out of a MILD over steer situation, but it's also easy to lose control with torque AND turning being applied to the same tires, add torque-steer to that and it's a recipe for disaster. Your front end goes off your intended direction of travel and the rest of the car follows.
 
BudgetPlan1 said:
NE Ohio was fun this week, eh?
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Absolutely, other than having to leave 2 hours early for work, but watching all the other FWD, AWD and 4x4 drivers getting careless, sliding A LITTLE BIT, then freaking out.
 
LEDetailing said:
Sounds like your winter driving skills are better than 99% of the people around you. RWD takes thinking and preparation, especially in the snow. I accelerate too aggressive. It would take me awhile to acclimate to RWD in the snow.
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The torque curve of my engine (combined with the 6 manual) makes it easy. I don't hit my torque peak until 4,500 RPM (7,000 RPM redline) so by keeping the revs between 1,000 and 2,000 gives me enough torque to go, but not enough to spin - the posi rear end and traction control help too.
 
This winter is the first since 2000 that I haven't had AWD with snow tires. I still have the snow tires, but switched to a RWD car (BMW). I've been out in the snow twice with it now, and I agree that RWD is much easier to manage than FWD in slippery conditions. My rear end would slide out just slightly when I'd accelerate in turns, but I could quickly and confidently correct without much effort. If it was a FWD car, I'd just end up understeering all the time with a lot less control over steering.

Coincidentally, I was just talking to a coworker about the huge value of snow tires (at least here in WI). I'd never give those up.
 
I too prefer RWD in snow and I have been using the all season General Altimax RT-43 for a couple years (on my Saturn...not RWD) and LOVE them considering I dont need 2 sets of wheels and dedicated snow tires. They arent as good as snows but they are really good.
 
brettS4 said:
This winter is the first since 2000 that I haven't had AWD with snow tires. I still have the snow tires, but switched to a RWD car (BMW). I've been out in the snow twice with it now, and I agree that RWD is much easier to manage than FWD in slippery conditions. My rear end would slide out just slightly when I'd accelerate in turns, but I could quickly and confidently correct without much effort. If it was a FWD car, I'd just end up understeering all the time with a lot less control over steering.

Coincidentally, I was just talking to a coworker about the huge value of snow tires (at least here in WI). I'd never give those up.
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Amen to that. Now that I’ve driven on winter tires I’ll never go back to all seasons in the winter.
 
Don M said:
We had our first real snowfall two days ago, about 4" which means that the streets were snow covered (packed) and slushy in some areas from the salt. It was still coming down heavy and traffic was terrible, it took me over two hours to make a 45 minute drive home. Speeds averaged 20 mph with the occasional 30 mph sprint.


My new Falken ZE950's drove like champs and having a manual, I was able to keep the engine between 2,000 and 3,000 rpms. The results? My [back]-end only skipped out once in 40 miles, maybe three inches, less than it would with a power shift into 2nd gear. Even changing lanes was no issue.


Then yesterday on the way to work, I had to drive through my unplowed street (4") and then after stopping at the main road, make an uphill, right turn onto the unplowed main road. The traction control light was flashing like crazy, but I still was able to make it up the hill without any drama - no fish tailing, nothing. The highway was covered in slush and packed snow in between the tire grooves and I was still able to do 40 mph (held up by traffic) with absolutely no issues.


I know that straight winter tires are supposed to be the bomb, but I was really impressed with the Falkens and happy with my choice.
Click to expand...

I just got cooper srx's and they are riding well. This is going to be a chit winter. Last year I only missed 1 weekend of washing my car the entire winter because of below freezing temperatures. This year I've already missed two and its not even January yet
 
Unfortunately I have to daily drive my challenger. I put 4 snow tires on. Our winters are pretty mild but I don't have much experience in a rwd car. If I got stopped on a hill with all the torque this car has I'd have a difficult time getting going. Now I'm a truck driver but never owned a rwd car. Driving a big truck in the snow is way different than a car. Everything is in slow motion in the truck

Sent from my SM-G900P using Autogeekonline mobile app
 
Agree with what you guys are saying about FWD vs. RWD - technically it's correct and applies to people who know how to drive, understand the physics of cornering, and realize the two drive differently.

The issue is that most people are cluless (in my experience). Consider low traction (ice or snow without winter tires): what happens with FWD vs. RWD when somebody over-accelerates? The FWD spins wheels (or wheel). The RWD ends up fishtailing into another lane with the driver having no idea what happened. Most people in RWD and low traction are a menace to the rest of us.

Consider that I live in a place where people routinely abandon their cars when it snows. This sounds crazy, and it is. People just leave their car on the freeway and walk away. You're probably envisioning them pulled over to emergency lane in an orderly manner. Not so. Literally just left all over the freeway in every lane. It's the most bizarre thing I've ever seen.

I first visited Portland in the early 90s. Had a rental and woke up to ~10" of snow. Had to head to the airport. As I drove I kept passing abandoned cars all over the freeway and could not figure it out. Am I not supposed to be driving? Was there some sort of disaster overnight? Is was the strangest thing I'd ever seen. Consider that I was living in Colorado at the time. Since moving here I now expect it.

My preference is AWD. Have driven these for most of the last 25 years.
 
frankprozzoly said:
Unfortunately I have to daily drive my challenger. I put 4 snow tires on. Our winters are pretty mild but I don't have much experience in a rwd car. If I got stopped on a hill with all the torque this car has I'd have a difficult time getting going. Now I'm a truck driver but never owned a rwd car. Driving a big truck in the snow is way different than a car. Everything is in slow motion in the truck
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^^ does the vehicle allow you to do a 2nd gear start? Is there a "snow" mode in the programing of the performance? Most that have that will retard power and default to a 2nd gear start.

RippyD said:
My preference is AWD. Have driven these for most of the last 25 years.
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^^ this.
 
Yes I can put in auto and pull out in 2nd. We rarely get a good snow around here anymore so I haven't had an issue. Theres alot of hills here unlike say Chicago or nyc where the city is flat so a light coating can be more of a pain than a few inches

Sent from my SM-G900P using Autogeekonline mobile app
 
RippyD said:
Consider that I live in a place where people routinely abandon their cars when it snows. This sounds crazy, and it is. People just leave their car on the freeway and walk away. You're probably envisioning them pulled over to emergency lane in an orderly manner. Not so. Literally just left all over the freeway in every lane. It's the most bizarre thing I've ever seen.
Click to expand...

My son learned to drive in New Hampshire so he knows how to handle the snow and ice, but when he moved to Portland he stopped driving when it snows. I asked him why because he had always been a good winter driver and he said he hadn't lost his winter skills at all, but almost no one else in Portland knows how to drive in even an inch of snow.
 
TTQ B4U said:
^^ does the vehicle allow you to do a 2nd gear start? Is there a "snow" mode in the programing of the performance? Most that have that will retard power and default to a 2nd gear start.
Click to expand...

"ECO" mode often has a similar effect, though it isn't designed for the purpose. Rather than starting in second gear like a snow mode would, it mutes throttle response, lowers shift points, and slows the shifts. All of which make for easier driving in slick conditions. I'm not sure if FCA vehicles even have that option.
 
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