Winter Driving Rant...

Don S/V ILLusion · Jan 6, 2015

But they are 'all season' tires when you live in Florida.

Phil Herring · Jan 6, 2015

It's the same reason people in Seattle can't drive in the rain.

Stu Jackson · Jan 6, 2015

It's the same people who don't understand

--- the 1-2-B switch

--- the wiring harness upgrade

--- the ammeter in the cockpit panel

--- the M25 Universal diesel engine alternator bracket upgrade and alignment

woodster · Jan 6, 2015

Phil Herring said:
It's the same reason people in Seattle can't drive in the rain.

hell let rain down here and your people can't hold a light to bad driving in the rain.....if the speed limit is 70 mph and its starts to rain they seem to speed up ...i have no idea what that is about unless they think they can out run the wet roads actually i was up there in 99 and in July it rained a lot while i was there and i thought they handle the roads very well compared to the Atlanta mob

jibes138 · Jan 8, 2015

Maine Sail said:
Sorry to vent but why, oh why don't people understand that "All Season" tires are NOT all seasons when you live in Maine....... I spent 15 minutes at 4F (can't even fathom the wind chill) trying to get my neighbor unstuck in her AWD vehicle. "I don't understand this my tires are new and this (insert expensive European car) is AWD." "Your tires are not winter tires and the rode is nearly solid ice......" "But they are "all season" tires..." I then had to politely explain to her that "all season" typically does not include winter and all season is marketing BS when it comes to winter driving...... Once she was unstuck she still could not make it up the hill in her AWD vehicle. She backed into a neighbors driveway and gave up. I walked back down to my driveway, backed my POS front wheel drive Prius out and drove up the hill like I was eating a cup cake. I don't even think traction control ever kicked in and the Prius is a true POS in the snow. My daughter missed the bus and I had to drive her to school all because some folks live in Maine and are simply clueless about winter driving.... Snow rated winter tires make a difference! Be safe!! Even if you have AWD you still: Have the same four wheels for STOPPING The same four wheels for TURNING AWD does not make you invincible and you will still do far better with snow tires on an AWD vehicle... I really despise more government intervention but perhaps Quebec has the right idea by mandating snow rated tires in winter months..... "From December 15 to March 15 inclusively, all taxis and passenger vehicles registered in Québec must be equipped with winter tires. This requirement also applies to rental passenger vehicles in Québec"

a "PRIUS?" You need to man it up and get a diesel F450 work truck with plow. This will be better for anchor testing. Get a good winch also to help pull your neighbors out of snow banks.

Steve L22188 · Jan 8, 2015

4WD/AWD and ice

Here in Kansas City the problem is that every idiot with a 4WD/AWD car seems to think that means they can drive as fast as they want on ice.

These folks don't understand that it makes no difference how much power is going to how many wheels - friction still is needed to go forward.

And don't get me started on braking.....

jibes138 · Jan 10, 2015

Maine Sail,
I am pleased to offer the following winter driving truck that will alleviate all your fears. No longer will you need a rear view mirror as other cars will be insignificant. You can see one of these at the Caterpillar museum in Peoria, Il and watch a movie in the back.
Note the scale next to the highway truck next to it.

DougM · Jan 11, 2015

Steve Liggett said:
Here in Kansas City the problem is that every idiot with a 4WD/AWD car seems to think that means they can drive as fast as they want on ice.

These folks don't understand that it makes no difference how much power is going to how many wheels - friction still is needed to go forward.

And don't get me started on braking.....

Moving to Virginia, I found that there are at least 4 basic rules of the road:

Do not, under any circumstances use turn signals
The left lane on the freeway is a driving lane, if you must pass, pass on the right and cut back in if there is a 20 foot gap.
Leave no more than six feet between you and the car in front, less if road surfaces are wet.
When entering a freeway by all means stop at the bottom of the acceleration ramp.

gettinthere · Jan 11, 2015

They drive the same way on the water!
Worst wakes we see, cruising the entire east coast, are from Ma registered blue hulled picnic boats. Worst language on the vhf also, by far.

Daveinet · Jan 12, 2015

You think you have an excuse to rant, I am on my second Cooper Clubman. I had my wife buy replacement tires, as I told her to just get the same tire we purchased on our last Cooper. (We've been buying tires from the same tire store for 20 years) Well, the tires I bought previously were discontinued, so they told her they had a tire that was a similar tire replacement. I made the mistake of trusting them. That was back in May. Now that the snow hit, after skating through 2 intersections, I look up the tires I got and found they are summer only tires!. I am not happy. These tires are tons worse than any tire I have ever driven in the snow. The car is dangerous at any speed. I have visited the tire shop and they said they would talk to the manager. I've not heard back, so I will visit them tonight after work. We'll wait and see.

Meriachee · Jan 13, 2015

I like my f350. It has all seasons on it and performs just as poorly at -20 as it did last week at -40. Snow, up north, is snow. Have ground clearance, or get stuck.
If they don't like the way I drive, they should stay out of the tracks I make on the sidewalk.

Indysailor · Jan 13, 2015

Ice is ice, whether you have big knobbies or slicks; you're going to slide. I've not changed the tires on my Forester or any of the front wheel drive cars we have owned and we have never had problems. But we also tend to get more ice and slurry on the pavement than deep snowfall, so it seems snow tires here would not be as useful.

Its all about anticipation; the worse the conditions, whether ice, snow, fog, a driving rain or whatever, the more time a driver needs to process all the information and feedback the vehicle is giving them. Some people get that, some people don't.

Blitz · Jan 13, 2015

Daveinet said:
You think you have an excuse to rant, I am on my second Cooper Clubman. I had my wife buy replacement tires, as I told her to just get the same tire we purchased on our last Cooper. (We've been buying tires from the same tire store for 20 years) Well, the tires I bought previously were discontinued, so they told her they had a tire that was a similar tire replacement. I made the mistake of trusting them. That was back in May. Now that the snow hit, after skating through 2 intersections, I look up the tires I got and found they are summer only tires!. I am not happy. These tires are tons worse than any tire I have ever driven in the snow. The car is dangerous at any speed. I have visited the tire shop and they said they would talk to the manager. I've not heard back, so I will visit them tonight after work. We'll wait and see.

I had a Cooper Clubman for a few years and it was very good in the snow with real Snow Tires. Like Maine said, you were more concerned of someone hitting you from behind since snow tires stop so well. Also, it's not only your tire dealer, many new Coopers came with summer tires, even in New York. Should be against the law... but we don't need anymore laws, just common sense

Meriachee · Jan 13, 2015

There's ice under the snow till probably March. That much goes with the territory up here.

Winter Driving Rant...

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