Snow

[Guest mark_tsang]

what tyres do you use on your IS200 & size? i.e. 225 or 215/45 etc...

why? my altezza couldnt move this morning because of the snow/ice & the road isnt even that steep! whereas other cars like fiesta & fiats just zoomed past easily.

i got goodyear on the tyres at moment & not even that old or worn out.

i even used the SNOW switch (car is automatic) & the L2 mode, i think thats for up hill use but still couldnt go so i had to reverse back.

thanks

[Steve]

strangly enough thinner tyres get more traction than wide ones in the snow... Dont ask me about the physics of it all.

2cv's are the best in the snow!

[Scorpion]

I'm flicking through the Auto Trader right now then for a 2CV,should i get a "dolly" with a stripy roof

I use 225/45/17

[Fidgits]

strangly enough thinner tyres get more traction than wide ones in the snow... Dont ask me about the physics of it all.

2cv's are the best in the snow!

Thats due to the fact that a 'skinnier tyre' has a smaller contact area, and as such, the weight is distributed through this smaller area, creating a larger weight per area than with a fatter tyre.

The larger contact weight, and smaller width of the tyre, allows it to penetrate through the layer of snow, and as such, gains traction from the road underneath the snow.

Whereas, a fatter tyre cannot 'penetrate' deeper into the snow (due to a larger width, and a lower weight per area), and as such, can only make contact with the snow.

And IMO, the best car for the snow is the old Series 1 Land Rover, it had tall, skinny (and knobbly) tyres, A ladder chassis, articulating axles and lets not forget, 4WD.

[Steve]

blimey ian.. you been eating a book for breakfast? ;)

[Fidgits]

blimey ian.. you been eating a book for breakfast? ;)

Hey! I know I don't know much.. but I do know some things! :P

[Rob]

what tyres do you use on your IS200 & size? i.e. 225 or 215/45 etc...

why? my altezza couldnt move this morning because of the snow/ice & the road isnt even that steep! whereas other cars like fiesta & fiats just zoomed past easily.

i got goodyear on the tyres at moment & not even that old or worn out.

i even used the SNOW switch (car is automatic) & the L2 mode, i think thats for up hill use but still couldnt go so i had to reverse back.

thanks

the reason the fords/fiats etc went up the hills is prob because their tyres are not like ours - they have a block type tread pattern so there are a lot more edges to grip and cut thru the snow with.

[Jock]

strangly enough thinner tyres get more traction than wide ones in the snow... Dont ask me about the physics of it all.

2cv's are the best in the snow!

Thats due to the fact that a 'skinnier tyre' has a smaller contact area, and as such, the weight is distributed through this smaller area, creating a larger weight per area than with a fatter tyre.

The larger contact weight, and smaller width of the tyre, allows it to penetrate through the layer of snow, and as such, gains traction from the road underneath the snow.

Whereas, a fatter tyre cannot 'penetrate' deeper into the snow (due to a larger width, and a lower weight per area), and as such, can only make contact with the snow.

And IMO, the best car for the snow is the old Series 1 Land Rover, it had tall, skinny (and knobbly) tyres, A ladder chassis, articulating axles and lets not forget, 4WD.

Bloody Hell!!!! ;)

[AMH]

QUOTE (Steve @ Jan 29 2004, 05:55 PM)

Hey! I know I don't know much.. but I do know some things!

So that's Ian exhausted of knowledge now then ... ! :P

[Fidgits]

:P

Yep... well unless you want to start discussing Network Processors at the Silicon level???? :shutit:

[marsden1002]

the other day it was really bad snow / ice, i used the snow button and used L1 (1 st gear) and just started wheel spinning. Eventuly i have to make the back end move from left and right just to make the car move and inch. Also, when cornering very harsh, i have mananged to make the back end slide with the TRC on.

Could anybody advise me of this as i am scared that my wife may take a corner and slide and not be able to control the car.

I have a IS200 SE auto

[Scorpion]

Silicone levels......who shall we talk about then?

Pam Anderson , Jordan or Lolita Ferrari

[Fidgits]

Could anybody advise me of this as i am scared that my wife may take a corner and slide and not be able to control the car.

I have a IS200 SE auto

A quick explaination to the problem.

Traction control relies on input from the wheels, so in the dry, if you accelerate too hard on a corner, and loose grip, the tyres will dramically increase in speed (due to lack of fricton). Traction control can sense this, and cut the power from the engine.

Now ice is a different matter, if you go around the same corner, but in ice and lose the back end, there is a possibility that the traction would not sense it, due to the fact there may be no dramatic increase, and even if the TRC kicked in, there is not a lot reducing the power would do, as the problem is that the ice does not provide grip.

So, you really have 2 alernatives, firstly, there is currently a group buy on Racelogic traction control, which is a better system than the standard one, which would help, but may not solve the problem completley.

Secondly, and what i would suggest for your situation, is send your wife on a skid pan training course. I attended one last year with my better half, its costs between 50 and 100 pounds for a half day session, and the one i attended included instruction/explination etc.

What this will do, is let your wife expirence losing a car in ice, and learn to control it in a safe enviroment.

If you would like more info, just let us know.

[Rob]

Also, when cornering very harsh, i have mananged to make the back end slide with the TRC on.

tell ur wife not to corner harshly?? a quick and cheap option

[H13 BBO]

Just ban the wife 100% from using the Lexus !

after surley you love the Lex more than the wife ?

hee hee hee hee :winky:

[marsden1002]

love the lex more than the wife (only joking), my wife corners very fast. The other day i was in and she over took a car on a country road using the sports mode - shes worse than me!!

[Rob2]

Hi, Just thought I'd submit my tuppence worth to this discussion (even though it ended a week ago and there isn't any snow now!).

As far as I can see, nobody seems to have mentioned the fact that the IS200 is rear wheel drive. This has a significant impact on traction as most of the weight in a car i.e. the engine, is in the front of the car over the front axle which greatly improves traction in the front wheels. This is why your Fiestas and Fiats, usually front wheel drive cars, have the big advantage in the snow. You can improve the situation in rear wheel drive cars by putting sand bags, or something equally as heavy, in the boot (over the axes) but I can't say I've ever noticed a significant improvement doing this.

On the whole, rear wheel drive cars are pretty crap in the snow. My girl friend has an MX-5 (she doesn't get to drive the Lexus ;-) and has the same problem, being a rear wheel drive car. I generally avoid driving the car in the snow at all and stay at home. Fortunately, I have a very understanding boss.

To emphasise this point, I was at home last week (snowed in) and saw a BMW (also rear wheel drive) skidding all over the place and getting no where fast whilst a Renault Clio casually over took it. Power to the small cars!

Of course, tyre size also plays a part and, as already suggested, the thinner the tyre the better (... in the snow).

[Rob]

very true rob, i have also on previous occasions suggested the sand bag in the boot,( have not ever noticed much difference) but it all depends if the driver knows what to do if the rear starts to slide a bit and how to control it.

but the most important thing is: WINTER TYRES, we have been doing loads of driving in conditions similar to those in my avatar and have yet to experience any probs with the front/back sliding and this includes roads that are approaching 40 degrees.

[Rob2]

Yep, it's not the sliding that bothers me. In fact, I quite like a bit of oversteer :D ... in a controlled manner of course. Well, I like to think so anyway!

About a month after I bought my Lexus i.e. Mar '01 it snowed quite heavily whilst at work and I couldn't get my car out of the car park when I tried to leave, as it just spun on the spot. At the time it never occurred to me about sand bags or deflating the tyres and in the end I got one of my mates to tow me out. V.embarrassing. Brand new flash car and stuck in the snow - I can still remember the office jokes.

Anyway, since then I generally avoid driving in the snow unless I have to.

I have been tempted to buy winter tyres but wasn't sure how much of a difference they would make. Going on what you said, I'm more tempted to do so now. Just unsure if I can justify the cost for the few days a year we get the snow.

[Rob]

trust me the difference winter tyres make is HUGE - even on sheet ice( was in large car park that had about 5cm of ice on it) you dont have probs - unless you floor it.

instead of going for full on winter tyres, why dont u have a look for "town & country" tyres?

[IS200Owner]

trust me the difference winter tyres make is HUGE - even on sheet ice( was in large car park that had about 5cm of ice on it) you dont have probs - unless you floor it.

instead of going for full on winter tyres, why dont u have a look for "town & country" tyres?

Do you have any recommendations on which "town and country" tyres I should buy?

Having eventually got into work this morning most embarrassed as an articulated lorry was right up my boot end wanting to get past and the car snaking all over I think its time I did something about it!!!!