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mc34 08-13-2005 11:01 PM

Driving 240 In snow
 
Hey guys I just got a 91 240sx and I love the car. where I live (vancouver) it snows alot and I was just wondering is it true that the 240 cannot be driven at ALL in the snow? if it can, what can I do to improve its drivability? let me know thx

Waynehead05 08-13-2005 11:04 PM

i've never heard that but then again i haven't seen snow in Texas in about 3 years.

lrb_2000 08-13-2005 11:46 PM

it's kinda hard... just go slow and be careful, and learn to countersteer, and don't slam on the brakes lol... get snow tires...

Bryan 08-14-2005 11:05 AM

It's more than possible, sometimes it can be tough though. Like lrb said take it slow, dont slam on the brakes, get some snow tires and dont drive like a dick and you should be ok.

Oh I also had some trouble making it up some hills in my car in the snow

Hagis 08-14-2005 11:54 AM

I drove mine in the snow last winter, it was fun. Get the gnarliest looking snow tires you can find and as long as you know how to drive in the snow you'll be just fine. I think my 240 handled the snow a **** load better than my Golf. I never got stuck on any hills, though i did come close a couple times. The only thing i had a hard time with was understeer, I blasted past my drive way a few times with the wheel cranked but that was because i was going too fast anyways. The e-brake is your friend some times ;) .

On a side note, I really don't understand why everyone is so afraid to drive RWD cars in the snow, FWD isn't any better/easier IMO.

Chiefgmsr 08-14-2005 01:44 PM

^^^ ppl are afraid of losing the tail. But it's possible to lose the tail in FWD cars too.

Draco-One 08-14-2005 01:45 PM

I have to agree with Hagis. My first two cars were FWD ('87 Pulsar NX both, one was a 16v), but my last 5 have been RWD, and I live in New England. Honestly, I feel RWD is far suprior to RWD in the snow. Yeah, you save a little time in the morning getting out of your driveway, but with RWD you actually have some controll over the rear of the car. Much safer in my opinion.

mc34, if you don't have a LSD, but were thinking of getting one, I'd get one before the snowfall. With a LSD, your'e going to have much better traction and control. If you get stuck, you can burn down throught he snow to the pavement beneath (unless your frame is hung up on a drift.)

It takes some skill and a good head on yoru shoulders to drive RWD in the snow, but it's a far more rewarding, and safer way to do it, IMO.

CowboyTurbo 08-15-2005 06:08 PM

really depends on how deep the snow is. I 180'd my 240 smack dab in the middle of a four lane highway doing 20 mph (believe me I countersteered and throttle modulated as much as I could to no avail) in just one inch of snow, but it was pretty much in the middle of a blizzard. Snow tires will make a pretty big difference and you can forget about any sort of decently steep inclines... basically if you're going to be commuting anything over 5 miles daily with snow on the ground more than half the time, it's going to suck and take you a lot longer than it would in a fwd

DaPCWiz 08-15-2005 06:22 PM

Driving my s14 in the snow is ALOT of fun. Without a VLSD, don't expect to get anywhere fast tho. To be safe, keep it slow, and take it easy on the gas. Snow tires on the rear help too.

Draco-One 08-15-2005 08:38 PM


Originally posted by CowboyTurbo
really depends on how deep the snow is. I 180'd my 240 smack dab in the middle of a four lane highway doing 20 mph (believe me I countersteered and throttle modulated as much as I could to no avail) in just one inch of snow, but it was pretty much in the middle of a blizzard. Snow tires will make a pretty big difference and you can forget about any sort of decently steep inclines... basically if you're going to be commuting anything over 5 miles daily with snow on the ground more than half the time, it's going to suck and take you a lot longer than it would in a fwd
That's usually when things can be really bad.. What really matters in a situation like that is the conditions BEFORE the blizzard.. If it was even moderately sunny, or the cloud cover was thin, the road was probabaly a few degrees warmer than the air, and possibly above the freezing point. The first few minutes of snowfall, the flakes would be melting instead of collecting. Then when the heat transfer brought the road's temp down, the melted snow would become black ice which then gets covered quickly by falling snow. Snow on ice can actually be more slippery than just straight ice.

Driving RWD int he snow, just takes some brain power. Unfortuantely, brain power is jsut what the VAST majority of drivers out there LACK; hence the lower crash rate with FWD.

BigVinnie 08-15-2005 08:47 PM

Re: Driving 240 In snow
 

Originally posted by mc34
Hey guys I just got a 91 240sx and I love the car. where I live (vancouver) it snows alot and I was just wondering is it true that the 240 cannot be driven at ALL in the snow? if it can, what can I do to improve its drivability? let me know thx
Any rear wheel drive will have a crap load of problems in the snow.
Play it smart and get some chains, and drive slow.......

SneakyMilo 08-15-2005 08:56 PM

I would think it wouldn't be too bad if where you live is flat. However my town is terribly hilly so RWD in the winter isn't a good idea at all. I say buy a 1500 crapped out AWD subbie for your winter beater.

BigVinnie 08-15-2005 09:36 PM

Oh another word of advice, deflate 15 PSI from each tire, believe me it works great, especially if you can't get a hold of chains for the day..............

daves240sx07 08-16-2005 03:31 PM

I live in vermont and the key is weight and a vary good studded winter tires. Put some in the back of the car. Or your second option, buy a better car.Back in the day there was only rear driven cars or 4wd, and they weighed a few tons and where fine with good winter tire.

Bryan 08-16-2005 04:26 PM


Originally posted by SneakyMilo
I would think it wouldn't be too bad if where you live is flat. However my town is terribly hilly so RWD in the winter isn't a good idea at all.
like he said, I have no problem driving it in the snow on flatland, but from leaving work to go to my house it is all uphill which makes for a sucky drive.


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