Driving in the snow.

stoliohranj

Well-Known Member
Sandbags are your friend. Like 8 of them. That extra weight helps more than you would think. Plus when you end up in a skating rink tear one open and spread liberally.
 

rod

Retired 23 years
Sandbags are your friend. Like 8 of them. That extra weight helps more than you would think. Plus when you end up in a skating rink tear one open and spread liberally.


They used to provide us with chicken grit (fine crushed granite)---much better than sand
 

SmithBarney

Well-Known Member
-perfect putting the PC in neutral when braking on a downhill...
-yeah you can't turn and brake at the same time in the snow..
-work on your cul-de-sac donuts, 5point turns no longer needed.
-dogs will still chase the PC, but some will slip under the wheels.
-learn how to steer with your right foot(throttle)
-Also if you are in a rural area, practice putting chains on NOW instead of
when you need them... (I've had to chain all 4 corners, yes it was that bad)
also see if your mechanic has a cheater chain available, basically its one length of chain link with a nut and bolt that you wrap on the tire and through the rim, it can be enough to get you out of a pinch, ie a frozen recessed loading dock

LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOW!!
Snowboard is all waxed and ready to slide!
 
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soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
Get yourself a tow rope or chain. If you get stuck, hook the chain to your bumper and stand there. The first guy who comes along in a 4x4 will stop and pull you out, especially if his wife or girlfriend is with him. Seriously.
 

brown67

Well-Known Member
Have chains and learn to use them. Yes, chaining up is a pain, but it can make for a less stressful day once they are on. No getting stuck in the residential neighborhoods.
 

Pooter

Well-Known Member
When the light turns green, give it a few seconds before going.

Now watch people slide into the intersection when they get red lights :D
 

AKCoverMan

Well-Known Member
Per trip your chains and bungie cords and if your center has them get a set of stick strips in your car.

We also have emergency chain links we can use to repair a broken chain on road or add one more link to get a stubborn chain to fit on the tire.

I've had the pleasure of chaining up three days already this season. Good times...
 

rod

Retired 23 years
Per trip your chains and bungie cords and if your center has them get a set of stick strips in your car.

We also have emergency chain links we can use to repair a broken chain on road or add one more link to get a stubborn chain to fit on the tire.

I've had the pleasure of chaining up three days already this season. Good times...


See people----Minnesota isn't the worst state. I mowed grass today.
 

AKCoverMan

Well-Known Member
See people----Minnesota isn't the worst state. I mowed grass today.
I'm feeling like were due. Last year I made it all season chaining up less than five times. But it was very mild winter in combo with smoothest peak dispatches in ten years. The other shoe is gonna fall...
 

AKCoverMan

Well-Known Member
My rule was that if I needed chains to go down a road I didn't go, but that probably wouldn't work in Alaska...

Pretty much my rule also. I just figured if I might need chains to get back out, EC baby.

Yeah we're expected to use our chains. The days this past week I had to chain up was not due to deep snow just routes on nice paved streets that were built on hills. If the roads are slick you have to have chains to move on the uphill grades. If I had not chained up I would have had to EC 50 plus stops a day. With chains it ran almost as fast as summertime, but of course you have the added time of putting on and taking off the chains.
 

AKCoverMan

Well-Known Member
My personal rule is that I will never enter a driveway that is downhill in the winter. Chains will slow you down a lot. You can't get much faster than 30 mph with chains on.
Yes but what about a street that is uphill. Without chains you might get up to the house you need but if your pointed uphill you'll never get going again. And you might spinout on the way up. With chains it's easy.

Yes they slow you down but not below speeds your going to do in a resi neighborhood anyway. If it's a ways from the center I don't chain up till I get on area.
 

IlllIIllIIlllIllIIIlIlIlI

Well-Known Member
I've never heard of a driver getting charged with an accident for damaging a public road. Chains will rip up a cheaply paved driveway. Where I am, we have 45mph+ paved roads and 25mph(maybe) unmaintained roads. I'm not talking about residential neighborhoods. I'm talking about having a route 40 miles from the center with 2 paved state road and everything in between being dirt county roads
 
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AKCoverMan

Well-Known Member
If I need chains just to get in and out of a long rural driveway but I can drive the roads ok without chains then I will either walk off that stop if practical or EC it till they plow out the driveway.

But last week it was a purely suburban neighborhood with nice paved streets just all built on hills. It's about a half hour from the center at normal speeds, it would be unusual to run in chains from the building. Usually pull into the local WalMart parking lot. Level, plowed, and great lights.
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
I run into situations all the time where a recent snow has melted off everywhere else, but when you come around a corner of a long resi driveway or a rural dead-end road and there will be a shady spot where the snow never melted or where a drift formed. Sometimes there is simply no alternative but to chain up.
 
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