Yer will probably been gone by this evening, that'll mean Mums in their X5s and MLs wont be banging into each other (as much) The joys of living by a school eh.

Quote from Crashgate3 :

Melt's set in here now. It's pretty much gone off the road.

Still as much snow here as when I woke up, If not more... and the roads are still very snowy. Snow is still falling here, and if the weather forecast is right, it'll continue falling till the end of the day.

There's enough snow on the roads here that nearly all the small children going past my house are being pulled along on sledges

Quote from james12s :

well tristan ide like to see you win that arguement with and experianced offroad driver r someone who drives in sever condtions regually

We're not talking about driving in competitions or taking particularly tricky routes - we're talking about driving to work with an inch or two of snow on the roads. In which case a Landcruiser is driven exactly like any other car.

Quote from james12s :

as for low range and wheel torque, yes you are right but the ability to travel at slower speeds and therefore having more control is surely the safer option

So you think that doing 5mph in low range whilst everyone else is trying to overtake you because you're driving too slowly for the conditions is safe?

Depends where you live I guess, it's starting to build up on the roads here, and it's snowing pretty good. For my area it's supposed to snow into the night, 4-6 inches possible. It's supposed to hit 3-4 degrees tomorrow, so it will go fast, but it should be here tomorrow morning yet. Supposed to hit -2 tonight.

James lowrange for anything other than trying to get unstuck is pointless. It's meant for torque to the wheels, like tristan said, and would only be needed on the road if there was a foot of snow to push through. Your far better in high range and do 15-20 MPH, 30 on a stretch, but nobody really knows how to brake in snow, or more to the point virtually coast to a stop and waits far to long before letting off.

Quote from JO53PHS :

There's enough snow on the roads here that nearly all the small children going past my house are being pulled along on sledges

Another proof that you brits are the most optimistic nation! You not only own most convertibles per capita (IIRC, at least) for the one sunny day per year, but also sledges for the one snowy day per year

Quote from ColeusRattus :

Another proof that you brits are the most optimistic nation! You not only own most convertibles per capita (IIRC, at least) for the one sunny day per year, but also sledges for the one snowy day per year

What else is there besides optimism here!? It sure isn't opportunity...

Quote from tristancliffe :

As for making 4WD work, you often don't have to do anything. It just works. Sometimes you might have to pull a lever or press a button, but this is no more complicated than switching on your headlights.

Did I crash last night at 10 on the way home from work?

(no - I just understeered like a bitch :X)

Saw some kids dicking around in a Golf last night - very slippery single track road with a 5 foot ditch either side, snow with Ice underneath snaking their FWD car across the road and spinning it round :X

Quote from ColeusRattus :

Another proof that you brits are the most optimistic nation! You not only own most convertibles per capita (IIRC, at least) for the one sunny day per year, but also sledges for the one snowy day per year

True! We also all have salt cellars to keep our meat fresh just in case the electricity runs out . And most of use a pair of sunglasses and shorts 'just in case'

Quote from ColeusRattus :

Another proof that you brits are the most optimistic nation! You not only own most convertibles per capita (IIRC, at least) for the one sunny day per year, but also sledges for the one snowy day per year

We've got used to the idea of making the best of a bad situation because we seem to find ourselves/put ourselves in a lot of them

Quote from tristancliffe :

True! We also all have salt cellars to keep our meat fresh just in case the electricity runs out . And most of use a pair of sunglasses and shorts 'just in case'

And let's not forget those miniskirts on nights out...Who knows, maybe global warming might suddenly kick in!

It's a hangover from the Empire days. We remember how awesome the power was and some people still believe we can be great again. I, on the other hand, live in the real world and know better

btw tristan i was not talking about straight streches of road, i was talking about tigh corners etc which imo are the most hazerdoes

Roads aren't often totally straight. Some have corners. 4WD doesn't help on corners on roads - you still have just 4 contact patches, and the number of driveshafts doesn't change how much grip they can provide (well, it sort of does, but in terms of this discussion it is negligable).

Quote from Paranoid Android :

And let's not forget those miniskirts on nights out...Who knows, maybe global warming might suddenly kick in!

If the average global temperature rises by 1 degree Celsius the seas will rise by an inch.
If the average temperature in Newcastle rises by 1 degree Celsius they'll all go naked.

Quote from tristancliffe :

Roads aren't often totally straight. Some have corners. 4WD doesn't help on corners on roads - you still have just 4 contact patches, and the number of driveshafts doesn't change how much grip they can provide (well, it sort of does, but in terms of this discussion it is negligable).

Increased traction from 4WD is a negligible effect accelerating a 1.5 tonne car out of a very slow corner in snow, you say? Bollocks, I riposte.

amp, tristan (and myself) are not saying that 4wds won't have an easier time to get going from a standstill than other cars, but that once you are going, 4wd doesn't make a car any more safe or stable in snow.

Quote from ColeusRattus :

amp, tristan (and myself) are not saying that 4wds won't have an easier time to get going from a standstill than other cars, but that once you are going, 4wd doesn't make a car any more safe or stable in snow.

It does when you're trying to accelerate it out of a very slow turn (which is what I think James was trying to say). Braking and constant speed driving will be largely unaffected, but improved traction will make a big difference coming out of slow corners.

Quote from amp88 :

If the average global temperature rises by 1 degree Celsius the seas will rise by an inch.
If the average temperature in Newcastle rises by 1 degree Celsius they'll all go naked.

Must be time to repost this...

Quote :

So how hard are the blokes from the North East??

50 DEGREES
Southerners turn on the heating.
People in Newcastle plant their gardens.

40 DEGREES
Southerners shiver uncontrollably.
People in Newcastle sunbathe.

35 DEGREES
Southern cars will not start.
People in Newcastle drive with the windows down.

20 DEGREES
Southerners wear coats, gloves and wool hats.
People in Newcastle throw on a T-shirt (girls start wearing mini skirts.)

15 DEGREES
Southerners begin to evacuate.
People in Newcastle go swimming in the North Sea.

ZERO DEGREES
Southern landlords turn up the heat.
People in Newcastle have the last barbecue before it gets cold.

MINUS 10 DEGREES
Southerners cease to exist.
People in Newcastle throw on a lightweight jacket.

MINUS 80 DEGREES
Polar bears wonder if it's worth it.
Boy scouts in Newcastle start wearing long trousers.

MINUS 100 DEGREES
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
People in Newcastle put on their long johns.

MINUS 173 DEGREES
Alcohol freezes.
People in Newcastle become frustrated because the pubs are shut.

MINUS 297 DEGREES
Microbial life starts to disappear.
The cows on Newcastle Town Moor complain about vets with cold hands.

MINUS 460 DEGREES
All atomic motion stops.
People in Newcastle start to stamp their feet and blow on their hands.

MINUS 500 DEGREES
Hell freezes over.
Sunderland qualify for Europe.

Traffic was a 'mare this morning though, seemed like not a lot of the dual carriageways had been gritted and people were only using the left lane as the right was untouched snow.

Quote from tristancliffe :

Roads aren't often totally straight. Some have corners. 4WD doesn't help on corners on roads - you still have just 4 contact patches, and the number of driveshafts doesn't change how much grip they can provide (well, it sort of does, but in terms of this discussion it is negligable).

ah yes i i must admit i do agree here, the ony thing here is that a 4wd vehicle wil tend to have wider tyres than most cars, there are of corse exceptions, but i used that as an example because these sorts of situations are best tackled at low speed, like small residentail streets.

edit: amp got it about right

But lack of accelerating traction isn't the problem in these conditions, it's outright grip. And 4WD is no better for that.

Wider tyres might be a bad thing too - ever wondered why rally car snow/ice tyres are really narrow?

Phew, just got back from sledging! I'm pretty sure I have the best sledging hill - it's really steep and pretty long, which makes it very dangerous... No major injuries (the worst two...I fell off sideways and caught my knee in a rabbit hole or something, sending me flying and almost breaking my leg! I recovered from that and tried what looked like quite a big jump, but it was more like a wall - a large rock, in fact. It probably looked quite funny, I hit it with my feet first, my sledge stopped dead, and I sort of stood upright then went flying forwards!)

Surprising really, as there was very little snow, none at all in places, making for a very bumpy ride. Last year, when there was lots of snow, someone broke their neck! They had a soft landing, but were going so fast...They were alright though, don't worry!

Anyone elso go sledging?

was out this morining all to find everyone Snailing around...


i mean,


at 30 mph, with standard driving, i havent noticed any differance in stopping acceleration or handling...

our " snow " is over rated...


most countrys should be laughing at us...


barely enough to lose traction

yes it depends on conditions weather its best to sit on top or cut down into the surface, bvut i think tbh depending on the situation 4wd can be a good or bad thing, well not bad but not helpful.

i just think that in snowy conditons 4wd can be a help, mainly because it would allow a vehicale to get out of conditions 2wd vehicles would get stuck in. i think there was a couple stories on telly about buses being towed out by 4x4's ?

Quote from james12s :

yes it depends on conditions weather its best to sit on top or cut down into the surface, bvut i think tbh depending on the situation 4wd can be a good or bad thing, well not bad but not helpful.

i just think that in snowy conditons 4wd can be a help, mainly because it would allow a vehicale to get out of conditions 2wd vehicles would get stuck in. i think there was a couple stories on telly about buses being towed out by 4x4's ?

short high sustion 4wd would be ideal...


What i would do for a subaru Rusty...

I can't believe they're shutting schools. I remember snow like this when I was that age, school never got closed. What's different a decade later?

Likewise today was just another day, push off the 3 inches of snow on the windscreen and drive to work as per normal. No snow on any of the roads. Seems perfectly safe to me (unlike mornings where it's been really icy and I've spun my wheel(s), but today was just slush).