Winter Driving?

[project d]

Just wondering how many people here are planning on winter driving (daily driving) their 86/BRZs?

For those who are, what winter setup are you planning to run (suspension, tires, brakes, chassis reinforcement, mud guards, weight distribution, etc…) ?

Last year I only had OEM size Hankook W409s all around
Normal mode (90% of the time)
Sport mode (10% of the time - just to have some fun)

* I find that taking all systems off results in almost NO grip to even drive straight Lol

Would be cool to find a LEGAL place to practice driving in the snow (e.g.. Parking lots) and not get any tickets or hassle from the Police

[7thgear]

i drove my FRS all through all of last winter.. even the big snowstorms.

winter tires

don't bother with sport mode, esp during big snowstorms, turn the nannies off and stay frosty

you can get lots of practice in sleepy neighborhoods past midnight.

[mabviper]

I'm going to be driving my car through the winter. I just picked up Blizzaks WS70s. Might also put some weights at the back since the tires feel kinda weird in the dry/rain. I'm also looking to pick up rally armor and JDM panels for additional protection.

[jermyzy]

Originally Posted by 7thgear

i drove my FRS all through all of last winter.. even the big snowstorms.

winter tires

don't bother with sport mode, esp during big snowstorms, turn the nannies off and stay frosty

you can get lots of practice in sleepy neighborhoods past midnight.

This is my first winter driving a RWD, bought a set of Michelin x-ice xi3s. Is there a reason why we should turn the nannies off? I would have thought it'd be better to keep them on?

[7thgear]

Originally Posted by jermyzy

This is my first winter driving a RWD, bought a set of Michelin x-ice xi3s. Is there a reason why we should turn the nannies off? I would have thought it'd be better to keep them on?

if you leave the nannies on they will keep you safe.. but they won't let you drive the car

remember that traction control limits your throttle imput.. it won't let you spin the tires

and VCS starts playing with the brakes to control slides, so when you start to slide it stops it right when you instinctivly begin to counter-street and throttle correct


sometimes you need to slide and slip just a little bit to gain traction (and have a little fun)

in the worst snow storms if you leave them ON you're not gonna be going anywhere... i got stuck on a hill last winter and had to hammer down in 5th gear until the car hooked up, and i inched my way up until it found more grip... with traction control i would not have went anywhere. period, it would have limited my slip to a point where i just didn't have the momentum to pull myself otu.

then a few blocks after that i got stuck in a rut that had car slightly sideways, the front wheels were on a different plane from the rears.. what do you think VCS woudl have done there.. i litereally drove 1 full block while sideways cuz of the ruts... i got a bunch of thumbs up from some dudes.. but i was shitting bricks...

anyway, turn all that shit off and just drive the damn thing... but be very, very, very respectful of the road.

[Deadspool]

The nannies kept me from getting out of my driveway last winter. it limits rpm.


Once I turned them off, i rocked out and rocked on.

[Kazuya]

Now you guys are making me scared of winter with my 86.

I used to speed and drift on a Sentra too

[ZionsWrath]

Originally Posted by 7thgear

i drove my FRS all through all of last winter.. even the big snowstorms.

winter tires

don't bother with sport mode, esp during big snowstorms, turn the nannies off and stay frosty

you can get lots of practice in sleepy neighborhoods past midnight.

rofl you just told me to pray and slow down in other thread. now you telling this guy to turn off TC and have fun in neighborhoods at night

[kALMIGHTY]

My first experience with RWD and a manual and all of that together in the winter with less than 3 months of experience driving this car? I must be crazy!
Lol but no, I put on Blizzaks WS70's on the stock wheels and the car is pretty amazing on snow and ice. The steering isn't quite as sharp and feels a little lighter than it did on the stock wheels, but it's sharper than other cars I've driven.
You shouldn't worry too much. Just be careful and have some fun.
The only winterizing I did to the car was plastidipping the stock wheels so they don't get too beat up over the winter. My car already came with an undercoating and soundproofing and I'm just using the OEM mudguards. Might switch to Rally Armors one day but so far no problems.

[Tessball]

One forum I read I should be able to plow through snow no problem (with the right tires). And then I see stuck on driveway, hill. Won't move with nannies on, will slide out with them off. Well winter should be interesting... thanks for the tips wouldn't have thought taking traction off would helpful.

[Tessball]

Originally Posted by kALMIGHTY

The only winterizing I did to the car was plastidipping the stock wheels so they don't get too beat up over the winter. My car already came with an undercoating and soundproofing and I'm just using the OEM mudguards. Might switch to Rally Armors one day but so far no problems.

I'm gonna sound clueless.. but does the plastidipping spray on? Did u do it while the tires were on your car? Put michelin x-ice2s on the stock rims. Not a bad idea to protect them.

[klassick]

Picked my car up the last week of February last year and decided to not grab winter tires since March was around the corner. Then we got hit by that huge snow storm and I was stuck running stock tires, I got stuck on the road twice during that storm.

Learned my lesson this year, grabbed some Blizzak WS70s and some Weather Techs hopefully i'll be well prepared.

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by Tessball

One forum I read I should be able to plow through snow no problem (with the right tires). And then I see stuck on driveway, hill. Won't move with nannies on, will slide out with them off. Well winter should be interesting... thanks for the tips wouldn't have thought taking traction off would helpful.

At the end of the day it is drive limited. A steep enough incline on a slick enough surface WILL defeat any snow tire (e.g. ice, etc.). Equipped with snow tires and ~100-150lbs of ballast I had no problem negotiating several inches of snow on the highway and backroads. The car will not just slide out for no reason, you need to be insensitive/sudden with the throttle or steering in order to that. Very predictable.

When I got home, I slid down my driveway about 15 times before finally sticking it.


But MD is very different from Calgary.

[Tessball]

Originally Posted by StarshipPoopers

It just sprays on like spray paint. Make sure you clean the wheels well first and then have the can warm and well shaken or it'll clot and blow chunks.

You can do it while they're on your car if you want, just make sure you cover off the area around the tires well and cover up the backside so that you don't spray it all over your rotors.

Honestly though I would take the effort to remove the wheels from your car and go that route.

Thanks! Kinda a shame to cover the stocks really like the look but makes sense. Gonna search for bright red.

OrbitalEllipses

When i got home, I slid down the driveway about 15 times before finally sticking it.

lol that makes me feel much better...
I've driven Rwd before not super worried about traction more worried about getting stuck in the snow. The cars low clearance is my main concern. Oo well.. I bought it knowing that ill probably be shoveling myself out of the back alley a couple times.