the vx and the snow

[ScottinMA]

i've only had my vx for a few months, and my question is, how good are these things in the snow?? I'm thinkin of goin up to colorado or northern az around dec/jan. How well do they stand up to the snow?

The VX is awesome in the snow provided you have the right shoes (not the OEM tires for sure). HOWEVER, one must be VERY careful with this machine due to the short wheel base. You could find yourself doing a 180 faster than you think. Keep it slow and watch your turns and you should be OK.

[twistedsymphony]

I haven't driven my VX in the snow yet... since I just got it this year but as someone who has lived in the New England my whole life the key is the tires...

it doesn't matter what you're driving but if you've got good snow tires you're in good shape.

on top of that the things that make a good snow vehicle a GREAT snow vehicle are
-A majority of the weight over the drive wheels
-4WD or AWD
-Limited Slip Differentials
-Good Ground clearance
-ABS

The VX hits on all of those marks save the LSD part, the front and rear diffs are open but the "center diff" is essentially the torque on demand which acts like a center LSD... so it gets half a check mark there.

~I want to re-iterate though.. that AWD, ABS, Ground clearance, etc. are all COMPLETELY WORTHLESS unless you've also got the right tires. I had a lifted toyota Pickup with some nearly bald all-seasons on them... the first storm took me by surprise and driving around you'd swear the tires were made of solid ice, I would have been better off strapping skiis to the bottom of the truck and pushing it around then trying to drive anywhere. When I finally got around to putting my snow tires on you wouldn't even know I was driving on snow the truck was so sure-footed.

Again though, I can't stress enough how important tires are. If you're doing a lot of snow driving, buy a 2nd set of tires just for snow driving...

Bridgestone Blizzaks and Nokian Hakkapelittas are the best snow tires money can buy.

I've got a set of Nitto Terra Grapplers on my VX, like I said I haven't snowed it yet, but my friend at the tire shop said they do quite well in the snow, well enough he knows a few guys with plow trucks who run them

[dietz99vcross]

It loves the snow, but be careful with the big banks. The first winter I had mine we went snowbank stomping and had a riot. The next morning when I set off to work the scariest vibration I have ever felt was shaking me silly. I was afraid I broke something, but it was simply all the snow that had packed into the wheels. The brakes had melted the snow around the top, but ice chunks had settled on the lower half of each wheel making for a "slight" unbalanced set of wheels. After knocking the chunks out, all was good. Now whenever I spend time eating the snow I make sure I brush out the wheels.

Mike

[Bulldoggie]

I was driving in 20+" deep snow this day

I only turned back because my friends Samurai was getting high centered.
We were plowing 4" deep ruts with our bumpers!
The snow was fresh, and my tires are not stock, but I can say, the VX really rips it up:_drool: I had total control, tracking where ever I wanted.
I can't wait to play some more

[psychos2]

I have found that in the snow not to use power mode. It causes the wheels to spin to easily. And do not forget about the winter mode switch. Just push it when stopped and it will help you get going without spinning. shawn

[pbkid]

ya after i posted earlier i was gonna come back and add that no matter how good your car is in the snow, the tires are the most important....

i have been able to drive around people stuck in my integra because i spent $600 on snow tires...

[ObsidianDragon]

only notes i have are go easy on the gas pedal on starts, the AWD doesnt kick in quite fast enough for you to tear off in a straight line while in the slushy or wet snow. on pure powder driving i didnt have any problems, even with the last set of tires being near bald on the edges and being pretty low tread (those were continental crosscontact). current tires, cooper discoverer h/t plus, look and go like tank treads. both in 255/55/18 sizing. even in the freak blizzard in the NE a couple years ago, i didnt have too hard a time driving around until my hill and the deep slush.

yea that storm
http://www.fquick.com/garages/viewga...ewimg&id=37015

[blacksambo]

Just FYI, the rear differential on the VX is full time LSD. That's why you can't run the spare tire on the rear at anytime, you must move a front wheel to the rear and always run the small spare on the front axel only or you'll damage the LSD mechanism.

I haven't driven my VX in the snow yet... since I just got it this year but as someone who has lived in the New England my whole life the key is the tires...

it doesn't matter what you're driving but if you've got good snow tires you're in good shape.

on top of that the things that make a good snow vehicle a GREAT snow vehicle are
-A majority of the weight over the drive wheels
-4WD or AWD
-Limited Slip Differentials
-Good Ground clearance
-ABS

The VX hits on all of those marks save the LSD part, the front and rear diffs are open but the "center diff" is essentially the torque on demand which acts like a center LSD... so it gets half a check mark there.

~I want to re-iterate though.. that AWD, ABS, Ground clearance, etc. are all COMPLETELY WORTHLESS unless you've also got the right tires. I had a lifted toyota Pickup with some nearly bald all-seasons on them... the first storm took me by surprise and driving around you'd swear the tires were made of solid ice, I would have been better off strapping skiis to the bottom of the truck and pushing it around then trying to drive anywhere. When I finally got around to putting my snow tires on you wouldn't even know I was driving on snow the truck was so sure-footed.

Again though, I can't stress enough how important tires are. If you're doing a lot of snow driving, buy a 2nd set of tires just for snow driving...

Bridgestone Blizzaks and Nokian Hakkapelittas are the best snow tires money can buy.

I've got a set of Nitto Terra Grapplers on my VX, like I said I haven't snowed it yet, but my friend at the tire shop said they do quite well in the snow, well enough he knows a few guys with plow trucks who run them

[Triathlete]

Just FYI, the rear differential on the VX is full time LSD. That's why you can't run the spare tire on the rear at anytime, you must move a front wheel to the rear and always run the small spare on the front axel only or you'll damage the LSD mechanism.

Actually it has to do with the TOD. With the spare in the wrong place the TOD will go crazy thinking that there is a tire slipping.

[twistedsymphony]

Mmmmmm...not exactly, the VX came stock from the factory with a limited slip rear differential (LSD). If yours is "open" something must have been changed before you got it, or your clutch packs may be toast...

Just FYI, the rear differential on the VX is full time LSD. That's why you can't run the spare tire on the rear at anytime, you must move a front wheel to the rear and always run the small spare on the front axel only or you'll damage the LSD mechanism.

My mistake... I just assumed it was an open diff...

if it's a factory LSD that's even better!

Thanks for the correction... learn something new every day

as for the main topic...

FWIW... my VX is technically my "Winter Beater"

[Triathlete]

Probably the best winter "driving" pic on this site...AlaskaVX!
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/sh...puser/253/sl/a

[snowtrooper1966]

Not the best, but was on my first day of ownership...

[tom4bren]

"Not the best, but was on my first day of ownership..."

And thus began the love affair...

[Ldub]

HOWEVER, one must be VERY careful with this machine due to the short wheel base. You could find yourself doing a 180 faster than you think. Keep it slow and watch your turns and you should be OK.

TROOF...I got a little "overly ambitious" with the skinny pedal a few winters ago on an icy street...got sideways, then backwards, then sideways again so fast that it caused a tree to jump out into my way...not good.

[VCross007]

yea tires are the most important. I was in canada for a year with my mom's lr discovery II. With all the technology that goes into them they're just a 7000lb brick with the wrong tires. I didnt anticipate takin her car up there with me, so earlier that summer i put on street tires. ...long story short, I learned how to drift with a landrover. A few times in the snow i'd have to pull up on the ebrake to get around a corner. the year before I had my old trans am, which actually did better and having 380hp. I had dunlop sp's on there and itw as awsome. did better than the lr in most cases, although i was more daring with the rover. The vx has some continental contitracs on it. they look like an aggressive tread, did me fine in sedona on broken arrow.