Towing in the Snow

[Brian B-P]

One factor to note about front wheel drive (FWD) versus rear (RWD)
While every FWD vehicle will be significantly front-heavy (at least when not carrying significant load), RWD vehicles may be anything from extremely front-heavy to significantly rear-heavy, even empty. This makes a huge difference to traction. In most forms of motorsport where the design is not closely related to a stock vehicle, RWD (or all-wheel-drive) is preferred, but they have appropriate weight distribution.

And as for controlling a FWD car...
Automatic transmissions can be death to vehicle control. It can be very handy to be able to push the clutch pedal and remove the drivetrain from the handling equation, at least momentarily. Even with an automatic, appropriate technique can help. Roger, spectate at an SCCA Rally event some time, and see what FWD can really do.

Many years ago, I would regularly compete in solo motorsport events run on tracks plowed out of the snow on frozen lakes, usually in a stock FWD car. I was always pushing the limit of control (remember this is a closed and controlled event, not a public street...) and I rarely found myself in an unrecoverable situation. I also entered every high-speed turn (commonly 80 km/h or 50 mph entry speeds) with the tail hung out in an oversteering drift. A trailer would complicate that, of course, but it would with RWD too!

By the way, in that form of competition on ice, the classes were determined by the type of tire. There were a couple of studded classes, but no one ever mentioned the idea of using chains...

[CD Smith]

All very good information! However, some of your assumptions about FWD and RWD may not be completely true.

In my experience on snow/ice with traction control equiped FWD vehicles and limited slip differential equiped RWD I will bet on the FWD every time.

My TV is a traction controlled RWD and when compared to the tractioned controlled FWD I used to tow with I prefer the FWD for handling and getting out of those slicky (snow/ice/mud/loose gravel) situations.

[Matt O'Bryan]

I can't tell you how much I used to cuss when out four-wheeling with my friends in their Land Cruiser FJs and International Scouts when I got my CJ-7 stuck and they had to come and pull me out of places they'd just been through, or I couldn't get through and they'd pass me and then come back and pull me out.

Jeeps getting pulled out by Scouts??? Oh the HORROR

I agree w/ you Roger, RWD seems to be vastly more predictable than FWD in poor driving circumstances. The only serious wreck I've been in was in a FWD car. The road was black iced, and nothing I could do would recover it. I had time to try plenty of things, too, going downhill like I was.

Matt

[Alf S.]

Jeeps getting pulled out by Scouts??? Oh the HORROR

I agree w/ you Roger, RWD seems to be vastly more predictable than FWD in poor driving circumstances. The only serious wreck I've been in was in a FWD car. The road was black iced, and nothing I could do would recover it. I had time to try plenty of things, too, going downhill like I was.

Matt

Hi: My primary rule in winter driving no matter wether its F.W.D. or R.W.D. is "knock it into neutral"!!! You have to get rid of the push/pull from the drive train so you can steer straight and brake accordingly If someone asks me if its slippery I always say " If I put my hand on the gear shifter it's probably slippery" With a manual transmission pushing in the clutch does the same thing as putting it in neutral... A lot of highway cross over collisions could be avoided if drivers only "Knocked it into neutral" Try it sometime when you can safely do it on a slippery street you will be suprised!!! Stopping distances are shorter also Only problem is if the guy behind doesn't know this rule Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Jan Adams]

After spending 9 hours on an expressway in Canada waiting to be rescued along with 50 miles of other cars, I have learned my lesson. BE PREPARED.

On our vacation this year, we weren't even pulling a trailer, and came off the expressway at the first exit when the roads started to look bad. Better safe than sorry is my motto now.

A few years ago on the way home from work, I got on the expressway and it immediately turned to ice. I took the next exit off, went into a motel, called my family, had dinner, and left 5 hours later after the road was clearned. Again, better safe than sorry.

The biggest thing is to SLOW DOWN whether you are pulling a trailer or just in your tow vehicle.

[John Mc]

Good points all the way. If anything worthwhile hasn't been mentioned, it's the tendency of AWD to mask the slipperiness of the road. That can lead to a false sense of security. A front wheel drive car will constanty remind you of slick conditions. The steering wheel saws back and forth as each front wheel fights the other for best traction. Meanwhile, my Subaru (and years ago, my Quattro) is quietly and efficiently distributing power from wheel to wheel. I remind myself to tap the brakes frequently to check the road traction available. I think AWD is a net benefit if you keep this in mind.