Alan Bowes wrote:
> bleffler@vnet.ibm.com wrote:
> >
> > Does anyone out there have any good stories, or helpful hints about
> > driving MV's with issue non-directional tires on snow and icy roads?
> > I have given up until I locate some tire chains. You haven't
> > experienced life fully until you dig a deuce and a half out of
> > the snow in the dark at 20 degrees. I amazes me that the thing
> > is so immobile in icy conditions. What am I doing wrong?
>
> ****************
>
> After investigating alternative tires for my current M37 project, I've
> opted to stay with the original NDT tread. I have a couple of other 4x4s
> that I can use when the roads are icy.
>
> Here in Salt Lake, it snows frequently during the winter (averaging
> maybe once per week), and we live on a steep hill overlooking the
> valley. We get more snow up here than down in the lower portion of the
> valley and the steep roads in this section of town can become very
> treacherous until the plows and salt trucks arrive. I also travel
> frequently through the surrounding mountains for both business and
> recreational purposes, and there is plenty of white stuff up there (most
> of the 2002 Winter Olympic Game venues will be within about 30-45
> minutes' drive from our home).
>
> I've owned two other vehicles with military NDT tires (MB and GPW), and
> I've actually had pretty good luck with the NDTs, except on VERY
> hard-packed snow and ice, in which case they are noticeably slicker than
> a good radial snow tire. In softer, deeper snow, NDTs seem to work
> admirably. They also work well on snow-packed roads in very cold
> conditions (cold air and cold ground), in which case the snow tends to
> remain granular for a longer period of time and be re-formed by your
> tires as you drive over it, even though others have driven over it
> before. Naturally, conditions will vary considerably.
>
> I want to emphasize that on ice, all tires are pretty slippery, unless
> they're studded. A tire with lots of fine siping will generally do a
> little better on ice, due to its many tiny gripping edges. Radials will
> be somewhat better than bias-ply tires on an icy surface. Some of the
> newer silica-impregnated tread compounds may perform a little better on
> ice, not so much because of the edges of the crystals themselves, but
> because it tends to make for a more stable tread compound that is
> perhaps a bit stiffer, giving the edges of the tread a somewhat better
> bite. I suspect that the silica also helps keep the rubber from
> softening too much at high temperatures (not applicable in this case).
>
> Keep in mind that radials are NOT necessarily better under all
> conditions. When driving in extremely rugged terrain, such as the trails
> in Utah's canyon country, non-belted bias-ply tires are often the tire
> of choice because of their ability to conform to the rocks, ruts, and
> convolutions, wrapping themselves around these obstacles rather than
> concentrating the weight on smaller areas, such as the tops of pointed
> rocks, which is what happens with belted tires under those conditions.
> When non-belted bias-ply tires are used with low pressure, this ability
> is magnified. Also, radial sidewalls tend to be more vulnerable to
> damage, partly due to the lack of criss-cross plies, and partly because
> the sidewalls hang farther out over obstacles than the sidewalls of a
> bias-ply tire. The Dick Cepek tire company and several others make
> non-belted bias-ply tires for off-road use and they charge a premium
> price for these guys.
>
> I recently managed (unintentionally) to poke a small tree root right
> through the side of a Michelin tire on my pickup truck. It went through
> the sidewall like a hot knife through butter. I didn't even feel a bump
> when I drove over it at about three MPH.
>
> One approach would be to carry a set of chains with you and put them on
> only when needed. The lighter-weight cable-type chains may not last as
> long as the link-type chains, but they aren't as rough riding, they
> install quickly, and they work OK on ice. Neither type is good for
> high-speed driving.
>
> If you don't mind paying big bucks, Michelin makes some military-type
> radials (XCL XZL XL etc.) that have steel-ply sidewalls as well as steel
> belts under the tread. These aren't manufactured in the US, but they are
> available. In the 9.00R-16 size they run between 325 and 345 dollars per
> tire in the US (Gordon McMillan says they're even more expensive in
> Scotland). Don't know about the 20-inch sizes.
>
> I think it boils down to what kind of driving you'll be doing and how
> often the tires would be a disadvantage to you as opposed to
> advantageous. If authenticiy is important, stay with the original
> pattern and keep a set of chains handy.
>
> Regards,
>
> Alan
> (Salt Lake City, Utah)
>
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