Handling on black ice.

[BroncoChallenger]

I agree - RWD is really tricky since the back
end keeps wanting to kick out — Physics again and the right hand rule for torque. But not impossible - weight and speed a d technique still mean a lot

Tires always seem to trump everything else in winter weather though. Watched plenty of 4WD trucks get pulled out of the ditch by a FWD mini van with studded snow tires

This is absolutely true - good tires in winter are a MUST. And mud terrain tires aren't really the best for snow.

As for 4A, it's not really active above 45 mph unless it's needed, and usually that's a little too slow to the party. In this case I can't say it would have mattered.

I have seen people do complete 360s in smaller vehicles thanks to black ice. I myself have gone somewhat sideways thanks to black ice but have recovered every time so far (knock on wood). Any more, if ice is a possibility, I tend to slow down. It's really the best bet.

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[PWillette]

The responses here have helped me in a really big way! Thank you all! Two weeks ago I hit black ice coming down from my mountain home. I was in slippery mode. My 2Dr Wildtrak saved my life. I rolled off the side of the hill. Rolled twice. The first responders said I was lucky to be alive!

Holy shit! Glad you're OK. How did the Bronco fair?

 

[CliffordTheBigRed]

Holy shit! Glad you're OK. How did the Bronco fair?

Thanks it was terrifying. Clifford was a total loss

 

[Headsong]

There is no 'handling on black ice'. Doesn't exist.

I can easily recall, 3 or 4 decades back being caught on glare ice on an interstate in Indy, traffic came to a stop. Stop. Sitting STOPPED on a bridge, began to slide sideways. Not good.

 

[PWillette]

Thanks it was terrifying. Clifford was a total loss

Dam, sorry to hear.

 

[helifino16]

4WD is NOT advised for icy conditions when driving on a highway at speeds. I can tell you from personal experience that you definitely don't want all 4 tires pulling/pushing in different directions from where you're sliding. You will just spin round and round. More weight helps more.

Once you've spun into a situation (like the side of the road or in a ditch), flip on the 4WD (4H, 4L, etc.) to get OUT of that and then return to 4A or 2H to resume highway driving.

4WD is really only for OFF-ROAD use.

 

[Nails]

When it comes to black ice, or any ice,
the main physics rule is “ inertia “.
Inertia and traction will rule.

 

[Squatch]

Ok, but what oil should I be running when I hit black ice?

 

[Willub]

Ok, but what oil should I be running when I hit black ice?

Studded 5W-30

 

[Techun]

I couldn't disagree more, driving in 4w vs. RWD is night and day on ice. Grew up when everything was RWD, there's a reason people filled they trunks or beds with bags of sand, and with mostly everything being FWD you hardly every see that, these days.

They felt like bags of sand

 

[MachingBird]

I was driving my dad to work in his car because I needed it during the day back in 1980. The car was a 78 two door Ford LTD. While getting off the Thruway onto an offramp, there was a red Chevy station wagon spinning down the offramp like a top because he hit black ice and I saw it coming. I was 18. My dad didn’t say a word. I let off the gas, never touched the brake and, like a NASCAR race I kept the wheel straight pointed right down the middle of the offramp which was right at the station wagon. You couldn’t have drew it up any better. It was like driving through a revolving door. I caught the rotation perfect as his tail end spun out of the lane. My front bumper was there, and as his front end spun around, my rear bumper was already past. I cleared the black ice and applied the brakes slowly for the intersection at the bottom of the ramp. My dad looked at me and said good driving, that was good fucking driving!

 

[Lcubed]

actual winter tires with real winter tire compounds make all the difference on black ice.
most three peak/snow flake tires aren't made with the winter compounds

 

[dpAtlanta]

There is no 'handling on black ice'. Doesn't exist.

There is, but you have to be driving a Zamboni.

The science behind how those work is impressive.

 

[crzyhawk]

I just drove home from Indiana to Virginia this afternoon. Weather including black ice turned my nominal 9 hour drive in 17+. I got stuck in some traffic in Ohio caused by a pretty serious looking collision. Less than a mile after it, I hit some black ice and she started to go sideways, but the patch must have been small and she recovered quickly. Slow and steady got me home safely, but I don't think I'll be making that trip in the winter again.

 

[Brian_B]

I just drove home from Indiana to Virginia this afternoon. Weather including black ice turned my nominal 9 hour drive in 17+. I got stuck in some traffic in Ohio caused by a pretty serious looking collision. Less than a mile after it, I hit some black ice and she started to go sideways, but the patch must have been small and she recovered quickly. Slow and steady got me home safely, but I don't think I'll be making that trip in the winter again.

I can remember when I was in college we did
Indiana to Philly and it just happened to be “Blizzard of the Decade” in mid ‘90s

In a Fiero

We provably spent more time sliding sideways stuck in the backdraft of big rigs than going straight down the interstate.

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