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View Full Version : Advans in snow, Evo vs. 4x4 F150, and some pics



ovenmit331
02-07-2005, 03:56 PM
So over Christmas I took my Evo to Arkansas to visit family. I was worried about the stock Advans with 12,000 miles having trouble in the snow. Well on the way things started getting closer and closer to frozen over.

The interstate under bridges were the first things to be frozen. It wasn't snow, just solid ice. But, being that they were only frozen for the length of the cross-section of the bridge (20 - 25 feet maybe), because the sun was shining on the rest of the road, it wasn't a big deal. But I slowed down and coasted across them just in case. Also, if the "underpasses" were on a curve, I'd just set the car up to head across them in a straight line, because trying to turn on ice is darn near impossible at any speed above 20. This worked perfectly. A couple times the road was banked or something and I could feel the car just start to rotate, but again the ice wasn't long enough to matter and the car would just "pop" back into a straight line when the ice went away.

Then the the rest of the road started being frozen over but the tire lanes (areas of the road where tires most commonly drive) were still clear, wet and slushy but not frozen. Only had to change lanes four or five times and it was a little hard getting over the humps to change lanes, but no danger of losing control because the car would have just slid back into the melted tire tracks.

Then the bridges were completely frozen over, but I just slowed down to about 20 or 25 and coasted across them. Again, no problem what-so-ever. *Let me say something about Arkansas drivers. Most people think Arkansas people are inbred back country weirdos. While this may be true, they do know not to be retards when stuff freezes over. EVERYONE was being VERY careful, flashing brake lights way before bridges and all that stuff. I was impressed. I never really worry about myself making a huge mistake while driving, but I am ALWAYS watching the road for idiots trying to kill someone. Its like riding a bike, most motorcycle riders are very very careful and ride VERY well, but almost all have been in a wreck and most of the time its because some idiot in a car did something dumb...

Anyways. The worst/scariest part was the highway brigde over the river in downtown Little Rock. The bridge was about a mile to a mile and a half long, and completely frozen over. Again, no problems. I swear no one touched their brakes on the bridge, it was weird. Its like everyone had the collective thought, "Lets slow WAY down and coast over the bridge so I don't hit anyone in front of me while trying to stop and so no one behind me runs into me from not being able to stop."

Once off the highway and driving in completely snow covered iced over roads, it was pretty hairy, but no less hairy than any other car out there. Never lost control what-so-ever. Never had to go into ABS while stopping.

In and on the way to my uncle's neighborhood, where the pics at the end were taken, there are quite a lot of hills that were snow covered with ice underneath. On one uphill I passed a car on the shoulder. He was in the normal driving lane trying to get up the hill but couldn't and was just spinning his wheels. I didn't have ANY trouble getting up or down ANY hills. The hill down to my uncle's house is one of the steepest I've seen and had me pretty worried. Once again, no trouble whatsoever. Just left it in first and coasted/engine braked with mild brake pedal use down the hill.

My cousin showed up later in his F150. We were talking about my car and such and he asked to take a ride. So we drive around, including going up another hill, not as steep as the first. On the way up, in 2nd gear, I felt the back end barely step out and then a very faint thud and the evo powered the rest of the way up the hill. YET AGAIN, no problem. I'm assuming the faint thud was the rear diff locking up.

We get back to the house, after going down the crazy hill again, and start talking about my cousin's truck. He said he bought new snow tires and had them studded the day the ice/snow hit. Basically studding a tire is a GREAT way to gain traction on ice. There are pre-threaded holes in the outer shoulder of the tires that studs screw into. It looks like having nails sticking out of your tires. So he said he hadn't had any trouble getting around town or anything.

Well when its time for him and his wife to leave for the night, they go out and drive off. And then ten minutes later theres a knock at the door. Its them and he said they couldn't get up the hill. I said, "Wait, you couldn't get up the hill that my CAR just drove up?" "Yep" He said they started out up the hill in 4 wheel drive and just slowly started sliding to the side of the road. I said "I've gotta see this." So he goes to try again with me in the truck. Sure enough, same thing. I ended up having to take them home. And when I did, the evo AGAIN had no problems.

All in all, the car performed fabulously in the snow and ice. My car became the designated car to take anywhere because no one else's could get up either of the hills. Now, I'm not saying the advans are great for driving up mountains of snow or anything. A lot of the performance of them was due to SLOW driving and non-retarded drivers near me. If there had been a situation where I had to brake hard, I'd have been toast, but so would any other car. In ice, its not whether or not you can go, its leaving TONS of stopping distance that's the key.

Heres some pics of the evo and F150...

http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/1_G.sized.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/2_G.sized.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/3_G.sized.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/4_G.sized.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/5_G.sized.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/6_G.sized.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/7_G.sized.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/8_G.sized.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/9_G.sized.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/10_G.sized.jpg

Click these for the larger pics...

http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/1_G.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/2_G.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/3_G.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/4_G.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/5_G.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/6_G.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/7_G.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/8_G.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/9_G.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/album387/10_G.jpg

apexstrafer
02-07-2005, 04:19 PM
yeah but do you have any pics of the evo and the f150 parked in the street?

Boosted
02-07-2005, 04:19 PM
nice, good to hear everything worked out.

ovenmit331
02-07-2005, 04:25 PM
yeah but do you have any pics of the evo and the f150 parked in the street?

Nope, none.

WavMixer
02-07-2005, 05:06 PM
Thank you for the in depth report! I now feel a little better about taking my car (factory Advans) out into the snow.

ovenmit331
02-08-2005, 10:27 AM
Thank you for the in depth report! I know feel a liitle better about taking my car (factory Advans) out into the snow.

Yeah, just still be careful out there...

Skiracer
02-08-2005, 11:00 AM
Be careful driving over bridges in cold temperatures cuz bridge surfaces freeze before the street. So, even if the roads look fine, you might find black ice on the bridge.

ovenmit331
02-08-2005, 11:02 AM
Be careful driving over bridges in cold temperatures cuz bridge surfaces freeze before the street. So, even if the roads look fine, you might find black ice on the bridge.

And black ice is a bitch... its like carbon monoxide. you don't know its there until its too late...

WavMixer
02-09-2005, 09:28 AM
Yeah, I have experienced black ice on more than one occasion. A real E-Ticket ride!!