Hodgson Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Hi folks After some opinion on what you think on this. Now my wife had a 350z roadster before the 370z roadster and it was awesome in the snow. Traction control was 1st class, just point and go. Now the 370z is horendous. The car has a full set of MPSS. Traction control seems like it does nothing what so ever apart from flash the trac light. Is the car really that bad in snow compared the the 350z or is it the MPSS that are so bad in the snow. Cheers John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ioneabee Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 all snow is different................its like leaves on railway lines 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Pressures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodgson Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 32psi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodgson Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 I bought 2 sets of MPSS, 1 set for her 370z and another for my GTR, which I haven't tried in the snow yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebized Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Turn the traction control off so you benefit from both rear wheels getting some grip. MPSS are a 'summer tyre' and dropping the psi to 32 means you are flattening/spreading the grip patch, albeit slightly,which on snow/ice is not what you want. If you put on some winter tyres which will be a thinner profile with harder compound and more defined block pattern on the tread, as required in such conditions in parts of Europe, you would immediately see a great improvement in grip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Yup, as Colin says either pump the pressures up to about 40 (remembering to drop them when out of snow!), or if you're on snow a lot then proper winter tyres will be far superior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodgson Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 I'll alter tyre pressures first and see how it goes. Thanks for the advice guys. Much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilMH Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 I thought winter tyres have a softer compound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobPhoboS Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Yeah I didn't like my mpss in the snow, certainly had plenty of bum waggling moments (car not me) when it's like that. The worst is of course ice, not much we can do about that though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 They do, which is why they wear out so quickly when it warms up a tad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodgson Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 Ive upped the pressure to 40 psi but I would have thought the more pressure the less grip I'm going to have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 No, because you're using a smaller contact patch to put more downwards pressure to cut through the snow to get to the road underneath You're going to have massively reduced grip in the snow regardless, this is just the best way to make best of the situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulletMagnet Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 They do, which is why they wear out so quickly when it warms up a tad. On my third year with my Nankang SV-2's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flex Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Just get some smaller wheels and winter tyres if you're that bothered? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 They do, which is why they wear out so quickly when it warms up a tad. On my third year with my Nankang SV-2's Running all year round? How many miles a year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulletMagnet Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 No silly, I put the Nankang winters on once the temps drop below 8C, so around October/November until March-ish. Daily driver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Well then that's why they've lasted three years ya ninny! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 No, because you're using a smaller contact patch to put more downwards pressure to cut through the snow to get to the road underneath You're going to have massively reduced grip in the snow regardless, this is just the best way to make best of the situation. Errr .......... I dont think you are right mate. Ive regularly dropped pressures in snow for increased grip, although narrow tyres are defintiely better raising them isnt going to make the tyre any narrower, it will just be harder. I remember getting totally stuck in one of my old Deltas, dropped pressure as much as I dared and it was like a different car, the snow that had stopped me now wasnt an issue at all. Id add that the construction of an MPSS means it wont get much more of a footprint, but anything is better than nothing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilMH Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 No, because you're using a smaller contact patch to put more downwards pressure to cut through the snow to get to the road underneath You're going to have massively reduced grip in the snow regardless, this is just the best way to make best of the situation. Errr .......... I dont think you are right mate. Ive regularly dropped pressures in snow for increased grip, although narrow tyres are defintiely better raising them isnt going to make the tyre any narrower, it will just be harder. I remember getting totally stuck in one of my old Deltas, dropped pressure as much as I dared and it was like a different car, the snow that had stopped me now wasnt an issue at all. Id add that the construction of an MPSS means it wont get much more of a footprint, but anything is better than nothing Must confess that I thought the same but was temporarily deferring to the judgement of the resident tyre guru This would tie in with the logic of winter tyres being softer as per my earlier post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 It'll be narrower and harder, so more likely to cut through the snow. You will reduce the contact patch by increasing pressure (think about what happens to overinflated worn tyres), and that can make it enough to cut through. That said, and Doc's own experience backs this up, you can happily try to drop the pressures massively too: That's the easier thing to do, however you then run the risk of the tyre spitting off the rim when you drop it low enough to make a difference. Most people would drop the pressures, simply because it's easier to remove air by the side of the road when in a drift than add it! Winter tyres are always preferred in the smaller sizes because of this. The compound is softer to warm up quicker, that's all. Same reason I run the softest 888s I can on the MR2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldskool-b-boy Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 It was fun and games a couple of weeks ago with my new set of MPSS in the snow, back end pretty twitchy, had to be very careful around the car park at my flat. Happy times on the wide empty roads outside though í ½í¸‰ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT4 Zed Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I surprised that there is any debate here. The long and shot of it is, an ultra high performance summer tyre will not cut it in the snow end off. You can adjust presures to try and increase or decrease contact patch/foot print depending on the type is snow but this makes little difference to overall grip. You may improve traction slightly to get you out of a spot but you are in a world of bother. Dan and doc you are both right if you take into context other factors. Eg in compacted snow/ice a wider foot print will reduce grip significantly as you are coversely reducing presure there traction while in fresh powder snow this will be good for traction. Same theory for driving in dunes. Thinner tyres are better for snow as they exert more pressure which is more important for traction. There more to winter tyres than just the compound but the tread pattern is also important and when all that is said and done the is a limit and then you need chains or studded tyres. Also FWD, AWD or RWD impacts on the cars behaviour however RWD is always fun. My zed became undrivable in the snow once I went from OEM size tyres to 265/295. I couldn't even get up I to my gentle sloped drive in about an inch of compacted snow and the car was just spinning in 2nd gear all by itself 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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