joe@vwvortex

for years now with fine results. You can't put chains on an S4.

McBadger

I've got the stock all-seasons (M/S), also got a set of chains to satify caltrans.

McBadger

though I'm guessing the snow conditions in Hawaii are only marginally worse than Tahoe this year...

Audiboy

family that was up there and stranded. They bought a 5 series up there and a brand new Cherokee. They got snowed in (like 6+ ft) so the bimmer stayed in a garage and soon was unable to start. Their new Jeep won't shift in reverse, so they were stuck in Squaw.
I went there with my brand new Montero and met them at the resort to do some skiing. Then we hammered and broke the shift lock link of the Jeep so that the lever will move from Park to "L" without the need to press the non functional button - Yikes.
Then we drove to the cabin and I got the bimmer started by taking off the plugs and drying them in the fireplace.

I drove the Bimmer home that night and left them my Montero. Rear wheel drive, all season tires and chains on the rear only + unplowed roads around Incline Village = me popping the car to reverse every now and then as the front drifted towards the banks. Hope came when I was able to follow a snowplow towards 267.

On top of that, the chain wrapped around the axle when I was close to the summit. What a major pain.

kem

You'll see me flying by SUV's trudging along, but the snow tires make it possible. In the snow a quattro car with the right tires handles like a dream and you can safely go a bit faster than most other cars.

The key is to know when it's icey and adjust your driving style appropriately. Don't "float" through icey curves because all four tires will start to slide, and ESP *may* save you, but then it may not. Better to brake enough before the turn and just keep a light throttle through the turn to keep the quattro working so it can detect slip and adjust accordingly.

Don't be afraid to seek out empty parking lots or dead ends w/ a circle when it's snowing and practice your donuts! Just make sure your away from people/cars and give it a few gos. After a few tries you should get the hang of it pretty quick, and then just using your right foot to modulate power you should be able to keep the car going in circles.

Chard

I was using 225/40/18 Pirelli pZero Neros on that trip, which is a M+S. It was pretty touch and go...the tires are decent if you get stuck in snow, but I wouldn't use them as a snow tire.

If you plan to go to Tahoe often during the winters, I'd invest in a set of dedicated snow tires. Nothing better than knowing you have real snow tires when you have to do some hard braking on snow/ice.

Seanism (clone510)

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joe@vwvortex

during "chain only" controls.

TonyBenino

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never bothered to learn about it
theyre ps2's right?