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Lupo squirming in the snow


RossB
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I was driving home from work earlier and my Lupo barely felt connected to the road, it was squirming and generally moving around on a straight road, it was rather scary! I am running camber all round, and stretched Nankangs, and I know you lose straight line stability with negative rear camber.

Just wondering really whether I'm alone in this or if anyone else is experiencing the same thing in these icy/snowy conditions?

Even checked my wheel nuts were tight when I got home as I thought I might have had a problem, but now I'm starting to think it's just a bad combination of negative camber, cheap tyres, and slippery roads.

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Maybe I should have been a bit clearer.... I was driving on treated roads, although they were still icy, but not snowy, I could understand it moving around over snow as it would follow the ruts/tracks.

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Ice is worse for traction issues than snow is fella, plus with your setup its bound to be abit twitchy, also if you live in an open area too where the wind can soon pick up the lupo isn't exactly the most streamlined of cars so that could possibly play a factor when it comes to blowing you about on surfaces where grip is at a minimum, it doesn't take a lot to push you off course, I shouldn't worry about it, I'm sure you'd notice if a wheel bearing was on its way out!!

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It's something I've felt before in better conditions, just not as extreme, which I just put down to the fact I'm running camber. It's never felt scary until tonight though, seemed a lot worse to me, hence me wondering if there was a problem. I guess I'll just put it down to black ice and take it easy in these crap conditions.

Coincidentally I have a GTI on the same wheels as you if that's yours in your avatar loopete!

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Yup thats mine matey, I see, a copycat eh!! :lol: Well if its really worrying you mate just get it in the air and give your bearings a check, no harm in looking if its a worry for ya.

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Not only that you are running on Nankangs which are horrible tyres to start with. Negative camber looks cool, but it doesn't really help in the snow if I'm honest.

To be fair though, I've found stretched tyres to be quite helpful in the snow!

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Seriously?! You're not the weird neighbour next door are you that keeps peeking over the hedge every time I whip my car out are you??? It'd explain a lot!! :D

Nope, not me :P . I guess we both just have good taste in wheels! :)

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I'm getting wheelspin in 6th gear these days. Mind you, I haven't been taking prisonners when I've been out. I don't think I've used my horn and main beam in anger so much as I have this last week.

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Nankangs get a lot of bad press but I don't think they're all that bad really, don't think they're bad at all in the dry, and I used to run Yokohama S-Drives, which were good. I'd consider going for something better but no one else does 185/45's as far as I'm aware, and I like the stretch, plus the camber would probably kill anything softer quite quickly!

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When I had my mono's with 165/50 nankangs on they were ok in the snow. With camber they were mega sketchy though.

My Goodyear eagles were total crap in the snow, so I swapped them to my toyo proxes 4's, and they are cack too. :(

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i've never ran 165/50 nankangs in the snow, but after the moments i've had in the rain would not like too... since my few little incidents i've totaly been put off them, i'll stick to potenzas for now.

Edited by BaileyVW
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My Goodyear eagles were total crap in the snow, so I swapped them to my toyo proxes 4's, and they are cack too. :(

This comes down to the tread pattern, they are both V pattern treads rather than block pattern, designed to get rid of water rather than snow.

Short of getting winter tyres the best option is to get some cheap skinny tyres without a V tread pattern.

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Yeah, heard it was down to directional tyres, although hoped the 4's would be better.

Did think about putting some 165/50 potenza's on, but I want winter wheels, not just snow wheels, if you know what I mean. :blink: although they may have been a better bet. Not shelling out another £40 to get them swapped again though! :lol:

Can get 175/50 cold weather kuhmo's, which should be ok in the snow.

Aren't studded tyres illegal in the UK?

Edited by Philplop
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