Driving Xantia in snow

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 05 Jan 2010, 21:09

Xac wrote:Or just stick your Xantia in reverse...

This guy doesn't seem to have any problems sliding the back round

You could always give this a go

In the first video the rear breaking away is caused by "lift off oversteer", achieved by lifting off the drive whilst steering is set mid turn at a speed close to the critical maximum for the conditions.

The second video is a demonstration of a "J" turn, reverse at speed (advise no more than 30 mph on a dry surface to avoid rolling the car

) then sharply lift off the drive and very quickly apply full lock to destabilise the car (causing the front wheels to turn then lose grip) then very quickly steer in the opposite direction whilst the front of the car is destabilised and select a forward gear to go in the opposite direction. This is a lot easier in an automatic but strangely enough it does tend to break the gearbox!

Both of these exercises are relatively easy to learn especially in a snow covered car park, just a hour should be sufficient for most competent drivers.

A car fitted with electronic stability control is all but impossible to "J" turn unless the system is fully deactivated.

Under no circumstances attempt a "J" turn in any 4X4 such as a Land Rover type vehicle as it cannot be achieved without rolling the car.

Usual health and safety warnings of where to practice these exercises, i.e. private land with permission of the owner, no responsibility accepted for damage to property or life

addo · Unread post by **addo** » 05 Jan 2010, 21:55

DG wrote:In the first video the rear breaking away is caused by "lift off oversteer", achieved by lifting off the drive whilst steering is set mid turn at a speed close to the critical maximum for the conditions.

I don't disagree - but for whatever reasons (weight distribution, trailing arm rear - whatever - it's a darned sight harder on a Xantia than many cars. Perhaps the window of input tolerances (speed, lock, chassis attitude) is somewhat smaller?

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 05 Jan 2010, 22:12

addo wrote:
DG wrote:In the first video the rear breaking away is caused by "lift off oversteer", achieved by lifting off the drive whilst steering is set mid turn at a speed close to the critical maximum for the conditions.
I don't disagree - but for whatever reasons (weight distribution, trailing arm rear - whatever - it's a darned sight harder on a Xantia than many cars. Perhaps the window of input tolerances (speed, lock, chassis attitude) is somewhat smaller?

I can't say I've noticed a great difference in the way a Xantia handles compared with other front wheel drive cars, even an Activa does the same.

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 05 Jan 2010, 22:19

Had fun sliding Juliet's back out in an empty section of Tescos car park this evening in about 5mm of snow

In my experience it is very easy (on slippery surfaces such as wet roads or ice) to purposely swing the back out in a Xantia, no need for a handbrake to do "handbrake turns"

Unread post by **xantia_v6** » 05 Jan 2010, 22:34

lurchy666 wrote:well my xantia (in the hands of my father) decided it didn't like the shape of its own front end yesterday,

it has took the passenger headlight, slam panel has snapped, rad is broke (massive hole in the side of the rad from the battery tray), grill has snapped, rad fan is broke, bumper is broken, and the bonnet is bent as well,

What colour is it? Much cheaper to fix if someone knows of a scapped car the same colour.

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 05 Jan 2010, 22:40

most front engined cars with a good wheelbase will LOOS, the XM is the same, you can actualy hold a slide right round an average roundabout if you get it right.

And today we finaly have snow, about 7" so far since 6pm, cars are abondoned everywhere, so after battling home past the idiots we took the transit back out to do some sled towing for a few hours

D

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 05 Jan 2010, 22:49

Deanxm wrote:most front engined cars with a good wheelbase will LOOS, the XM is the same, you can actualy hold a slide right round an average roundabout if you get it right.

My first 205 apparently suffered LOO on a very gentle bend when I was 19 travelling back to uni at Hatfield.
I ended upside down in a ditch with two broken ribs.

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 05 Jan 2010, 22:55

bet that hurt, i hear pugs of that age were a bit tail happy, especialy the 309 although ive never driven one, must work on that.

d

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 05 Jan 2010, 23:08

Deanxm wrote: bet that hurt, i hear pugs of that age were a bit tail happy, especialy the 309 although ive never driven one, must work on that.

d

The crashing along the fence was the worst bit, rolling was actually quite fun, but I wouldn't recommend it! Especially not when the QE2 hospital at Welwyn Garden City is the nearest hospital...
Breaking my ribs (car hit a sign post at the B pilar which then pushed the side of the seat frame into my ribs) probably saved my life, as it pushed me to the centre of the car, which landed on the corner of the roof at the top of the A pilar, bending it down to about shoulder height! Being knocked over saved my head being squished.
Although the car spinning was like being on ice, it was in April and the road was only slightly wet from a previous drizzle.
Ironically, I'd come off the M25 a junction early for safety reasons as there were so many idiots on the motorway at the time!

lurchy666 · Unread post by **lurchy666** » 05 Jan 2010, 23:30

xantia_v6 wrote:
lurchy666 wrote:well my xantia (in the hands of my father) decided it didn't like the shape of its own front end yesterday,

it has took the passenger headlight, slam panel has snapped, rad is broke (massive hole in the side of the rad from the battery tray), grill has snapped, rad fan is broke, bumper is broken, and the bonnet is bent as well,
What colour is it? Much cheaper to fix if someone knows of a scapped car the same colour.

she is dark blue i dont know what it is called but a lot of lx's seem to be the dark blue colour, i'm going to a couple of scap yards 2 moro to see what they got and more importantly prices, apparently in narborough (near kings lynn ) there are 7 xantias in a scrap yard,

depends how much the bits will be if i do it up or not, i love the car but i cant see the point in spending lots of money on it as i only paid 200 quid for it in the first place and the clutch needs doing at some point in the very near future as well,

my uncle has a v6 volvo estate 7 seater with lpg i can have cheap if i want it,

if i have that rwd and auto in snow yay

VertVega · Unread post by **VertVega** » 06 Jan 2010, 11:03

If the "famous warming" goes on like this, Central European cars will start using
2 sets of tires (winter & summer) like in Nordic countries and Canada

Xantia is a warm car and it's great to drive also during winter time 8)

Without proper winter tires (don't mean all season ones) you might need some push help

(This picture comes with the compliments to Telegraph.)

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 06 Jan 2010, 11:58

If I were it's owner, I'd turn around, find the nearest wall/lampost/tree to "accidently" slide it into, and then buy a decent car with the insurance money.

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 06 Jan 2010, 14:27

Yes i can see that, if we continue with this weather we will be having to get winter wheels and tyres. We are very badly prepared in this counrt, the number of cars you still see running around in this weather with bald or very nearly balded tyres is un real. How do they get around!?

Unread post by **myglaren** » 06 Jan 2010, 14:33

It took me 40 minutes to get home last night, 10x the usual.
Not that the C5 was a problem, it was cars like the above that seem to have either no traction or clueless drivers, or both perhaps.

Stuck behind two Transits doing 5mph! Once past them there was no problem driving at 30 on the majority of roads, 20 where there was about 5¨ of fresh snow over ice and compacted snow.

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 06 Jan 2010, 14:35

Citroenmad wrote:Yes i can see that, if we continue with this weather we will be having to get winter wheels and tyres. We are very badly prepared in this counrt, the number of cars you still see running around in this weather with bald or very nearly balded tyres is un real. How do they get around!?

New tyres was one of the jobs I was about to do before the snow just in case with Cassy when her starter motor died.
There's a month or so left in the front ones, but not with it turning cold.
Glad I've got Juliet (just wish it didn't cost £74 to fill her tank!)