Plowing Through Winter In RWD

 

Winter is coming as corny as that phrase has become. For many of you who drive an 86, Scion FR-S, BRZ, or A90 Supra, that dread will sink in once it’s 6am and you’ve got that 45-minute commute to work and it’s snowing outside. For many of you, the mentioned cars are your days drivers, and your only cars. And many of you experience the four seasons throughout the year which means in late October, it can be 70 degrees one day with snow coming the next. Now we are going to talk about Colorado winter conditions here, and not winter in Florida or Southern California. We are talking about places that experience freezing winters with substantial snowfall, and how you can try to help navigate your way around winter in these rather lightweight rear-wheel-drive sportscars.

 

WINTER TIRES

Obviously, this will be your most important factor to help you safely get around town. But we need to elaborate on whether if you have aftermarket wheels. Really wide ones specifically lowered on coilovers. If you are running a wheel such as an 18x9.5 with a 40 offset in the rear, chances are that you are running a 255/35/18 or a wider tire in the rear. If you wake up to 4+ inches of snow in the morning with summer tires, forget about it. With winter tires, you will get better traction. You either need to have some weight in the back, or perhaps you are a seasoned driver with your BRZ, and you know how to manage your car. The problem is that with whatever tire you have in the back on an 18x9.5, you are not going to have much sidewall to otherwise cushion with.

The other thing too, is what if you have a set of really expensive wheels other than your typical Enkei NT-01 that you run in the summer? What if you have Volk TE-37s? Point being, is that if you live in an area that has a harsh winter season, you also know that potholes become a problem as snowplows lift up any high spots associated with any summer road repairs. Because of these reasons, it’s always a good idea to run winter tires on your factory wheels to avoid damaging your fancy wheels. And with winter tires, sometimes the widest tire you can get is not always the solution. If you have ever seen a rally car race in the snow, the tires are rather narrow because with a wider tire, you are more subjected to understeering in the snow. Meaning if you took a corner too fast in the snow those wider front tires are going to push forward rather than go where you are steering.

With winter tires, yes it will be much safer running these if your only set of wheels are wider aftermarket units. But for better traction, and to protect your aftermarket wheels from winter damage, running winter tires in the factory size on your factory wheels will always be the better bet. And the reason why winter tires get better grip is because the rubber compound is much softer and will not harden in freezing conditions. But take note, during the summertime winter tires will wear out very quickly because those hot road temps will eat through the rubber very rapidly. And this is why winter tires are only used in the winter.

 

IF YOU HAVE COILOVERS, RAISE EACH CORNER UP BY AT LEAST AN INCH

For all you slammed people with deep front lips, that front lip will quickly become a snowplow. With snow and slush, people often forget just how heavy it can get especially when it freezes. If there is a substantial amount of snow buildup on the road, snow, ice, and slush will quickly fill up your wheel wells as your tires pack it in. More importantly, with lowered cars, you need the clearance to drive over the snow and ice. Otherwise, you ain’t going anywhere brother.

If you have coilovers installed on your BRZ/FR-S/86, or even A90 Supra, take the time to remove each wheel and raise them up by an inch to get more clearance from the snow, and to protect any exterior modifications such as front lips, side skirts, or rear lips and diffusers. Now if you have stock suspension, then you should be fine. If all else fails, add some weight to the rear such as a few bags of sand to help.

 

Faction Fab F-Spec Coilovers 2013-2024 BRZ/FR-S/86

 

 

HKS HYPERMAX Max S Coilovers 2022-2024 BRZ/86

 

MAKE SURE YOUR WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE GOOD

First real snow any town gets, what’s the first thing you and everyone else who is too busy to do anything does? They go and pack their local auto parts stores to overwhelm the employees about windshield wipers while simultaneously trying to get said employees to install them. The problem is that for all summer long especially if you don’t have garage space, wipers get baked in the sun, and the rubber blades shrivel. The shriveling does not make solid contact with the windshield which will cause streaks that will make your windshield worse to see through. Salt, as well as highway pre-treatment is very abundant during the season, and it’s worse when the roads are wet enough to coat your windshield. If you have old blades, most likely you will empty your windshield washer tank quickly trying to wash away some of the salt. You best fight against salt coated windshields are new blades, and quality ones not just the cheapest option you can find. While also keeping your washer tank full.

 

PIAA Super Silicone Wiper Blade 22”

 

 

LIGHTING

Lighting is very important here, mainly for surrounding drivers around you. This is where LED technology really helps in this situation because LED lights are simply brighter to raise more driver awareness. Now 2022+ BRZ/86 models and the A90 Supra will have LED lighting. But we have some options to consider for older models, and even the newer ones as well. For heavy snow and for freezing fog, LED lighting will let others know who’s coming, and when to brake sooner when coming to a stop.  Here are some examples that can improve the lighting this winter season:

 

Alpharex Nova Series LED Projector Headlights 2022-2024 BRZ/86

 

OLM Sequential Style Headlights 6000K 2013-2021 BRZ/FR-S/86

 

 

 

OLM OE Plus Linear Style Sequential Taillights 2013-2021 BRZ/FR-S/86

 

OLM Scythe Style LED Taillights 2022-2024 BRZ/86

 

OLM Legacy Taillights 2020-2024 Toyota GR Supra

 

OLM V1 F1 Style Rear Brake / Fog / Reverse Light 2022-2024 GR Supra

 

 

 

OLM VL Style 4^th Brake / Reverse Light 2013-2021 BRZ/FR-S/86

 

 

With good tires, windshield wipers, and good lighting, you can survive the winter in your BRZ, FR-S, 86, or A90 Supra. But remember just because you are prepared with such items, does not make you immune from the elements. Make sure you take extra precautions when driving in storms. Sudden stops happen frequently because someone was driving too fast for the conditions and have either spun out or caused an accident. ALWAYS give yourself enough room between you and the car in front of you. Lastly, make sure you run your car through a car wash once a week to help keep the salt off the chassis.