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Winterizing my MC1 - Getting ready for the snow


Butcher
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I have a basic 2000 MC1 Aerodeck 1.6. Nothing flash, just a nice practical runaround. Prior to this I had a big AWD estate, which you could point at pretty much any gradient in any amount of snow and off it would go... The Civic in comparison feels light and floaty in the wet, never mind snow and ice (Almost identical to the Honda based Rover 416 I once owned).  

 

Last year I opted for Lidl snow chains. And while they got me out of sticky situations, I couldn't bare to go through that torture again, of fitting them and taking them off again 30 seconds later. And besides, I broke them. So this year I'm looking for more robust solutions. Winter tyres maybe. Snow socks. I don't know. I can't decide.

 

So I'm wondering how other people find their Civics in the snow and what they do to make winter driving less of a pain.

 

I'm also looking for a bit of information on wheels, because if I opt for winter tyres I'm not sure the best place to find wheels for them, and the best way to search for them (finding the right size and offset, etc). Currently I'm rolling on the original 5 spoke alloys with a good set of Falken 912 all weather tyres.

 

Living in the hills of the North we do get a fair amount of snow too. Even on the good years. So I'm not looking for just solutions in a light dusting of snow, but how to get through a foot of the stuff when I get snowed into the street.

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Winter tyre are exactly what they say they are winter tyres if used when its remotely warm they will shred and disintegrate, my dad I a taxi driver and he bought snow sock for a fiver from somewhere he's had chains and what not and swears the socks were the best thing he's ever tried, still can't go over 30 with them on though :/

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last year I decided to use Uniroyal rainsport 2's which I found quite good in the snow, and also bought some snow sock's from Halfords, didn't use the snow sock's in the snow to get me out the brown sticky stuff and where I was the Uniroyal's were more than good enough, just ask the range rover driver who i passed going up cabourne hill, but one thing i have over you is the limited slip diff, that is worth it's weight in gold...

 

 

as for you in scot land, i recommend  some good winter tyre's, and some snow sock's. the best way to describe driving with them on is the front wheel's are on greasy tarmac and the rear is on ice snow, so don't chuck it about as the arse will come out....

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it all depends on where you live and what sort of roads you have to drive on, with my civic for the past 2 winters ive just ran my standard skinny steels with summer tyres on and it was no problem didn't get stuck once! but I live in a village so if you live on like a farm or in the middle of no where the stuff mentioned above may be worth getting!

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Cheers guys. I'm struggling to believe no one has problems in the snow though. Like I say, mine has a lot of understeer and the front end just feels so light. So when the snow does come down it gets very little traction. Luckily last year was quite mild.

 

Snow socks are sounding a good idea. Winter tyres seem sensible, but my main trouble is finding some wheels to put them on. Not too fussed about what they look like. Just something that fits. Oh, and cheap!

 

Roylewaa, I'm not far from Durham. If I say the bit that always snows, you'll probably know... We have a bit of a reputation for the stuff. 

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Snow socks are sounding a good idea. Winter tyres seem sensible, but my main trouble is finding some wheels to put them on. Not too fussed about what they look like. Just something that fits. Oh, and cheap! 

 

Look to VAG and Vauxhall wheels secondhand. VAG is out on the centre bore but you are not likely to be hooning it around at 80 on the snow so not a problem. I have a pair of 14" p slots (£15- almost never used down here though), have seen a few people use 15" astra steels for winters. Even the Rover'lites I use all the time cost about £50 odd. You will need to buy new wheel nuts for non Honda wheels though.

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