Re: Tire Chains, snow an' Stuff

["Bob Rice" <bobrice@snet.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: Mark Hastings <evblazer@softhome.net>
To: <ev@listproc.sjsu.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2001 10:36 AM
Subject: Tire Chains?


>     Well it's my first winter with my 2wd Blazer EV and I'm wondering
> if there is any reason that I shouldn't  put chains on it? It would
> mostly be for only the last mile or so to get to my house because of
> all the unplowed steep curvy hills.

   Hi Mark;

    Wow! Thats a blast from the past. Didn't think guyz much younger than I
had EVer heard of them! When I started drivin' in the late 50's, and the
roads littered, literly, with 2 wheel rear wheel drive,front eng
cars,whenever it snowed more than a few inches. chains were a neccesety. The
slightest up hill and that right rear wheel just spun uselessly. The first
snow tires came out about then, and what am improvement! No more putting the
chains on, their working loose and banging on the wheel well, the skittish
handling, wearing out ,it seemed in minutes on dry pavement after the good
fight putting the #$%^& things on to begin with! Canya even buy chains in CT
today? Of course the first VW bugs came on the scene in the 50's and they
WENT in snow, right around all the stuck American iron, to the amazment of
everybody. Was an early Bug lover, if we were having a blizzerd, I'd run out
and pop the snow tire wheels on the bug. NEVER a problem. I'm CT's Big
Blizzerd of years back, and the Hiways were shut down by State Decree, I
drove to work. What Cop that could stop me was happy with my RR worker
explanation of why I was out there. Like the old VW ad; "How duz the guy
that drives the Snowplow(train) get to the Snowplow" And when I tried to
plow the Roundhouse driveway, got it really stuck, but lottsa strong guyz
there just carried it out.when it buried in snow over the windshield!

   Oh oh got carried away with that one. IO'd say, get a second set of rims
and a good set of snow tires and put them on when the snow flys. My Rabbit
goes fine in snow, but I usually don't run it in all that salt ,slush,sand
and crap, just to extend the life of the already old car that I've put alota
time into. That stuff eats the poor car alive. My sacrificial Jetta goes
into service in that weather.

   Just my two watts worth on the tire ed thread

     Bob  fair weather motor ing'


>     My ICE Monte Carlo needs chains to make it and even though the
> blazer might be better going up the steep hill because it has some
> weight over the drive wheels I don't want to find out it can't and
> have to replace my frozen batteries :-(

>  Guess the Monty Carlo is RWD? Bettya the battery weight over the
snowtires would do it. Yur range will go to hell, as snowtires or chains are
a drag, thou. Miliage in an ICE sure duz!
> Mark Hastings
> '83 S-10 Blazer EV
>