The winter is coming and I'm starting to wonder if these cars are drivable in snow.

I sorta brought this car for winter as the RWD is more fun. But right now the temperature is close to freezing point and it rains most of the time, and the car is fishtailing from every stoplight. I'm sorta thinking that it's going to be ok when I swap the winter tires on, but everyone says that driving these cars in snow is unreal, so I'm better with some cheap FWD diesel which costs less than the winter tire set.

Has anyone of you driven 5.0 GTs with LSDs in snow, how do they behave, are they drivable at all?

And does anyone know how the LSDs are working on these cars, are they torque biasing so that if one wheel has no grip and the other have very good grip they'll spin one tire, or are they always locking?

 

leave the 5.0 at home when it snows, trust me

 

Yeah I didnt think it would be that bad. Snowed this week and I cant even get it up my driveway into my garage. Winter tires might help but like what you said get a cheap fwd car. It would be driveable but would it be any fun at all? nope.

 

Is it so bad because you can't move from the spot or because the car goes sideways all the time?

I've had few starts in rain from stop lights where I was going 100ft sideways, and if that's how it feels, then it's sort of acceptable. Or is way, way worse in the snow? Like 360 spins and sudden traction losses at 50mph without pushing the accelerator at all?

I've had such experience on a turbo car where I was going 60+ in rain, keeping the accelerator steady, and suddenly the tires just lost all traction and the RPMs skyrocketed without accelerating at all. I bet things like that are not good on RWD. If that can happen?

 

learn how to drive... I put my cobra through 3 winters, and drove in show 5" deep. I never got stuck once!

 

What are the biggest problems in winter? Is it deep snow or clear ice? Bad hookup from start or continuous fishtailing?

What should I do with the tires, is ok to go with medium ones like Hankook Icebear W300 or should I go all the way to Pilot Alpin PS2's or that like?

Also is it just me or are the tires chirping in the sharp turns on the GT with light acceleration, that is, they are being locked because of a diff even in normal driving?

 

I drove my Cobra through one winter, it had snow tires on it and it did quite well. Only the really deep heavy snow gave it trouble, that and steep hills. Most of the time i was driving faster than the rest of the traffic, handled it like a champ.

 

The only issue is tires. Most of us are on summer performance radials and that's the problem, not the fact it's rear wheel drive.

I like to wait until the very last minute to swap to snows. A couple years ago I got caught with the summer tires on during the first snow fall. My car was could hardly accelerate downhill. Got home, swapped to snows and headed right back to the hill. Now I could rooster tail the snow and accelerate strongly uphill.

Not to mention the shorter braking distance and better turning in the snow. Plus performance tires harder up in the cold.

I drive mine all year around too but if a front drive car is in your budget, it will save your Mustang from rust and the higher potential for an accident.

 

Be most careful in even rain, ice or snow unless lucky and experienced will result with your car torn up and your butt to match it. I have disposable vehicles. Will not take my car out even in the rain. Rims are a pain to clean up.

 

One, lay off the gas. Two, start in second when in the snow especially in 5.0s. Don't make any jerky gas/brake/steering movements and you will be fine. If you are spinning for 100ft from the stoplight in the rain, you are obviously mashing gas. I have driven my 5.0 through a few rains now. If I mashed on it, it would spin 1/2/D,but if I drive it normally it is just fine.

If this is your first RWD high torque car, slow your butt down. Mustangs don't handle well, and with light read end they get loose very quickly with a bad driver.