Horrific experience with black ice

[01GT eibach]

I have lived in the Pittsburgh, PA area for about 1.5 years now, and I have been trying to manage my Mustang as a daily driver ... getting by reasonably well with all-season tires. Well ... two weeks ago, leaving work there was a small frozen-rain storm that coated all the roads. Driving home on Interstate-79 (this is an Interstate during commute hours, mind you) I hit some black ice. Holy crap! I did almost two 360s right there in the highway, with my spinning only being stopped when I spun off to the left and off pavement where I met the muddy median. In the median I skidded another 40-60 feet sideways, coming to a stop pointed towards the on-coming traffic (but safely in the median). My car came to a stop just 18 inches (I kid you not) from a guard rail. It never hit anything. The car needed to be winched out of the median, and was towed home (the car actually was perfectly drivable, but I was too shaken to drive any more that night). All that and no harm to me or the car except it will need a new Mach 1 chin spoiler which will be installed with better tires. Lesson learned ... my new commuter is now a brand-new 2011 Jeep Compass Limited 4x4 (really nice vehicle, btw, as they were completely re-done for this year and are now very different than earlier-year models).

 

[N8Dogg98]

Glad you walked away alright and didn't injure yourself or your car. FWIW, all season tires are mediocre at best in each season. Mustangs are not difficult to drive in the snow and ice if you have proper winter tires (I did this for 3 years while living North Dakota).

Keep in mind that during icy conditions a 4wd 5000 lb vehicle may be able to accelerate from a stop quicker than a 3500lb Mustang, but once moving the Mustang is much easier to stop. I used to laugh at people who would say "how do you drive a mustang in the winter" though it may be more difficult to get going we all stop the same regardless of whether you have a FWD, 4WD, AWD, or RWD vehicle.

 

[LarsD]

We got some rain and freezing temps last night down here. Supposed to be 18 degrees here tonight (don't laugh you yanks, that is colder then usual down here). I was going to drive the Fox this week, but I pulled the WRX out instead, just in case. Glad to hear your stang came out (mostly) unscathed.

 

[GDawg]

All season tires aren't that good for serious ice. You need to go to Blizzaks during winter if it's your daily driver. Mine is and I have.

All vehicles do not perform the same on black ice. 4x4s are the worse. If they lose traction it is hard to correct the spin. RWD are easy to correct a spin. Try some blizzaks. -7* here right now.

 

[007]

Good advice. Anyone attempting winter driving in a stang needs studless ice n snow tires (Blizzaks, although I really like the Conti Extreme Winter Contacts too). Stick some weight in the trunk too.

 

[N8Dogg98]

Good advice. Anyone attempting winter driving in a stang needs studless ice n snow tires (Blizzaks, although I really like the Conti Extreme Winter Contacts too). Stick some weight in the trunk too.

When I used to DD mine, I'd always put a 70 lb tube of sand back there. Honestly it felt like it handled better on cloverleafs, lol... improved the weight distribution

 

[bhuff30]

I daily drove mustangs in the winter for 10 years, using all season tires most of the time Though, I used to have some studded tires for my 88 mustang that I would run when it snowed heavily. I could get around better than a lot of the 4wd vehicles out there. It was a hell of a lot of fun too.

Now, when it snows, I drive my wife's buick regal. It gets around very well because it has tall skinny all seasons and front wheel drive. You certainly don't have to think as much as driving a mustang in the snow.

 

[1200bruce]

Michelin (sp) X-ice are the bomb!

 

['03GTinFLA]

Glad your OK. I grew up in da burgh and I gotta tell ya the best solution for daily driving a mustang during the winter is move to Florida. Go Stillers.

 

[01GT eibach]

... the best solution for daily driving a Mustang during the Winter is move to Florida ...

That is funny ...

 

[Maxpowers]

After last years winter in Pittsburgh (3ft in like two days), I decided to put the Stang into climate controlled storage and buy a beater.

 

[Ares]

Lived here in Pittsburgh my whole life. Have driven nothing but rear wheel drive cars and never had any issues in the winter. Comes down to knowing what your car is capable of doing for the weather conditions. I can't think once having issues with ice while driving. Last two cars have been mustangs and I always used Bridgestone Blizzaks in the winter. Least you didn't end up hurting the car.

Actually taking the mustang to work tommorrow since roads will be dry as I still have my drag radials and skinnies on the car. Hasn't been driven since October.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Good advice. Anyone attempting winter driving in a stang needs studless ice n snow tires (Blizzaks, although I really like the Conti Extreme Winter Contacts too). Stick some weight in the trunk too.

I have those tires on my G35x

I have been plowing through the snow with ease with those tires. They do very well with the AWD.

Of course, ice is ice.


I drove 10+ years with mustangs in the snow. Been 3 years with AWD and it's just much more relaxed driving...especially the little things like parallel parking in the city when the only spot available is deep loose snow. God I hated parking with my stang. Driving was fine, but i hated getting hung up in the deep snow along the curbs trying to get the car as close as possible or risk losing a mirror

 

[LaserSVT]

I hate teh ice. We had bad rains earlier this week followed by a hard freeze. I had to go to Dallas yesterday and the roads were still frozen in some spots. My car is on summer only tires which makes it worse. Wasnt to bad on the way there as everyone slowed down on overpasses and bridges. I coasted over the small sections of ice keeping the car straight and no power or brake applications. When I got to my destination I pulled in the parking lot that was solid ice. All my car did was slide everywhere. I went to pull in a spot and half way in the car stopped moving and then slid backwards about 40' and stopped in another stall.
I had to wait for the car behind me to move before I could leave and with my car in park I pushed it to where the ice was melted.
The drive home was the fun part. Some of I45 has a heavy bank where it travels under overpasses and even though I was doing 10mph the ice patches were just a tad larger then the car so when I would hit them my tail would slowly slide down the bank in to the next lane. Twice I came within 1" (no joke) of tapping the car next to me.
I have never puckered so hard in my life!

 

[01GT eibach]

... I hate the ice ... I have never puckered so hard in my life!

Me and you both, brother ... me and you both.

And to everyone else who replied: Thanks for all the informative commentary.

 

[03_TrueBlue_GT]

Glad you are ok man, if the weather ever got worse then what it did down here in Houston like it did these past two days I doubt ppl would even understand how to drive in weather like that....

"What I cant go 85 on the frozen roads wtf!"

 

[LarsD]

Ironically I hit some black ice Thursday night in my WRX, thank goodness I was going slow and got it stopped before I hit anything.