Momentum V97 - A Look Inside The Process

[Coss]

I can say the same, what Snow? Rain, but no snow, we've had 4" since the first of the month, few mud slides, and landslides.

 

[LillyMayPatterson #1685 & #5648]

NE Ohio has had another easy winter. I haven't had to shovel the drive, not even once this year. I could of last week, but I wasn't going anywhere, so I didn't. But, the old man ran off the road Tuesday night. His little ford got stuck and it cost him $60.00 to be pulled out, but neither he or the car was hurt. He didn't get home till after midnight which made the next day at work tuff on him. But, still it has been really nice.

 

[Ty]

Since I live in northern Illinois and have to deal with icy roads I would prefer to have a wider tire which would provide more surface area on the road which creates greater stopping capability. Putting it simply: When you gotta stop, you gotta stop. I would gladly trade a mile per gallon for the greater stopping capability of a tire with a larger footprint. I am speaking from experience. I have "T boned" another car, an accident that was cause by the driver of the car that I struck. Next, I slid through a red light as a result of hitting black ice. It wasn't pretty. My car was rotating. No cars were struck only because the other drivers in the intersection had control of their cars. Thus I would prefer the wider of the two tire sizes if that resulted in more rubber meeting the road.
Perhaps there is someone out there who has the expertise in both physics and automotive tire design to be able to expound on the subject of the impact of tire width on automotive safety.

Sleds have a wide surface area and yet they don't stop so quick in the snow. Hmm...

 

[W. WIllie]

Install "air" brakes. Pull the rip cord wally.

 

[Samalross]

I bought winter tires and rims used. For where I live, I only need them for January and February. In two years no noticeable wear. Now is a great time to buy them for your present day vehicles. May qualify for insurance reductions.

 

[DikiJ]

What's SNOW?

The last snow here was Dec 2008, I think. It didn't stic but turned to light rain. In cajunland snow is not a problem. Flooding is sometimes a problem here though.

 

[Samalross]

Up here we get a wet snow a couple of times a year. Have 2wd BMW and Dakota both terrible without snows. Bought a Ridgeline, doesn't really need snows but we get a ten percent reduction in insurance. With five vehicle it adds up. Bad part , Dakota crashed and stuck with a set of snows with rims that will not fit Ridgeline.

 

[RSchneider]

You have to remember, many Elio owners live in areas that get plenty of snow. So, you have to make sure they have a car that can work for them. With that being said, I had an old VW Beetle that has 135 tires on it and then a VW Rabbit that had 155's on it. The Rabbit was 1800 lbs and FWD. Back then, no snow tires at all but the only time I ever got stuck with the Rabbit was when it would high center itself in snow. Other than that, it went just as good as anything today. Ride height seemed to be the problem ad those narrow tires worked great and they were 70's technology. The Elio will be fine as long as you don't run out of ground clearance.

I am still concerned with the packing of snow in cold climates.

 

[raptor213]

Living in a wintry climate (Michigan), my concerns for all-season practicality of the Elio really boil down to:

- commercial availability of winter/snow tires
- loss of traction, increased rolling resistance, and compromised sway/yaw control induced by centerline-mounted rear wheel dragging/plowing through a ridge of snow while driver attempts to keep front wheels steering through existing tire tracks left in snow from other vehicles
- susceptibility to mechanical malfunction and/or impeded steering/suspension controls caused by snow, slush, and ice buildup inside front wheel fairing pods as well as involving exposed steering/suspension components traditionally shielded from the elements
- ruggedness and durability of front bumper/splitter fascia, outrigger assembly components, wheel fairing pods, and undercarriage belly pan covers when confronted with large frozen chunks of slush, snow, ice, road salt, etc that detach from larger vehicles and sit precariously in your lane of the freeway without an opportunity to swerve to avoid due to traffic or road conditions
- effectiveness of unique front windshield wiper motor design in clearing heavy slush and winter road spray from windshield, especially given that the low riding height of the Elio places it precariously in a vulnerable position for encountering road spray

These concerns don't imply that I am not a fan of the Elio design premise or evolutionary progression we've seen involving small engineering changes. I simply have a few Devil's Advocate 'what-if' concerns that I look forward to eliminating for myself after they have been logically and empirically discredited.

Surely between Paul Elio's rearing in Colorado and early career years in southeastern Michigan, combined with the expertise of Roush designers and engineers who live, work, and play in the Motor City area, the Elio would be well-equipped to hold its own in weather conditions you wouldn't second-guess driving your Focus, Cobalt, Forte, Corolla, or Civic into.

 

[Ian442]

You have to remember, many Elio owners live in areas that get plenty of snow. So, you have to make sure they have a car that can work for them. With that being said, I had an old VW Beetle that has 135 tires on it and then a VW Rabbit that had 155's on it. The Rabbit was 1800 lbs and FWD. Back then, no snow tires at all but the only time I ever got stuck with the Rabbit was when it would high center itself in snow. Other than that, it went just as good as anything today. Ride height seemed to be the problem ad those narrow tires worked great and they were 70's technology. The Elio will be fine as long as you don't run out of ground clearance.

I am still concerned with the packing of snow in cold climates.

Had an 81 Diesel Rabbit...couldn't even stall it...got stuck in the snow back put it neutral got out, pushed it and got back in ...you want the narrowest possible tires with a high ground clearance for mud and snow. Just look at the old wagons do you EVER see a wagon with wide width wheels low-riding down a trail ? :micdrop: