RWD in snow

Ok, I live in connecticut and drive a RWD blazer (my last vehicle was RWD too). To put it quite simply, RWD sucks in the snow.

I'm finally fed up (tired of the fish-tailing and other drawbacks) and am thinking about my options.

I've had all-weather tires, but they never seemed to help in the snow. I've never seen anyone in CT drive with chains, so I'm guessing that is not an option. So, here are a couple questions:

1.) Will snow tires prevent the dreaded fish tail and make me feel as comfortable in the snow as a FWD?

2.) Anyone have experience with studded tires? Can they be used without any harm to the vehicle/driveway winter after winter? And, how much better will they make the RWD blazer feel in the snow?

I don't feel comfortable driving to the ski resorts in vermont with RWD; I've gotten stuck in a parking lot a few years back when I last tried.

Any ideas? Will my blazer drive like a champ with studded tires :)?

Studded tires are a great improvement for icey and snowy conditions. Although I have read that in wet or dry circumstances, traction can actually decrease because the tire rubber does not fully contact the road, and stopping distances also increase. If you do get them, I would get them taken off immediately after the snowy season.

Also you have to see if they are legal in your state.

Best to get rid of the all season tires and get some good SUV tires.

It's not RWD, it is the vehicle layout. Old VW bugs did great in the snow, lots of weight on the driving wheels { of course you froze to death because of the poor heater design :-) }. Also, a vehicle with a low CG does better than one with a high CG. This means a 2wd Blazer is about the worst vehicle for driving in the snow; short wheelbase, high cg, nose heavy.

500

It's not RWD, it is the vehicle layout. Old VW bugs did great in the snow, lots of weight on the driving wheels { of course you froze to death because of the poor heater design :-) }. Also, a vehicle with a low CG does better than one with a high CG. This means a 2wd Blazer is about the worst vehicle for driving in the snow; short wheelbase, high cg, nose heavy.

500

But you do agree that studded tires would be a big improvement?

I've never driven with studded tires or chains and thus have no idea how well they work; would it eliminate the fish tailing and make it possible to drive to and from vermont regularly and in snowy weather?

Anyone have any direct experience w/ studded + RWD?

Are they especially loud or unformatable to drive with?

Would the studded tires make the vehicle nearly equivalent to a FWD?

Sorry for all of the questions, btw.

i use bridgestone blizzak snow tires.........
they are awsome.......as are anyother good quality snow tire.......im shure....
i just take it easy on the dry road.......
when i had regular all season tires....i could go NOO
where with them in 2wd.......specially if i had to get up a hill from a stop......
now in 2wd.....i will still fishtale....but illl get where i need to go.......they slip..but with grip :P
my blazer would be worthless in the snow without 4x4......and no snow tires....in 2wd......FOGETABOUTIT

Even though I live in GA I have driven a car with studs { back in the 70's , a trade-in at the dealership my dad worked at }. On dry pavement they have much less traction, being just a little aggressive with the throttle would have them spinning. Made a terrible noise :-). If you go with studs I would recommend a second set of wheels with the studded tires mounted on them. In the spring switch back to normal. Might be cheaper to just buy a FWD beater for winter time.

A buddy of mine suggested putting a couple hundred pounds of the cheap clay cat litter in your rear cargo area. The extra weight over the rear tires will improve traction there, and you can make a trail of litter for the tires to grab onto if you slide into a mild ditch or something.

I have studded snow tires on my 02 4X4 Blazer and I couldn't be happier with them. Parking is at a premium where I live (NYC), especially when there is still a foot of snow on the ground. Most times I am able to make my own spot without shoveling. The tires I have are made by Winterforce, a Canadian product. They are a little pricey only because you have to pay for the tires and then pay for them to install the studs. They charge you for each stud. Dec. 03 I paid $500 for 4- 235/75/15 studded snow tires including the studs, new valves,and mounting and balancing. A few things to note, make sure they are legal in your state. In NY you have to remove them for the summer months. For this reason a second set of rims is a good idea. Wet weather traction is affected slightly and they make a little more noise than regular tires. It is recommended that you get all four tires the same even if you have RWD, so that you don't have any problems in the way the vehicle handles. Try not to spin the tires to much( no burn outs) as this will cause the studs to fall out. Also, studded tires eat pavement. I read somewhere that the typical studded snow tire consumes a 1/4 ton of asphalt during it's lifespan.

A buddy of mine suggested putting a couple hundred pounds of the cheap clay cat litter in your rear cargo area. The extra weight over the rear tires will improve traction there, and you can make a trail of litter for the tires to grab onto if you slide into a mild ditch or something.

also remember, when you put weight in the back, you will be taking some pressure off of the front tires for steering.

You might want to get a good set of all terrain tires from Walmart, they are really cheap and awesome tires for the money.

I bought a set for winter and they grip like mad. I BARELY have to use 4x4 ever.

My uncle owns a tire shop and he found a set of tires called Dyna-star Alltractions that were cheap and I never had to use the 4x4 when I had them. You can get them for about $60.00 a piece and if you use them only in winter you can get about three years out of them. I say only in winter because they are VERY LOUD, have only a 35,000 mile tredlife and suck for long trips. I left mine on over the summer the first year and they drove me nuts.