How are Syncros in the snow?!? Tell me your stories!!

[sandyvan]

so we might finally be getting to do our first trip in the snow in our syncro. i still have the 14" rims but i just got some general grabbers all terrain tire that are little taller and a bit wider.

just want to hear your experiences of how your syncro has done in the snow!

[newerwesty1987]

A tire with the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol will help a lot. It'll do well either way but even better if you know how to drive on snow, and have tires that are good in snow. An off-road tire isn't necessarily good in snow, by the way. Hopefully those are but I haven't owned them. I run Falken WildPeaks with the 3-peak rating.

[levi]

You might want to tell folks if you have a rear locker, or even a front and rear locker.
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[Howesight]

My ALL-TERRAIN T/A KO2 tires are okay in dry powder snow, but we seldom get that here in southwestern BC. We get a lot of wet snow, slush, and ice on our winter roads down here.

I have found that on wet snow and ice, these All-Terrain tires are utter crap, when compared with proper snow tires. I even ended up sliding backwards down an icy, snow-covered portion of road where the BFG tires acted like bald summer tires.

Nokian Hakkapelliitta snow tires are the way to go.
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'86 Syncro Westy SVX

[newerwesty1987]

Lockers can help in some situations but can hurt in just as many when it comes to snow and ice.

Where you generally don't want them on is on slippery roads that are anything but level. With a locker on and if leaning even a little on ice, you can actually lose all traction on the locked differential and you will slide sideways.

[Wildthings]

4WD is not some magic elixir, don't expect a 4WD to be able to stop or handle that much better than a two wheel drive.

[michaelbteam]

I have dedicated snows for winter, Michelin XIce 3. MY KO2s work [sorta] but not like the Michelins. A big difference is in the braking.
Twenty years ago I had a Syncro with just brand new directional "all season" Michelins. I could fly up hills in deep snow past stuck traffic. Main commute was Little Cottonwood Canyon to Snowbird, Utah.
The good clearance and weight balance helps.

[AllRad]

Two words: Totally Awesome.

I have two anecdotes: First, a couple of years ago about an inch of snow was sticking to the road surface during my morning commute. The main road was bumper to bumper for miles. I turned onto the unplowed side streets, to make progress. The first hill I came upon had an SUV at a stop, spinning its wheels about a quarter way up a sloping street. I kept an even low speed, 2nd gear, and walked right around the more modern vehicle. My Syncro and I continued right up the steeper part of the virgin snow covered hill with no issues whatsoever. I was impressed. It never lost traction and I had older 14" Hankook highway tires, not snow tires.

My second anecdote is that I have a decoupler. On a couple of occasions I've decoupled the VC in an icy parking lot, just to test the difference. A world of trouble awaits once decoupled. My conclusion, the Syncro, and the analog nature of the VC is pretty darn good.

I also have an F150, manual with high and low 4WD, as well as an AWD Toyota Hylander Hybrid. Both of my kids have Subaru Impreza's that date into the mid-2000's. All of them are about equally good in the snow.

In the past I drove a BMW 528i, Toyota Sienna, Hyundai Elantra. Mazda GLC Sport and a Ford Ranger. As well as some sports cars. All of these were vey not good in the snow. Shoot. Some of these were not great in wet conditions either!

Way back in the 80's and 90's I had a Honda Accord (three door hatch) and a 1986 Audi 4000 (front wheel drive, not-quattro). Both were front wheel drive and you could manage the snow pretty good. Although, not nearly as well as anything with AWD.

[Syncronoid]

I have mixed emotions about my Syncro in the snow. While the traction is great and one can power through with the best of any 4wd vehicle (three knobs, 28" tires on mine), the under carriage is somewhat susceptible to heavy amounts of snow and ice clinging to various components. The open, exposed design is great for working access, but lets in a lot of snow and ice. In cold weather, where hot and cold temps exist under the van, water freezing then thawing then freezing again allows water to penetrate various areas and run down the axles and into CV boots (even zip tied), compromising the grease. And I cant count how many window regulators I've had to replace because the window freezes to the trim and breaks the linkage. Doh!

Also, starting the van in cold weather with thick oil is not good for the engine. If you can find a block heater (like I have), and have shore power to plug it in, get one! Your family will thank you. The engine, and interior, warms up much faster.

And whatever you do, do NOT set the parking brake if you have drum brakes. They will freeze solid and you will go nowhere fast (except to the mechanic for new pad adjuster bolts). Luckily (sort of), so much ice clings to my parking brake cable that I'm never able to set it anyhow.

I have the best of the best parts on my Syncro, but it never fails that when something goes wrong, it's in cold, snowy weather. Just my $0.02.
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'90 Syncro Westy w/GW2.5L

[Wildthings]

Was driving my Snycro in wet snow conditions and pulled to a stop at an intersection. Couldn't get it to move when it was my turn to go. The snow and ice had built up around the fore-aft drive line and when I stopped it froze solid to the drive line and I had to crawl underneath and chip it away to get the van to move. Have also had snow and ice pull the plastic tubing for the throttle cable down and back causing a full throttle condition, which was not cool. Also once got a piece of rope wrapped around the drive line which like the slush, froze the driveline solidly in place.

For some reason our Syncro only has a front locker, which means that if you need more traction than just the normal AWD operation will provide you tend to lose your steering, so you have to be very judicious in deciding when to activate the lock, you don't want to drive with the front locked for very far or at a very fast speed.

[Steve M.]

The throttle cable getting water into it and freezing it solid is a real pita because trying to find exactly where the ice is futile. Just have to wait for it to thaw.
Make sure your throttle cable is sealed from water entry.
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[danfromsyr]

there's nothign wrong with 14in tires. though there are few 14in load rated snow tire options..
here's one leading option..
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trk...p;_sacat=0
and FWIW snow tires are cheaper than fenders.. I learned that in highschool.

a syncro with snow tires will drive as good as the skill set of the driver..

also if they salt/brine the roads.. it'll lead to an early demise of your valuable classic and desired VW. so that fun in snow comes at a cost..
I drive an AWD Astro van in our upstate NY winters.

[xoo00oox]

I loved driving my Syncro in the snow! The high ground clearance along with all wheel drive and 4 good tires was amazing. Now I'm wishing I didn't ever drive it on the salty roads we have here in the Northeast, the amount of rust and corrosion it causes is unbelievable.

In the winter months, I used to be able to cross this frozen lake near my house and use it as a short cut into the town, just go straight across the lake rather than taking the roads winding around the lake.

[mikemtnbike]

^^^awesome
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[sandyvan]

[sandyvan]

thanks for the stories and input! my van does have rear lockers but ive only herd not to use that in the snow unless youre stuck. i did by 2 sets of snow chain as well just to be safe

[dobryan]

In general you should only use lockers when going in a straight line. They can also cause the bus to slide sideways if sideways to an incline, even a crowned road. Both locked wheels lose traction at the same time. YMMV.
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'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

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[alaskadan]

If you get your 3 season tires siped it will help alot. I knew a tire shop guy who swore by it. I buy dedicated studded snow tires. Usually a new set every 2 years and i sell the old ones or pull the studs and run them in the summer. Tires are cheaper than an accident. As for syncro performance its pretty good. It is a little different than a front engine 4x4 though. I noticed that it can under steer in certain situations, mine is tin top so it is light. On the other hand it takes some practice to regain control once the ass end decides to come around, i think that is a two fold issue due to rear engine and your perspective is different because you are right on top of the front wheels. Salty roads suck. I bought a case of rattle cans of cosmoline 2 years ago and sprayed the under side. It works well, those areas look the same ( i drive mine year round ). But there are cracks and nooks that are hard to get and the salty water still finds its way into them.

[gears]

In an uphill black ice situation (a few years ago), I was completely stuck (along with everyone else). My vacuum check valve was faulty. But the moment the 4WD did engage, the van lurched forward and around all the other stuck vehicles. The Syncro is worth every penny during winter months.
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[T3 Pilot]

When driving around in Ski Country It always struck me as amusing when the Occupants of the stuck SUVs which I offered to pull out of the ditch asked "with that?"
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