I've been a bit worried about snow hitting soon and don't think it's worth the trouble to splurge a ton of money on snow tires. I've heard about a spray that you coat the wheels with to increase grip. Does it actually make a difference or is it just a clever marketing ploy cooked up by a quick-selling scammer? Also, how long does the stuff last? Are you supposed to spray it on every other time you drive the car? It isn't snowing yet here but the icy road warning sign on my Clubbie keeps turning on almost every other day so I'm getting nervous about the weather.

 

I haven't heard of this before, but I really doubt it would have any effect. Personal opinion: Just a marketing ploy

 

Snake oil. Common sense tells you that.

- Mark

 

Don't know if its snake oil or not.

If you are referring to Tyre-Grip there is research from the Norwegian State Institute of Technology that says there are properties in the product that imrpove traction. I have not seen the report so I can't validate the claim. Its an organic resin adhesive that may help more with traction on ice but I'm sure its no substitute for snow tires.

 

Never heard of this before. As with MarkJ, I'm skeptical...

 

Sounds kinda like spray on hair.

 

SURE it works.
Spray some on and hit the streets like it is dry out.

Sorry, it does not hurt to ask but would a spray really work?
If it did don't you think there would be more news about it?

 

I shouldn't have come down so hard on it. I don't doubt that if you spray some sort of adhesive on your tires, that there might be some very short-term effect with respect to traction on ice. And that's basically all they claim - even their promotional web site says the effect wears away quickly and will work "up to 50 miles". My guess is that "up to 50 miles" means that it probably has negligible effect within a mile or two, but perhaps if you happen to get caught out in a glare ice situation and have a can in your trunk, it might provide a brief increase that would get you through.

That's being charitable. There is also the possibilty that it really doesn't work at all and that their scientific studies have about as much validity as the ones that are quoted for Tornado Vortex intake devices, fuel line magnets, and ***** enlargement pills.

You will note that the web sites for this sort of product never actually link to the studies that suposedly prove the effectiveness of the product. MY bet would be that the "Norwegian State Institute of Technology" study they are referring to, if it exists at all, is a study where an ingredient in Tyre-Grip has been shown to increase friction in an area totally unrelated to tires and/or totally unrelated to being applied to a car tire for traction. I'll look into it on my next trip to Norway.

So maybe it might work in some very limited circumstances, maybe not. But as a reasonable subsitute for snow tires for driving in a winter climate? Snake oil.

- Mark

 

A large part of the function of a winter tire has to do with the chemical structure of the rubber - It is formulated in such a way that it stays pliable down at very low temperatures, while summers and even some all-season tires don't. The other half of the equation is that the physical tread structure of a true snow tire will pick up and hold snow like a sort of snowball, since snow-on-snow provides much greater traction than rubber on snow.

So unless the spray can change the chemical and physical properties of your tires, I'd say it's pretty useless. There might be some vague theory behind it, but more likely it's just a scam to make money off the un-educated masses. In the long run, you are MUCH better off with dedicated summer and winter tires.

 

If by "spray on" you actually mean "tire chains", then yes.

For $20, though, someone could test it out and give back some results. It says it'll rub right off on asphalt, so it would only be useful on packed or deeper snow.

 

I suspect that, if there is any real benefit from a spray on product, it would have to be applied immediately before use and have a limited useful lifespan. That would (I think) require one to pull the wheels, spray the tread and reinstall each time it snowed. Sounds like a lot of work for little benefit.
All season tires and a lot of common sense sounds like a better idea to me, if you don't want to invest in dedicated winter tires.

 

By no means is this product designed to replace snow tires - or a good allseason.

Its correct use is short term traction for summer tires - a better bandaid than hairspray.

NOTE: AutoSock is not considered a traction device in severe snow conditions and cannot be substituted for chains for travel through mountain passes.

AutoSock... Brings You Home


The Tire Rack recommends that drivers who normally encounter recurrent snow and ice during wintertime fit their vehicles with dedicated winter tires. However there also are drivers in areas outside of America's snow belt where the roads are rarely, if ever covered with snow or ice. Unfortunately these drivers face very perplexing problems when a freak snow or ice storm catches them off guard! Additionally the growing use of summer tires for Original Equipment (O.E.) applications, as well as for upgrading replacement tires, has stranded more than one motorist caught by unexpected snow or ice.







Watch the Video

AutoSock will greatly enhance traction on snowy or icy surfaces. It is recommended that AutoSock be removed when the vehicle returns to roads where no snow or ice is present. Driving on dry or wet roads is not recommended as it increases fabric wear considerably.

AutoSock does not produce the loud rattling nor the bumpy ride associated with snow chains. AutoSock does not damage the vehicle structure or alloy wheels and are approved for speeds up to 30 mph (50km/h). Nevertheless, the driver's speed should remain appropriate for the weather and road conditions.

Alex

 

Condoms for tires! What will they think of next?

 

They work GREAT with spray-on snow...

 

Well there are various forms of tire prep that definitely work. Karting drivers make use of numerous concoctions to get more grip on bad tracks. How well they work on snow, I can't say.

 

+1

 

Agreeing with most people, I think spray-ons are a very temp solution. If you can, try to invest in snow tires. Try even searching on craiglist for some used snow tires that are in good shape. That would probably be a better solution than a temp. spray or a sock. If you live in the east coast like me (Boston) it's wise to invest in a set of snow tires.

 

And that's all ye need to know...

mb

 

Certainly not a replacement for proper tyres, but for an emergency 'trick' to get up a glare ice hill, a little clorine bleach on the drive wheels tyre treads can do the job.

 

"I've heard about a spray that you coat the wheels with to increase grip. Does it actually make a difference or is it just a clever marketing ploy cooked up by a quick-selling scammer? Also, how long does the stuff last? Are you supposed to spray it on every other time you drive the car? "
Short answer: yes.
Longer answer: For a very short distance. I've used it. It got my Rabbit up 50 steep feet of driveway after numerous attempts without it.
The wheel/tire combo left no room for chains or cables, and I didn't have snow tires. Threw a can in the boot for emergencies.
It is very, very messy. Throws sticky brown gunk on the car and that stuff does not come off easily. But it worked.

 

I used this product in Pennsylvania winters back in 1969-70 on a 1968 427cubic inch Corvette and it worked well, but didn't last as long as claimed. I got out of several tough spots with standard summer tires. Never bought snow tires for that Vette.

I think it is mainly pine tar resin.