So how do you prepare a car for -50F?
WARNING - TECHNICAL CONTENT AHEAD!
Tires
The first question I usually get asked is "so do you have special tires?"
The answer here is no -- our tires must be street legal, and so most competitors use either a studded or studless winter tire.
Modern studless tires offer incredible ice grip (in my opinion better than studs), using advanced rubber compounds and many small sipes (cuts) in the tread, creating many edges that can grip the ice. However, in order to get maximum ice grip, most studless tires have a very closed tread pattern that maximizes the number of sipes, but is a compromise in terms of ability to clear snow from the tread.
For that reason, as we are driving on roads that are typically snow over ice over gravel, we need an aggressive and open tread pattern for snow traction, with studs that provide decent ice grip. If you are buying tires for winter in your city, either check your local tire use regulations or seriously consider studless tires, as they are much kinder to the road surfaces.
The tires we are running are 215/65 16 (on Foresters) and 195/65 15 (on Ashley the Impreza) Cooper Weather-Master S/T 2's, graciously provided by Cooper Tire to the Arctic Challengers team. (thanks!!!)
On the Forester we are running a slightly taller sidewall than the Subaru standard tire size to provide us with a little more protection from the rough roads, and also a little more ground clearance (about 8" on the Forester before we put the tall tires on!).
The Coopers have proven to be a great winter rally tire - I scored 3rd fastest time of the day (missed 1st by 2 secs) at the recent Ice-X at Barnes Lake. R.Dale and I also used them on Totem 2007 where we scored 2nd place overall, with the Coopers providing excellent grip in a variety of conditions (mud, snow, ice...)
Underbody Protection
As we are sometimes driving through logging roads, unpaved roads etc., we need to protect the underside of the engine/gearbox and rear differential with some large pieces of aluminum. Luckily Paul Eklund has been providing these to the rally community for many years, and I was his first customer way back in 1998 or so! Primitive's Underbody Armor range covers most Subarus from the late 90's to the current models.
Lights
It is dark in Canada, very dark. On my Forester we are running Hella Rallye 4000 Compact HIDs. They provide the same light output as the full size 4000 we used on my STi in 2004 (which are over 9" high!) Paul is running PIAA lights. In blizzard conditions and near white outs, a set of yellow fog lamps is also very important to be able to see the road.
Lubrication
When the temperature drops, many fluids turn to goop. Goop doesn't work so well when you want to drive your car. We typically replace all the oil (engine, transmission, rear diff) with synthetic oil which will keep the same viscocity and protection even at very cold temps. I am running Redline 75W90NS in the transmission, 75W90 in the rear diff, and synthetic 5W30 in the engine.
Staying Warm to Stay Cool
Of course, our engine coolant also needs to stay a liquid. I am using Genuine Subaru Engine Coolant, at a 70% concentration to provide protection from the bitter cold. A Subaru block heater (don't you love how you can get all this stuff for Subarus?) provided by Subaru Northwest Region helps keep things warm so the engine can stay cool. Got that? They also kicked in some Subaru battery warmers to make sure the cars start in the morning when it is -30 F outside.
Staying in Touch
For safety, all Alcan entrants are required to have a VHF radio to keep in contact with the organizers and other entrants. I am using an Icom IC-208H, which is a ham (amateur radio) rig. I have been a ham since 1978, and my Australian callsign is VK4KUX. As backup we also have a hand-held unit, an older Icom IC-T7H. Paul is using an Icom IC-F121 mobile unit.
Safety First
We also carry a variety of required safety equipment: warning triangles, fire extinguishers and first aid kits. I also carry an ACR 406MHz Personal Locator Beacon ( PLB ). It can pinpoint your location and transmit it to Search and Rescue organizations around the world.
These are the very basics of preparing a car for a journey like this, but you will notice no change has been necessary to improve the car's performance or design. Subaru routes their fuel and brake plumbing inside the car, so these lines are quite safe from damage off road, and the Forester has the perfect combination of ground clearance, comfort, performance and handling to be a serious contender in the Alcan rally.
Prior Articles
After the 2004 Alcan, I wrote two articles for Subaru:
300-Horsepower Snowmobile - WRX STi at the 2004 Alcan Winter Rally
(which includes a sidebar "Extreme Winter Conditions: Preparing the WRX STi", which is a condensed version of some of the information above)
The Top of the World - a little more prosaic; an article I am very proud of.
I also helped edit and fact check an article about Subaru's DCCD system.
Glenn
Tires
The first question I usually get asked is "so do you have special tires?"
The answer here is no -- our tires must be street legal, and so most competitors use either a studded or studless winter tire.
Modern studless tires offer incredible ice grip (in my opinion better than studs), using advanced rubber compounds and many small sipes (cuts) in the tread, creating many edges that can grip the ice. However, in order to get maximum ice grip, most studless tires have a very closed tread pattern that maximizes the number of sipes, but is a compromise in terms of ability to clear snow from the tread.
For that reason, as we are driving on roads that are typically snow over ice over gravel, we need an aggressive and open tread pattern for snow traction, with studs that provide decent ice grip. If you are buying tires for winter in your city, either check your local tire use regulations or seriously consider studless tires, as they are much kinder to the road surfaces.
The tires we are running are 215/65 16 (on Foresters) and 195/65 15 (on Ashley the Impreza) Cooper Weather-Master S/T 2's, graciously provided by Cooper Tire to the Arctic Challengers team. (thanks!!!)
On the Forester we are running a slightly taller sidewall than the Subaru standard tire size to provide us with a little more protection from the rough roads, and also a little more ground clearance (about 8" on the Forester before we put the tall tires on!).
The Coopers have proven to be a great winter rally tire - I scored 3rd fastest time of the day (missed 1st by 2 secs) at the recent Ice-X at Barnes Lake. R.Dale and I also used them on Totem 2007 where we scored 2nd place overall, with the Coopers providing excellent grip in a variety of conditions (mud, snow, ice...)
Underbody Protection
As we are sometimes driving through logging roads, unpaved roads etc., we need to protect the underside of the engine/gearbox and rear differential with some large pieces of aluminum. Luckily Paul Eklund has been providing these to the rally community for many years, and I was his first customer way back in 1998 or so! Primitive's Underbody Armor range covers most Subarus from the late 90's to the current models.
Lights
It is dark in Canada, very dark. On my Forester we are running Hella Rallye 4000 Compact HIDs. They provide the same light output as the full size 4000 we used on my STi in 2004 (which are over 9" high!) Paul is running PIAA lights. In blizzard conditions and near white outs, a set of yellow fog lamps is also very important to be able to see the road.
Lubrication
When the temperature drops, many fluids turn to goop. Goop doesn't work so well when you want to drive your car. We typically replace all the oil (engine, transmission, rear diff) with synthetic oil which will keep the same viscocity and protection even at very cold temps. I am running Redline 75W90NS in the transmission, 75W90 in the rear diff, and synthetic 5W30 in the engine.
Staying Warm to Stay Cool
Of course, our engine coolant also needs to stay a liquid. I am using Genuine Subaru Engine Coolant, at a 70% concentration to provide protection from the bitter cold. A Subaru block heater (don't you love how you can get all this stuff for Subarus?) provided by Subaru Northwest Region helps keep things warm so the engine can stay cool. Got that? They also kicked in some Subaru battery warmers to make sure the cars start in the morning when it is -30 F outside.
Staying in Touch
For safety, all Alcan entrants are required to have a VHF radio to keep in contact with the organizers and other entrants. I am using an Icom IC-208H, which is a ham (amateur radio) rig. I have been a ham since 1978, and my Australian callsign is VK4KUX. As backup we also have a hand-held unit, an older Icom IC-T7H. Paul is using an Icom IC-F121 mobile unit.
Safety First
We also carry a variety of required safety equipment: warning triangles, fire extinguishers and first aid kits. I also carry an ACR 406MHz Personal Locator Beacon ( PLB ). It can pinpoint your location and transmit it to Search and Rescue organizations around the world.
These are the very basics of preparing a car for a journey like this, but you will notice no change has been necessary to improve the car's performance or design. Subaru routes their fuel and brake plumbing inside the car, so these lines are quite safe from damage off road, and the Forester has the perfect combination of ground clearance, comfort, performance and handling to be a serious contender in the Alcan rally.
Prior Articles
After the 2004 Alcan, I wrote two articles for Subaru:
300-Horsepower Snowmobile - WRX STi at the 2004 Alcan Winter Rally
(which includes a sidebar "Extreme Winter Conditions: Preparing the WRX STi", which is a condensed version of some of the information above)
The Top of the World - a little more prosaic; an article I am very proud of.
I also helped edit and fact check an article about Subaru's DCCD system.
Glenn
Glen & Team; May the spirit of uplifting wings float you to the north and back safely. We look forward to your entry's and visit upon your safe return. Have a great and rewarding rally!
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