Do Ventilated Disk brakes work better in the snow?

Question

I have been driving a Subaru Impreza WRX (for about 6 months now) and have been having issues driving in the snow... Given that I just moved to Denver, CO from sunny California may give some reason to why I am having some trouble but I have been taking it pretty slow and I thought a Subaru is suppose to handle great cuz it is AWD and all... Every time I come to a stop in a residential neighborhood (after there has been some snowfall) my brakes makes this gawd awful crunching noise and I stop then kind of slide a little.... Is this normal? I am usually going REALLY slow... how much slower can I go? Is it the tires or the brakes? Thus, I ask, do ventilated disk brakes work better in the snow? or do they just get jammed up with snow??

Also will snow tires be worth purchasing? People tell me it is not that big of a deal given I have a AWD vehicle... but please could someone give me some input ? Thanks!! ;D

Answer 1

First off, ventilated disk brakes are used for better cooling of the brakes.  Not to go too far into the whole thing, but the more heat that is generated(extended hard braking) the worse the brakes will actually work.  This is called brake fade.  So, the ventilated brakes really don't have too much to do with the weather.  Is the "gawd awful noise" accompanied with the brake pedal pulsing under your foot.  It may feel like the pedal is kicking back at you.  This would be your Anti-Lock brakes.  ABS, contrary to common belief does not stop the car faster than not having ABS.  Its main purpose is to keep the car under control while braking.  So, you may skid while braking but the steering should still be working.  It sounds to me that your tires may be worn.  you can check this by measuring how deep the tread is on each tire.  The tires are pretty worn when the tread is 1/8 or lower.

Answer 2

Winter tires are not like All-Season tires. Winter tires have special rubber compounds designed to improve traction, handling and braking in all cold weather conditions, not just ice and snow.

Winter Tires are designed to deliver safety and control in snow, ice, and cold weather conditions. Many people think that all-season tires can deliver this same performance, but this is not true. The superior traction that winter tires deliver, as much as a 25 to 50 percent increase over all-season tires, can very well be the margin you need to stop in time or turn to avoid trouble.

Answer 3

First off the ventilated disc brakes are not any better in the snow than standard disc brakes or drum brakes. They only help to dissipate heat. This crunching sound you hear is most likely your ABS (antilock brake system) kicking in because of the slippery surface you are driving on. ABS allows you to stop alot quicker so it is good that it is working. AWD helps you in the snow....but only so much as it is more to keep you going forward...not stop. Also snow tires would provide slightly more traction but you still have the possibily to slide.

Answer 4

Its already cold so you don't need the ventilated disk brakes.  You probably need to change the brake pads and I wouldn't worry about the snow tires because of the AWD.