2wd in snow.

[kemo]

I'm talking about winter.... There's no mud... Ice doesn't need 4x4.... And no one says you have to pull people out lol.

You apparently have never seen a foot of snow on top of a foot of mud...

Winter doesn't guarantee frozen ground.

 

[6.2]

Where I'm from, winter means frozen ground.....

If the ground don't freeze you dot know what winter is.

 

[kemo]

I live right next to the Arctic Cat factory... I know what winter is.

 

[6.2]

That means absolutely nothing.

 

[kemo]

Goes to show how much you know, er uh, don't know.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Where I'm from, winter means frozen ground.....

If the ground don't freeze you dot know what winter is.

Where I come from winter means anything goes.

Mud, dirt frozen like concrete, ice storms, blizzards, below 0 temps, 60 degrees... it's all fair game.

Our normal winter is frickin cold with moderate snows.

 

[6.2]

That's more like spring/fall weather lol.

 

[kemo]

Where I come from winter means anything goes.

Mud, ice storms, blizzards, below 0 temps... it's all fair game.

Amen. One day it can be 40 degrees and raining, the next it will be -30.

 

[LIMA BEAN]

I live right next to the Arctic Cat factory... I know what winter is.

Arctic crap sniffs Yamy butts... deal with it.

 

[6.2]

Both cat and Yamaha suck.

 

[cody93]

last night i got/forced to drive my 2wd truck with 195/14 tires in the snow. flatland is fine, until i drove down a hill to my property on un-plowed roads, snow had melted and refroze.. now getting back up the hill was not fun, the road slants a little into a 30foot drop down the hill... i think i got 20 out of 150 feet of hill before i relized my rear wheels were bouncing and i was getting closer to the drop... flat lands are fine, hills in a 2wd with 195/14 tires with nothing in the back is not gona work too well, well actually, hills that go up and turn that are slanted down into a ditch are a problem... i could keep moving but with that wheel hop, anything other than strait shot up the hill would not work without weight.. good thing my friend's cousin was near by with a 4wd mazda tribute, even he had problems...

 

[Ruffinit]

My first time in the snow I went out playing in "4x4" passed a few cars and a PENNDOT plow truck that were off to the side of the road.

Then I got home and found out I didn't have the hubs locked when I got stuck in the yard.

I had just gotten my truck back on the road when I needed to pull one of my BIIs out of the weeds.. Backed up, hooked up, put it in 4Lo, took the slack out of the chain and ZZZzzzz... rear tires spin... Didn't move that BII an inch.

Both front hubs were blown by the same bozo that put the pinion gear through the front diff...

My little 2wd ran the winter last year with a couple 125# Farmall wheel weights in it and did just fine. 140 mile/day commutes. I DO like the extra 1000 pounds that the 4x4 weighs even if it's in 2wd.

 

[Ruffinit]

I have been reading for firm evidence in this matter and haven't found it.

Yes, by definition "proper air pressure will create proper contact which will create optimum traction." It's a tautological statement.

The issue at hand is: what is the proper air pressure for driving a 2WD Ranger with street tires in snow?"

I have not driven my 2WD Ranger in snow before. It's not new, but it's new to me. I don't know how it will react.

Here's an interesting read: http://www.tirerack.com/winter/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=168

You are quite correct. Understanding and experiencing your Ranger in inclimate weather will make all the difference in the world. YOU have to make the decisions and asking for advice is the first step.

I grew up running back an forth across the Rockies and mid-west in 2wd everything, but mostly 1/2 ton pickups. They were almost always laden with a lot of heavy tools an ALWAYS ran snow tires in the winter. When you couldn't go any further we just stopped and put on chains. We ran across from Colorado Springs to Vail for work.

There are two things that will help you out in the Ranger. Put some weight in the bed and get some snow tires (preferably all four wheels). We run carbide steel studs in ours which makes a world of difference on the ice. The Firestone WinterForce tires are very good and less than $100 each. I remove the mags in November and put the steelies with snow tires (studded) on. We have (as most states do) laws that state you can only run studs for certain months, so they have to be swapped out by April 01.

One of the reasons that I like 4x4 is that when locked in, the front and rear wheels do exactly the same thing. You aren't pushing or pulling the wheels that don't have power applied. That means they go at the same time and at the same speed which means stability. The other thing they do is they all stop or brake at the same time, no pushing or pulling which means you have twice as many tires trying to stop you on uneven or slick surfaces because they are locked together.

The problem I have with automatics (in 2wd or 4x4 in 2wd) is that if you are attempting to stop; you may successfully stop the front tires, but the rear are still trying to push you. Now you can throw it into neutral if this happens, but I like the ability to disengage the engine from the drive train so that you aren't working against it when you try to stop. If you believe that this isn't so; try doing a power brake. Stand on your brakes and hit the gas. You'll either push the front tires or smoke the rears, your front wheels brake 80% of the load. I also like engine braking when in the mountains with a large load or trailer.