Genius winter driving hack for truck owners

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Snow doesn’t bother me, I actually prefer when there’s a good few inches down on the roads because it lessens the volume of idiots on the roads

 

[cbxer55]

Snow doesn’t bother me, I actually prefer when there’s a good few inches down on the roads because it lessens the volume of idiots on the roads

Well, that's one way of lookin at it. LMAO!!

Last time we had any real accumulation of snow was 2009/2010. Had a "blizzard" roll through. It was pretty rough. Not much since, a little ice here and there. Nothing to write home about.

 

[8thTon]

Snow doesn’t bother me, I actually prefer when there’s a good few inches down on the roads because it lessens the volume of idiots on the roads

Perhaps it does, but it amplifies the idiocy of the remaining ones by about 10.

 

[1990RangerinSK]

Not sure that would help my wife.

I'm telling your wife you said that!!

 

[1990RangerinSK]

Lemme tell ya somethin' about my winter driving experience. Winter of 2015, my wife was out in a snow storm with her 1990 Taurus wagon, with all season tires. She came home, and told me I should consider not going out (I was planning to go to the Saturday evening service at my church), because she'd almost gotten stuck in deep snow. I thanked her, hopped into my Fit (with studded winter tires - Firestone Winterforce), and the first deep snow that I hit, I gave it a little more gas, and plowed right on through. Sure wish I could have had a set of those for the Ranger, and I REALLY wish I could buy a set now for my Taurus.

There, that's *MY* winter driving hack

 

[8thTon]

MY wife's Fiesta ST with Pirelli snows is about unstoppable in snow, at least until it runs out of ground clearance.

 

[1990RangerinSK]

MY wife's Fiesta ST with Pirelli snows is about unstoppable in snow, at least until it runs out of ground clearance.

So was my Fit. For the record, I drove that car for two winters (bought it in December of the first winter) without winter tires, and then three with winter tires. The difference was like night and day.

 

[8thTon]

So was my Fit. For the record, I drove that car for two winters (bought it in December of the first winter) without winter tires, and then three with winter tires. The difference was like night and day.

Drove a Hyundai Accent GSi for 18 years, never had snows just all season tires. Used to pass trucks and SUVs crawling in the plowed slow lane all the time. If you can’t drive 4WD won’t be enough. And nothing beats a manual in snow.

 

[1990RangerinSK]

Drove a Hyundai Accent GSi for 18 years, never had snows just all season tires. Used to pass trucks and SUVs crawling in the plowed slow lane all the time. If you can’t drive 4WD won’t be enough. And nothing beats a manual in snow.

Yup. 4WD only gives traction to get you going, and keep you going. It will not keep you going in a straight line, and it will NOT help you stop.

 

[97RangerXLT]

Yup. 4WD only gives traction to get you going, and keep you going. It will not keep you going in a straight line, and it will NOT help you stop.

I have always said that 4wd will not keep you out of the ditch. in some cases it can help you get out of the ditch without help tho...

AJ

 

[Snoranger]

I have always said that 4wd will not keep you out of the ditch. in some cases it can help you get out of the ditch without help tho...

AJ

4wd will help most people get into the ditch... false sense of security.
I drove my Cobra on Z rated tires in a snow storm once... I almost made it to the end of my driveway. Took 15 minutes. I actually got out with it in 1st gear, tires spinning, at idle and pushed it sideways.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I will never forget driving my 2wd Ranger 100 miles in a snow storm behind a Mustang. We just plodded along in the slow lane and watched the 4x4s blow past in the passing lane only to see them stuck in a ditch a mile or two later. I learned a lot about winter driving running around in the snow belt with just a 2wd for college. Later I got a 4x4 and learned proper use of that. Now there is little that scares me.

Several years ago I was on my way home in my F-150 in 4x4 and I was in a hurry and knew I was pushing the limits of my truck and my abilities. Wasn’t right on the edge of them, but really close in a snowstorm, think I was doing about 50. Had a Jeep Cherokee blow past me like I was standing still and I yelled at him that if he went in the ditch I wasn’t stopping. As we come around a bend I can see a plow truck up ahead and a vehicle behind the plow truck. He goes rocking up behind them and tries to make a sudden jump to the fast lane at the last minute, loses control, tags the other vehicle and they both spin into the median. F@#$&*. Now I have to stop. The FAMILY in the minivan he hit said they were shook up but ok (husband, wife, two kids). The kid driving the Jeep refused to talk to anyone.

 

[Josh B]

Many times simply letting off the gas(in 2WD) will stop you winding up in the ditch

 

[8thTon]

It's always better to brake with 4 wheels than 2. A tire only has so much traction, and whatever is used to accelerate or decelerate reduces what is available for cornering (see "traction circle"). On a 2WD vehicle compression/engine braking puts all the deceleration forces on one end, rather than distributing it on all 4 wheels.

With an manual trans you can push in the clutch and instantly take all acceleration or deceleration forces off the drive wheels if it gets squirrelly, With an auto you have to feather the throttle so it's not putting any drive force on the wheels, which is slower and harder to do accurately.

 

[Dirtman]