getting traction in this icy bs

[85_Ranger4x4]

I racked up just over 7000km worth of driving in the last month, mostly to oilfield locations, on many icy/snowy roads....

I'm usually the @sshole everyone hates, but I drive within my means and are equipped to do so. I have great tires, weight etc and a bit of finesse when I drive.

I'm of the mind that if you need 2 hands on the steering wheel to maintain control, your doing something wrong. Even when sliding down the hwy (coasting or accelerating) I usually keep one hand on the wheel at the 12 o'clock position and I keep that wheel pointed down the center of the road.... works great for me?


Throw some weight in the back, and run good tires.

Despite what some people seem to think, trucks in general are very front heavy. 2-300 lbs near the back of the box is not gonna throw it outta control, it will balance the truck out. Why do you think SUV's do so well? They are balanced much better, and that empty sheetmetal box vs. the lump of iron under the hood doesn't balance very well.

I usually drive with one had at about 12 too. When it gets dicy I switch to the 9-3. It balances out the wheel so it isn't as touchy, also if something should happen I won't punch myself in the face when the airbag goes off.

A little weight like you mention is fine, but there are guys out there that buy half a pallet of sand... asking for trouble IMO. I have been in a tail heavy VW that did two accidental cookies without warning during a slow turn... exciting to say the least.

 

[bobbywalter]

I racked up just over 7000km worth of driving in the last month, mostly to oilfield locations, on many icy/snowy roads....

I'm usually the @sshole everyone hates, but I drive within my means and are equipped to do so. I have great tires, weight etc and a bit of finesse when I drive.

I'm of the mind that if you need 2 hands on the steering wheel to maintain control, your doing something wrong. Even when sliding down the hwy (coasting or accelerating) I usually keep one hand on the wheel at the 12 o'clock position and I keep that wheel pointed down the center of the road.... works great for me?


Throw some weight in the back, and run good tires.

Despite what some people seem to think, trucks in general are very front heavy. 2-300 lbs near the back of the box is not gonna throw it outta control, it will balance the truck out. Why do you think SUV's do so well? They are balanced much better, and that empty sheetmetal box vs. the lump of iron under the hood doesn't balance very well.

are you on a cement crew?

 

[wahlstrom1]

I'm a HD mech for Weatherford, wireline division.

 

[bobbywalter]

you wireline bastards



and sasquatch too...i should have known

 

[wahlstrom1]

? I thought he was a ford tech, lol. I'm not a wireliner.... far from it! I just fix the junk they break, and giv'm shit for doin so....

 

[bobbywalter]

i am a driller.

i have to give all the service guys shit...even off duty



especially you candian sasquatch bastages.

 

[LIMA BEAN]

I'm a HD mech for Weatherford, wireline division.

Repaired and re-built a bunch of gen-sets for Weatherford up here.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

you wireline bastards



and sasquatch too...i should have known

lol, how'd I get dragged into this?

 

[Mac]

Weight should be forward of the axle, not as far back as possible! SUV's have most of their weight centered. Just a law of physics.
Dave

POLAR MOMENT OF INERTIA

Definition: The resistance of an object to rotational acceleration. When the mass of an object is distributed far from its axis of rotation, the object is said to have a high polar moment of inertia. When the mass distribution is close to the axis of rotation, it has a low polar moment of inertia. A mid-engined car has most of its mass within its wheelbase, contributing to a low polar moment of inertia, which, in turn, improves cornering turn-in.

 

[AllanD]

Weight should be forward of the axle, not as far back as possible! SUV's have most of their weight centered. Just a law of physics.
Dave

POLAR MOMENT OF INERTIA

Definition: The resistance of an object to rotational acceleration. When the mass of an object is distributed far from its axis of rotation, the object is said to have a high polar moment of inertia. When the mass distribution is close to the axis of rotation, it has a low polar moment of inertia. A mid-engined car has most of its mass within its wheelbase, contributing to a low polar moment of inertia, which, in turn, improves cornering turn-in.

CORRECT: Weight "near the back" creates another far more dangerous situation by increasing your "polar moment of inertia" that $10 phrase means that any weight increase outside the rectangle created by the four wheels is BAD..... PERIOD!!!


Basically weight outside the square has more leverage against the vehicle's vertical rotation axis (the Yaw axis) so while the vehicle is harder to get it turning it is also much harder to get to STOP turning.

Basically it can be described as "false sense of stability" (or false sense of security) kinda like having a radar detector that doesn't work but has pretty lights on the front to lull you into it's lies...


When you add weight you also don't want to add it directly above the axle because it is simply impractical to secure it there, and a weight that can move around is far worse than no weight at all.

If you feel the need to add mass for traction secure it to/against
the headgate (front bulkhead) in your bed, and don't over-do it, because too much weight will simply make you "dig-in"


as for ice? chains or studs.

I have two sets of real old fashioned chains

Not the crappy cable things...

AD

 

[gwaii]

lol, how'd I get dragged into this?

got a sneakin suspicion he's using the term to define canadian,and particularly northern canadian outdoor rough-trade workers.


not so much you in particular.




you're quite the character,bobby.

i'm always looking for your posts,i usually get a good laugh or good info....often both.

 

[AgPete139]

Ha ha. You snow people.

The studded tire idea could work on M/T's, I guess. But they'd be really short and he shouldnt peel his tires while driving either. Meh. To each their own. Just dont kill others with your experiment.

 

[Daven]

CORRECT: Weight "near the back" creates another far more dangerous situation by increasing your "polar moment of inertia" that $10 phrase means that any weight increase outside the rectangle created by the four wheels is BAD..... PERIOD!!!


Basically weight outside the square has more leverage against the vehicle's vertical rotation axis (the Yaw axis) so while the vehicle is harder to get it turning it is also much harder to get to STOP turning.

Basically it can be described as "false sense of stability" (or false sense of security) kinda like having a radar detector that doesn't work but has pretty lights on the front to lull you into it's lies...


When you add weight you also don't want to add it directly above the axle because it is simply impractical to secure it there, and a weight that can move around is far worse than no weight at all.

If you feel the need to add mass for traction secure it to/against
the headgate (front bulkhead) in your bed, and don't over-do it, because too much weight will simply make you "dig-in"


as for ice? chains or studs.

I have two sets of real old fashioned chains

Not the crappy cable things...

AD

Opinons on filling the truck bed with snow as everyone else up here does? Works great for me, went from not being able to drive at all in winter 2wd to now i can go in alot of the real slippery sections. I understand completely how what ur saying works, and it makes sense. But i dont really think that would make so much of a difference. But then again u may be talking about something heavier than a 1/4 shortbox filled with snow lol.

Altho the snow is higher at the front of the bed because of snow blowing it in from the other direction. So a good deal of that is within the "rectangle"

EDIT: And it is not overflowing out of my bed. Its barely over the top by the cab and it goes all downhill from there

 

[Defective]

Opinons on filling the truck bed with snow as everyone else up here does?

That's what I do when I need some weight.

Decent tires make all the difference.

 

[woofer2609]

I read a great story in Road and Track about 2 months ago about this guy who bought the first generation of studded tires, and how they began to throw studs at around 70MPH due to centrifugal force , I'd assume that screws would fly out well below that.
Hate to be driving behind him when they start flying
IMHO, RAC rated Snowtires and at times, chains, and you'll get there.