snow...... and some icy roads

[That_4.0_ranger]

we got our first official snow last night here in the south Washington mountains but we got our share of ice

thats just the start of it we will soon have a foot or two. but i tell you im just finding out that the ice aint to fun. when i was on my way home last night the roads iced up quick and i took a turn and the truck spun around like a wheel of fortune so yall be careful out one the ice.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

First snow and ice is always a wakeup call...
Doesnt matter how prepared you 'think' you are.

 

[DILLARD000]

That ain't Ice\Snow,
that's "Cascade Concrete"!

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I actually have video of almost losing it on slick roads last winter here. I was in the 92 on Kenda MT tires, factory limited slip rear. Had my phone on one of those magnetic mounts on the dash and started a video because the roads were getting bad in a hurry and sheeeeet….

 

[1990RangerinSK]

we got our first official snow last night here in the south Washington mountains but we got our share of ice
View attachment 69197
thats just the start of it we will soon have a foot or two. but i tell you im just finding out that the ice aint to fun. when i was on my way home last night the roads iced up quick and i took a turn and the truck spun around like a wheel of fortune so yall be careful out one the ice.

Is this your first year driving on that mess? I've been there. I remember being so incredibly intimidated driving in snow (and I LEARNED during the winter!). Over the years, I gained confidence, and it became second nature.

My dad used to tell me when I was learning that in time I would drive by the seat of my pants. Over the years, I've understood what he meant. He meant that driving would become instinct. I wouldn't have to think about it, I would be able to just do what I needed to do. He was right.

I couldn't help but notice the line in your signature. You're not a dumb kid. You will learn, in time, just like I did, and just like everybody else here did. Knowing what we all know doesn't happen overnight, it takes years. Don't look down on yourself because you're young, my friend.

 

[That_4.0_ranger]

Is this your first year driving on that mess? I've been there. I remember being so incredibly intimidated driving in snow (and I LEARNED during the winter!). Over the years, I gained confidence, and it became second nature.

My dad used to tell me when I was learning that in time I would drive by the seat of my pants. Over the years, I've understood what he meant. He meant that driving would become instinct. I wouldn't have to think about it, I would be able to just do what I needed to do. He was right.

I couldn't help but notice the line in your signature. You're not a dumb kid. You will learn, in time, just like I did, and just like everybody else here did. Knowing what we all know doesn't happen overnight, it takes years. Don't look down on yourself because you're young, my friend.

well thank you and also my dad says alot of the same things and ik its gonna take a fair amount of practice and i aint gonna learn if i dont try

 

[1990RangerinSK]

well thank you and also my dad says alot of the same things and ik its gonna take a fair amount of practice and i aint gonna learn if i dont try

Your dad sounds like a wise man. Listen to him. And, yes, TRY. Don't be afraid to try. Did you know that we learn by failing?

 

[Danger_Ranger.308]

Coming from a texas boy you can take it for what it's worth, but all the techniques for driving on snow you can throw out the window for ice! People may disagree but moonlighting as wrecker operator with my old man has taught me that there is not really any special skill to drive on sheets of ice, 4x4 doesn't equal 4x stopping, winter tires are for snow not sheets of glass, 4x4 doesn't equal 4x turning, and there is no special skill to drive on ice. Except this one....

SLOW DOWN lol

And it also helps to find a solid ice parking lot to skid around on so you can get a feel for slipping around with out hitting anything

 

[scotts90ranger]

Over here ice is dumb... most of the country if they get a frozen road they stay under 25 degrees or so, around here at lowest it'll get to 25 degrees then warm up to 34 degrees so it's always hovering around that melting point which is WAY worse than just ice...

If you think a Ranger is bad about flipping around on ice, try a Geo Tracker, the stupid things are square and will flip around on you when you look at them wrong on ice... first time it happened to me it was fine, second time I was cocky and on a narrow road with ditches on both sides, had to be tugged out...

 

[rusty ol ranger]

And it also helps to find a solid ice parking lot to skid around on so you can get a feel for slipping around with out hitting anything

I was gonna suggest that too but i didnt want the safety patrol on my ass lol. But in all honesty that is an excellent way to learn. You can learn how to control slides before youre in a panic situation.


One thing to remember is that the brakes arnt always your friend. So many people just freak and hit the brakes and sometimes thats the worse thing you can do. Ive saved my ass many times by using controlled throttle and steering movements to turn a nosedive into the ditch into just a fishtail around a curve.

But the biggest thing to remember is SLOW DOWN and take your time. Espicially in these compact pickups. They get so tail happy so quick.

 

[racsan]

I always recommend finding a big empty lot to get the feel for how any vehicle handles when its slick out, short wheelbase vehicles are not your freind, that back end can come around quicker than you can react. Proper weight over your drive axle (esp if your a 2wd, dont want too much either. 200# seems about right) , good tires, watch your speed. Its easy to forget its slick out until you hit your brakes or make a turn then the back wants to keep going. Back when I had a 4wd ranger Id always have the hubs locked but I would start out in 2wd so I would know just how slippery things are. Yes you can go much better with 4wd, but stopping isnt any better.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

There was recently a thread about snow tires. M/T's are terrible in Snow, as snow tires are terrible in mud. You might want to consider snow tires for the winter, if you are not running them already.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Couple thoughts…

We all were dumb kids once but we all learned. My dad used to tell me when I was learning to drive a manual that after awhile you won’t think about shifting, you’ll just do it. I thought he was full of shit at the time. Then I learned he was right.

I spent a few years in college in the snow belt. Good old lake effect crap. They plowed the roads once a day, never salted, and at the end of winter used heavy equipment to peel the ice off the roads. I learned a lot about winter driving then. The only truly effective thing on ice is chains. Unfortunately you don’t always have warning ahead of time, your speed is really restricted, and not all areas like chains. Studded snows are probably the next step down but I never owned a set. That said, aggressive AT tires seemed to be the best all-around for me. Worked good on and off pavement and good in snow, especially deeper snow.

Not all AT tires are equal. Hankook Dynapro AT tires are about equal to slicks in snow. Not much better in rain. Remington Rimfire XT was great (no longer available). Sport King AT was also great (and also no longer available). Mastercraft Courser AT works good, it’s what my parents run. Mastercraft Courser CT/CXT works well, it’s what I’m presently running.

Limited slip can make the rear come around quicker in bad weather. A locker is actually a little more controllable, same goes for a limited slip with extra clutches. Down side is a locker can push you straight, so having the front tires digging to pull the front around bends is important.

speed and brakes aren’t your friends. But, there’s a cheat with 4x4 that I use at times in the winter, especially when the driveway is icy. I’ll use 4x4 or 4lo to back down the driveway because with both axles linked by the transfer case, the front disk brake power gets transferred to all 4 wheels. Drums don’t work as well in reverse, and often the front will lock up and start sliding before the rear. In 4x4 it doesn’t happen.

I turn the radio off when it’s really bad out. I want to be fully concentrating on what the vehicle is doing and what sounds it’s making. I have learned over the years to sense the start of a lot of problems just before they happen and can usually react in time. Like sensing the rear start to kick out and come off the go juice before it happens or the road noise from the tires changing when you hit a slick spot even if the vehicle doesn’t react because you pass over it quickly. I also back off the throttle going over bridges in bad weather. More than once I’ve coasted across an icy bridge.

Weight. The more aggressive the tires, the less weight required. Except on hard pack or ice. Then it depends more on the tire itself (soft, hard, etc). Don’t use solid objects for weight unless they’re secured so well you could roll the truck off a cliff and it would stay. The last thing you want is for the heavy object to come in the cab with you during a wreck.

 

[19Walt93]

The NH state cops said there were 53 accidents on our interstates yesterday. I thought frozen roads plus rain = glare ice was common knowledge but I was mistaken. Before everyone "needed" front wheel drive or all wheel drive we had fewer problems, people knew they had to allow more following distance and try to gain a little speed before hills so they could gradually ease up on the gas to avoid spinning and getting stuck on hills. Now they tailgate- all the time- and go up and down hills at walking speeds. If one vehicle doesn't have good tires, the whole line of traffic is stopped. A lot of folks thein AWD means they're bulletproof, it means you can go in the snow, it does not mean you can stop or turn. ABS is deadly on snow and ice, it prevents wheel locking which means you can't stop.

 

[That_4.0_ranger]

The NH state cops said there were 53 accidents on our interstates yesterday. I thought frozen roads plus rain = glare ice was common knowledge but I was mistaken. Before everyone "needed" front wheel drive or all wheel drive we had fewer problems, people knew they had to allow more following distance and try to gain a little speed before hills so they could gradually ease up on the gas to avoid spinning and getting stuck on hills. Now they tailgate- all the time- and go up and down hills at walking speeds. If one vehicle doesn't have good tires, the whole line of traffic is stopped. A lot of folks thein AWD means they're bulletproof, it means you can go in the snow, it does not mean you can stop or turn. ABS is deadly on snow and ice, it prevents wheel locking which means you can't stop.

yea and thats why i love my truck its got no abs but a down side is if i do wreck i dont have working seat belts or air bags.