Winter driving

[Red Ranger]

Since this is my first Ranger, I wondering how it will act in the snow and ice. Single cab, short bed, 2.5 and 5 speed manual, 2WD, and M+S 225/70/15 tires with about 1/2 life on them. I have noticed that it is a bit more squirrelly than the '88 F-150 that I had.

Thanks,

 

[snake]

Weight and common sense is the key. It will do fine will several hundred pounds in the bed and a driver who isn't a moron...

 

[Red Ranger]

Thanks, looks like some sand bags will be in order this winter.

 

[ns_red7]

How much snow do you get there? You may want to invest in some good rubber too. X ice latitude work pretty amazing in the snow or blizzaks. Bfg all terrains work well, or studded slaloms.

Why are we talking about winter in August?

 

[gotmudd]

How much snow do you get there? You may want to invest in some good rubber too. X ice latitude work pretty amazing in the snow or blizzaks. Bfg all terrains work well, or studded slaloms.

Why are we talking about winter in August?

put 300 pounds across the wheel wells to center the weight on the axle, have your tires siped if they have enough tread and since you have already stated the obvious, that it is looser in the rear than your F150, KEEP YOUR FOOT OUT OF IT when driving on the snow and ice. unless of course you're in a wide open parking lot with no one around. then you could experiment, within reason, to find out how loose and how much or how little weight you need

 

[Shotokan1509]

The rear will want to slide, and you can control that with your right foot, but also remember that even with sandbags your truck is nose heavy and will "push" in corners, aka your nose keeps going straight instead of turning. If you start to push don't turn the wheel deeper into the corner, you want the fronts actually spinning to guide you rather than just pushing sideways.

I have a 4x4 and still run in 4x2 in most snow conditions. You can get in trouble for it, but its not a bad idea to find a big empty parking lot and find the feel of your truck in a semi-controlled environment.

 

[JohnPi]

I don't know if you have a bed liner and a tonneu cover (hard to tell from the little picture), but here's a tip for weight if you do:

Personally, I have no need for bags of sand that I have to store every summer, so I purchase about 6 bags of water softner salt to place in the bed. Because of the bed liner and cover, I don't worry about the precipitation melting the salt and damaging the bed. Have done that for the past few years, and when spring comes, I just put the salt in the basement, and it usually lasts me until I need more in the fall (when I buy enough for an entire year again).

Of course, if you don't have a water softner, this idea isn't very good for you at all!

 

[Fast Fords]

definately agree with the contolled environment of an open parking lot..i practised alot in parking lots in my town and it helped me get out of a slide one day in a snow storm on the way back from work..in my first winter i was driving home in the sticks and in my 2.3L Ranger 4x2 my rear kicked out when i topped the hill..wasn't fun sliding around at 70km/h..and it surprised me that it kicked cause I was only at like 1,100 rpms cuz i was in fifth. I recommend good snows and put some weight in the back BUT SECURE IT. Don't be very jerky; its easier to control a slide when you are fluid and smooth. Always know whats coming ahead or where you could be in 15-30 secs. And i agree, don't be a moron while driving..i was passed by this 4x4 blazer in a storm and it was just cookin' along..the roads were completely covered and i was going 70 km/h and he was going at LEAST 100km/h...saw the same blazer in the ditch 5 min. later. DUMBASS!!

 

[Fast Fords]

I don't know if you have a bed liner and a tonneu cover (hard to tell from the little picture), but here's a tip for weight if you do:

Personally, I have no need for bags of sand that I have to store every summer, so I purchase about 6 bags of water softner salt to place in the bed. Because of the bed liner and cover, I don't worry about the precipitation melting the salt and damaging the bed. Have done that for the past few years, and when spring comes, I just put the salt in the basement, and it usually lasts me until I need more in the fall (when I buy enough for an entire year again).

Of course, if you don't have a water softner, this idea isn't very good for you at all!

hahaha exactly what i did!! but i only bought half lol

 

[thoughtcriminal]

one thing my I've been told is be sure to run your gas tank as close to full as possible in the winter. This serves two purposes. First, it gives you more weight. Second, if your tank is full, and you get stuck in a storm from hell, you have a lot longer that you can keep the truck warm to wait the storm out.

I don't know where you are, it might not be a concern there. But out here in the sticks, its something to keep in mind, as it could save your life

 

[Shotokan1509]

one thing my I've been told is be sure to run your gas tank as close to full as possible in the winter. This serves two purposes. First, it gives you more weight. Second, if your tank is full, and you get stuck in a storm from hell, you have a lot longer that you can keep the truck warm to wait the storm out.

I don't know where you are, it might not be a concern there. But out here in the sticks, its something to keep in mind, as it could save your life

Just make sure if you end up in a snow bank that your tailpipe is clear, you don't want the easiest escape route being where your heater will pull in exhaust fumes and asphyxiate yourself.

 

[kaskirov]

we get a fair amount of snow around here. i got a 4x4 with bfg all terrains and i try to run it in 2wd as much as possible to save gas. had a few close calls but no accidents yet . the bfgs are great on fresh snow but once its compacted into ice it doesn't matter what you got. go easy on the gas to accelerate and try light breaking with down shifting to slow down. careful though because if your down shift with your rpms too high your back will kick out. weight is good to have in the back, i carry around a snow shovel though. if you get enough snow (like we do) you can fill your bed with snow and get alot of weight. once the snow melts off the roads and you don't need weight, the snow in the bed will melt, and if you need to carry something, you just through the snow out of the bed.

 

[mkpecor]

once you get it down you will be doing the speed limit in 2WD its all on how you use the skinny stick, the only time im in 4 wheel drive is really big hills. other then that its easy. i highly recomend findin a open space were you cant hit any one or thing and get used to what the truck is going to do. when my truck wont turn i hit the gas not much felther it to get it in to a drift. then come out of it. once you get her down you will be ripping up the roads and drifting every turn you can find. [ BEST TO DO AT NIGHT WHEN NO ONE IS OUT ] be safe and keep it on the road.

 

[Mark_88]

All good suggestions...only thing I can add is to wear long underwear and bring some candles and chocolates in case you meet a nice girl in the snowbank...

 

[Will]

2wd pickups suck. Worthless in the snow.

All Terrain tires suck in the snow too. They pack up and become snowman abdomens. If you want to do your college best then get a Lock Right and Mud Terrains. They have chunky enough tread to throw the snow out of the lugs--and the locker will keep them both churning.

A couple hundred pounds in the bed doesn't hurt. I have a 200# concrete tank lid with rebar handles cast into it. I used to throw it in the back and strap it down in the winter. It's too heavy now. I could still throw it but I don't really want to see my intestines scrolling out across the yard like glow worms.