Clueless 4x4 Icy Road Guy

[CHLChris]

I finally went out today with a Hyundai and chains. In most places there is still snow on the roads, which I great. Most snow storms around here leave the neighborhoods snowy and the main roads bare pavement. There is nothing worse than running chains on pavement!

 

[ZigZagZeke]

I will never be without a Suburban. 6500# of real 4WD will get you anywhere you have to go. I have yet to have to put chains on my 2000 3/4 ton Suburban, even on packed snow with an inch of ice on top.

Yesterday I had to go on up the mountain to retrieve some mail from a neighbor. I met an Audi with AWD coming down the hill with all four wheels locked, doing about 5 mph and only staying on the road because it was riding the ruts. I pulled off the road and watched as she went by. I was in my '93 Toyota pickup with aggressive M/T's and 500# of firewood in the bed. I put it in 4WD low and crawled on up the hill.

 

[bsa1917hunter]

I hate running chains period. There have been some rare occasions when I've had to chain up, but IF I can't get there with studs and a good set of tires with 4x4, I don't need to be trying to get there either. What causes problems on the roadways is people not prepared with the right tires and vehicle for the slick stuff. The other part of the equation is people just don't have the experience to be driving out there in it either. When this is the case, JUST STAY HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please stay home, so you don't cause people to have to sit in their cars for 8 hours on an off ramp or something. That's pretty damn ridiculous...... Almost as ridiculous as the stater that was in front of me the other day when I was driving home from Portland and he was only doing 30mph on the fast lane so no one could pass........... Oh, he was driving a rear wheel drive charger, so he thought he knew better than everyone else what their "basic rule" should be. Again, you don't know how to drive in the stuff: STAY HOME!!!!

 

[transittech]

Yeah, I HATE chains. Did that once, NEVER doing it again. Winter tires from now on, huge difference b/w a good winter (with studs) and all season tires.

 

[Member 5605]

07 Honda Pilot AWD (front always, kicks in rear when needed) is doing just fine on this stuff with street tires.

Sure I'll engage the VTM-4 lock and posi front and rear to have a little fun but does fine going around and about.

 

[notazombie]

Got stuck at a light last night. Turned green and the Ford Escape in front of me just bounced off the rev limiter until they got a little forward motion. Had chains on the rear. Too bad it wasn't AWD.

 

[JRuby]

Just found a rollover on the other side of the road. Had to call the county sheriff. A 20 year old rolled his jacked up jeep off a 10 foot embankment. Luckily all that was hurt was pride and the jeep.
Life's teaching moments.

 

[notazombie]

Glad everyone was okay.

 

[filsonhand]

I will never be without a Suburban. 6500# of real 4WD will get you anywhere you have to go. I have yet to have to put chains on my 2000 3/4 ton Suburban, even on packed snow with an inch of ice on top.

Nice.....
I'm rolling a 01 Burb 2500

I load it up with kids and Wifey and go for it, gets me where we need to go

 

[bsa1917hunter]

My '04 GMC 1500 4x4 does a whole lot better than my wife's '99 suburban. Same exact tires even. The G80 gov loc helps in the pickup though. Wish the burb had one...

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Our Suburban got my son to the ER when the ambulances weren't running due to ice.

 

[bsa1917hunter]

Don't get me wrong, my wife and I loved our suburban, but the '05 Honda pilot actually does better in the slick stuff so we let the burb go and kept the pilot.... Her car, her choice...

 

[notazombie]

Got stuck at a light last night. Turned green and the Ford Escape in front of me just bounced off the rev limiter until they got a little forward motion. Had chains on the rear. Too bad it wasn't AWD.

To be clear, I wasn't the one who got stuck at the light. My cars aren't great in snow/ice so they stay parked (know your limitations). I've been driving my wife's AWD Venza and have been extremely impressed with its ability to get around. It must have better than 7" ground clearance because it's not leaving any marks between the ruts and that's what I measured the depth to be in my driveway. No studs or chains (yet), just decent tires. I've found reasonable speed and trying not to completely stop goes a long ways.

 

[Ura-Ki]

I always get a laugh at the idiots in the big 4X4s that have no traction devices or snow rated tires, bombing down the road like the kings they think they are! Especially fun when here is a hill or just a rise and to see them spin or screw it all up! I always marvel at the stupidity of these guys, they are the ones rolled over in the ditch or stuck the farthest off the road! I have my old Jeep Wagoneer with a serious big block, but I also have real old school icebreaker chains ( illegal in most states) and I am locked up in the rear and have a tight posi in the front! I have Zero problems getting around! Believe it or not, it's actually harder to drive on the slick stuff with the posi because both the front wheels are trying to run at the same speed, so turning is a challenge! I usually just turn the wheel and tap the gas, and she goes around corners ok! The wife has a Volvo V70 XC and it has a pretty good AWD system! It all ways cracks me up seeing guys chain up the rear end of a 4X4!!! The whole point of having a 4X4 is the advantage of traction, so why ham string your self and give up steering?
Another one is adding weight to the back end, falsely believing that pickups are "Light in the azz" WRONG!!! Adding weight helps, but the claim that they are some how light is incorrect! ever removed the bed on a pickup? I can tell you that there is far more metal in the bed then the cab and front end! Best snow car I ever had was the old Mercedes benz 300 Super Diesel, that car with studs on all four corners was a frickin tank!!!

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

That's because those big 36's are essentially big sleds. If you plan on driving in the snow, tires with alot less surface area is the way to go.

yep thats why it gets parked when it snows

 

[jbett98]

When I was a kid you got off the hill while sledding when a car attempted to come up it.
Sounds simple doesn't it, but not for the clueless Portland Millennial's.
They just stand there in the middle of the road as you try to reach the top and kills your forward momentum.
You must then back down and give it another go, all the while they stare at you and wonder why you've hit the horn in frustration.

 

[aflineman]

I love my old AWD Rav4 and 4WD Tercel for the snow and ice. Tercel just chugs along until the snow gets to deep. Rav4 is just fun. Good power to weight for the snow, and nimble when needed. Both cars have studded tires when needed.

 

[CHLChris]

Never heard of a 4WD Tercel...hmmm. Talking about those small Toyotas?

 

[FordPrefect]

Got stuck at a light last night. Turned green and the Ford Escape in front of me just bounced off the rev limiter until they got a little forward motion. Had chains on the rear. Too bad it wasn't AWD.

The other day on my way into work, I ended up on a nice patch of ice in the left turn lane. My Escape didn't have any problems taking off. No chains or studs. Just all weathers and a brain . Oh mine is an AWD too.

 

[notazombie]

The one last night probably would have been fine too if there was a brain involved. Not sure what the "polish the ice" strategy was all about.