How Did Your Rigs Do In the Storm?

[clearconscience]

I used to have a 2005 ford explorer and had snow tires that rig would drive in snow and packed like it was dry pavement.
I now have a 2009 ford escape which i have been pretty disappointed in, but I have to say with AWD and just newer tires I had no problem getting around. Drove around friday, saturday, and sunday.

Of course my wife's family lives in ohio that get seceral feet of snow every year and drive civics with bald tires through it.
They make fun of us none stop with winter "storms" like this that shut down the city

 

[Navman]

I drive a Dodge 3500 4 x 4 with studs all around

Wife drives an MDX with studless snow tires

We stayed home watching the news to see who will be in the Body Shop when it passes....

 

[trainsktg]

Drove up to Mt. Hood from Scappoose on Friday and back again on Sunday. My Wrangler had no problems.

Keith

 

[Certaindeaf]

I used to have a 2005 ford explorer and had snow tires that rig would drive in snow and packed like it was dry pavement.
I now have a 2009 ford escape which i have been pretty disappointed in, but I have to say with AWD and just newer tires I had no problem getting around. Drove around friday, saturday, and sunday.

Of course my wife's family lives in ohio that get seceral feet of snow every year and drive civics with bald tires through it.
They make fun of us none stop with winter "storms" like this that shut down the city

But Ohio is flatter than Kansas. lol

 

[orygun]

My old 2wd toyota did just fine as did the wifes little corolla, it's amazing what a difference growing up in real snow country can do for your driving ability.

Practice and patience makes a huge difference. A friend of mine was complaining that her Nissan ExTerra sucked in the snow, even with studs, but she can hardly drive on dry pavement!.

 

[powermad]

I parked the Corrolla and drove the 91 Cruiser.
Hands down the most stable rig I have driven in the snow.
Even the cheap AT tires with about 40% tread did pretty well.
Made it to work and back Thursday and Friday and back to work on Saturday.
Then the freezing rain started and I scrounged around the shop for some cast off semi chains.
Cut some down and strapped em on the back while it was in the warm dry shop.
I only needed them to get up a couple hills but I am getting to damn old to be throwing iron when it's nasty out like that. I can drive on ice and have done it, but see no need to be sliding off the road or idling all the way home.
While everyone else was either spun out or going 2 MPH, I was in the unbroken white stuff moving right along.
Much easier to start up a big hill from a stop and just motor up without all the drama.
It did take a couple of tries to get it to stay put in the driveway though. Kept sliding down to the street.

 

[The Heretic]

I drove my car yesterday.

2WD/RWD low slung foreign coupe.

The traction control was a bit maddening at times.

It works by cutting power and braking a spinning traction wheel.

When you are going up a hill and the tire spins a bit, it can be frustrating as the vehicle becomes a dog just at the point where you need some momentum.

I got out to the public roads, but there were a few spots before then where it was a little iffy.

It rained real good last night so I should have no problems today.

 

[chariot13]

I drove my car yesterday.

2WD/RWD low slung foreign coupe.

The traction control was a bit maddening at times.

It works by cutting power and braking a spinning traction wheel.

When you are going up a hill and the tire spins a bit, it can be frustrating as the vehicle becomes a dog just at the point where you need some momentum.

I got out to the public roads, but there were a few spots before then where it was a little iffy.

It rained real good last night so I should have no problems today.

Those are the most annoying types of traction control and they really make driving and getting somewhere in the snow/ice much worse in my opinion. You can disable them very easily. A lot of times there's an electrical plug sensor on your brake reservoir, just unplug it. On some makes/models this also shuts off the abs but on other models it will only shut off the traction control. Look up whatever make/model you have on the net to find out if yours disables your abs along with traction control. I unplugged mine but it was after it started enacting traction control on dry pavement, every time I took off from a stop, found out it needed a new sensor and the yaw recalibrated which Toyota charges $700 to do. And I really had no need for traction control, I didn't grow up driving with it and it definitely didn't make things safer. Otherwise the only way to shut off traction control was after you went into 4wd you could push the button for vsc off but that button only works while in 4wd.

 

[Martini_Up]

if you only have one set, I would put your chains on the front tires of your 4x4, not the rear. On ice when you turn your wheel, the vehicle will have better probability that it go the way you're turning instead of the rear wheels driving it a way you don't want to go.

Some owners manuals will say rear wheels due to clearance issues.

This is a great subject to argue about too. Kind of like chili with or without beans and load your 30 rounds mags full or download to 28/29, haha!!

 

[powermad]

Yeah I realized that about 100 yds from the shop.
Had to use the e-brake to slow down to be able to steer.
Once I got home I planned on swapping them if I needed to go somewhere.
But short of needing to go to the ER to get something sewn back on I wasn't going anywhere.
Lucky for us this stuff doesn't last but a day or so and I don't chain up until absolutely necessary.
Last time I chained up was in 03 or 04 when we had that real bad one and then I chained all 4 corners.

 

[clambo]

Got an old Power Wagon w/Locker Diff in back. Horrible fuel mileage in 4x4 but it works great

hehe lockers + snow/ice = 360° spins OR exceptional driving technique. For me its usually the former. No more full time lockers for me. Next truck will be electric or air operated locker. I prefer open diffs in snow/ice and lockers to get out of the inevitable ditch.

 

[Nickb]

For slippery roads I drive my Chevy. For deep snow I drive my toyota, locked front and rear... It really sucks on slippery roads.

 

[01rednavigator]

My 2001 Lincoln Navigator did pretty good for having really crappy tires. I live on a hill and it had no problem going up it, I did slide sideways for a couple of feet down my hill when I was trying to back out of my driveway but once I was on flat ground it did great. I could not hit the gas to fast or go around corners very fast cause of the bald tires but if I had new tires I would have no problem.

The Navigator is a tank in the snow with the 4x4, and in low it is a beast. One cool feature about my navigator is that it has air ride suspension and when you switch on the 4 wheel drive the air suspension will raise it an extra 3-4 inches for more ground clearance.

Anyone have a good recommendation for a good AT tire that is good in the summer to? I do not want anything to aggressive but I do want something better than a street tire.

Here are some pics of the Navigator in the snow and yes I did clear it off before I drove it.

 

[Joe Link]

Mine did great.

1996 Toyota Land Cruiser
246,xxx Miles
Factory Front & Rear Lockers(locked the rear)
3" Old Man Emu Lift
33" BFG M/T KM2's (suck for snow)

I love it.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

My wife's Subaru Legacy Outback did great! In fact, it did as well as my Dodge Dakota w/ V8, 4X4 and aggressive all weather tires.

 

[308]

My wife's Saburu Legacy Outback did great! In fact, it did as well as my Dodge Dakota w/ V8, 4X4 and aggressive all weather tires.

I loved my Subaru Outback. It was better in the snow and ice than our new Tacoma.

Anyone need a set of Bilzaks mounted on steel wheels? 5 on 100mm if I remember correctly...had them on the Subaru.

 

[Mark-60]

Scooby doo here too. '05 Outback.



My '86 MR2 didn't leave the driveway. It's horrible in the snow.

 

[erudne]

The Dalles was beautiful today, 2" of snow down to the river bank, brilliant sun and temps in the 40's!

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

11 GMC Yukon Denali (AWD) did great until I attempted my parent's driveway (very steep grade, paved). It does better than my previous 2500HD 4WD duramax did in 4WD with mud tires. I think AWD is the way to go now. If you don't have a computer modulating how much power to which wheel it just leads to wheelspin. Fun, but you don't go anywhere.
I think a Scooby WRX with blizzak tires would probably go about anywhere provided you didn't go offroad (like snow over the hood deep).

 

[Redcap]

11 GMC Yukon Denali (AWD) did great until I attempted my parent's driveway (very steep grade, paved). It does better than my previous 2500HD 4WD duramax did in 4WD with mud tires. I think AWD is the way to go now. If you don't have a computer modulating how much power to which wheel it just leads to wheelspin. Fun, but you don't go anywhere.
I think a Scooby WRX with blizzak tires would probably go about anywhere provided you didn't go offroad (like snow over the hood deep).