How Did Your Rigs Do In the Storm?

[erudne]

Two lockable diffs in an old 4X4 and even 'moderate' mud-snow tires Plus 800 pounds on each axel will get the job done

 

[The Heretic]

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.

There is a button inside, but I forget the sequence of how to disable it and I have to open up the drivers manual to figure it out. Only did it once in 2008 when I was having problems getting out of the driveway up north during the 2008 Xmas snow storm.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

It works! When you get to the top of a snow covered hill and your brakes stink from slowing the spinning wheels to match the others. My 2500HD had a locker in the rear and open front and I had to get up a lot more speed to make it around the last uphill corner on their driveway. You could watch the TCS intervention on the dash going mad when I was stuck on the 2nd corner. Even hooked up to the 4WD quad I didn't carry enough forward momentum to make it up the hill.

 

[Stomper]

I drove my E-Class home Thursday evening from Clackamas to South of Wilsonville with nary a problem... traction control, and anti-lock brakes. Them Germans know how to seriously engineer a car to handle winter driving conditions, you just have to drive appropriately for the situation... Something called, "the basic rule".

Like Burt said earlier, it's the soccer mom/schmucks driving like its a summer day that you usually have to worry about, so I left the E-Class parked for the duration after I got home and drove the '04 Suburban, and rarely engaged the fronts except to start from a stop on an incline.

I'd cry a whole LOT less if the 'Burb got wracked-up rather than the E-Class.

 

[erudne]

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.

Really?
I have NEVER had that happen to me, but then I've only been driving them for 22 years. OH, and BTW, I don't end-up in ditches, and I don't use chains unless I'm going past 3000 feet (no Troopies here to say otherwise)

 

[powermad]

The problem with a locked diff in slick conditions is that it has a tendency to make the rig go sideways when you take off or give it to much throttle.
My old K5 with a spool in the back was horrible in that regard. Even more so if it was off camber a bit.
I will never have a spool in a 4X4 again after wheeling that for a few years.
Blasting up the dunes was kinda cool when it's crabbing sidways.
Trying to keep from going over a cliff and inching closer and closer was not cool at all.
Had to drag the rig sideways a few times with a comealong more than a few times. Or have someone push it while I tried to go forward.
Most damage to the rig was from bouncing off trees and such from that.
Even in low range and low (SM465 trans) would make it do it. I was "stuck" more times than I can remember from that. Not buried to the axles just not able to go forward, only sideways unless it was up against something.
I came to the conclusion that selectable lockers is the only way to fly unless it's a race car.
The POS Mustang I used to have, had a tight posi and would do the same thing.
Wet roads on take off would almost sideswipe the guy next to me if I didn't watch it.
Of course the 88 HP 4 cyl probably had something to do with that.
Went down the St. Johns bridge sideways during one ice storm because of it with a semi behind me.
Luckily I was pointed in the right direction and just blipped the throttle to keep moving when I got to the bottom.
It didn't take much to make that POS swap ends on dry pavement though.
Hands down the worst car I ever had the displeasure to drive, but it was free.

 

[fatamos33]

My truck (07 silverado 1500 classic)did great. I was excited to see how it would handle in the snow. I had never had a truck as a DD before. I got it mid December and sold my scion tc. That was the best decision of my life haha.

 

[erudne]

meh

 

[erudne]

good to hear

 

[gryghin]

I have a '96 Suburban 1500 4x4 that is our big trip/storm vehicle. It's been paid off for a long time and every time we think about buying a new vehicle we think about how great she's been for us. I'll probably keep her until she gives up the ghost. We've had 230K miles and still going strong with minimal upkeep so that is a great ROI.

This storm, I didn't even put chains on all 4 tires, only the front 2. I had to go rescue my nephew from school Thursday when they had a bus mix up and then later on went into the city from Beaverton going over Cornell the back way bypassing all the traffic on 26 to rescue my wife. She had the Acura and was thinking about driving, when I told her I already had the truck out and was helping get people where they needed to be.

 

[erudne]

#1 Rule of Manhood:
Gryghin!
Shushi all round!
OR:
woman whc did you not tell me MY Daughter was In Peril?
Bow and xplain
Deploy Katana as needed

 

[gallogiro]

Jeep Cherokee XJ did pretty good. Seemed to do a lot better in 4hi. I tried 4lo but there was too much wheel spin. I didn't chain up since I only traveled a few miles to the store twice. Not much experience in snow, but common sense would tell you to maintain moderate speeds and avoid breaking too fast. I still noticed people tailgating though.

Just to add, people amaze me. When we had the freezing rain right afterwards, I saw some kids playing in snow on the side of a busy road WITH adults "supervising". One suburban tail-spun real bad right after he passed the kids.

 

[Burt Gummer]

I've always wanted a Toyota LandCruiser FJ60 or FJ62, even when I had an FJ Cruiser.

The FJ60/62 is probably the most durable, capable 4x4 ever built. Of course the power and mileage suck, but that is not what they are for (my FJ Cruiser also had laughable gas mileage for a 6 cyl, 6 spd)

About five years ago someone had a perfect condition 55k miles FJ60 for sale in Lake Oswego. It sold for $10k. I was just a few minutes too late getting there .

There aren't many vehicles you could have bought in the 80s and sold for more than you paid for it in 2014 (outside of exotics). Great snow vehicles.

<broken link removed>

 

[BAMCIS]

The many Subaru's on this thread explains some things I didn't understand until now.

 

[gallogiro]

I've always wanted a Toyota LandCruiser FJ60 or FJ62, even when I had an FJ Cruiser.

The FJ60/62 is probably the most durable, capable 4x4 ever built. Of course the power and mileage suck, but that is not what they are for (my FJ Cruiser also had laughable gas mileage for a 6 cyl, 6 spd)

About five years ago someone had a perfect condition 55k miles FJ60 for sale in Lake Oswego. It sold for $10k. I was just a few minutes too late getting there .

There aren't many vehicles you could have bought in the 80s and sold for more than you paid for it in 2014 (outside of exotics). Great snow vehicles.

<broken link removed>

There was a guy I would often see driving a diesel FJ. That was a sweet looking ride.

 

[mjn]

'03 Ford F350 crew diesel SB. Works awesome.
'09 Audi A4 Avant quattro. Unbelieveable. Wifes driver.
'98 Ford Explorer...(80K on the clock) does great... I think. Hasn't left the garage in weeks.

 

[JohnnyD]

The few times I went out I swear 75% of the cars on the road were Subaru. Best snow goer I've driven

 

[TOVO]

My DHL drivers van didn't do so well as he got stuck on the front lawn. With all the snow he thought he know where my driveway was. Not. Out Ford Expedition could not pull him out. Had to get my neibors tractor


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[clambo]

Really?
I have NEVER had that happen to me, but then I've only been driving them for 22 years. OH, and BTW, I don't end-up in ditches, and I don't use chains unless I'm going past 3000 feet (no Troopies here to say otherwise)

Good for you. So the OSP does not ascend past 3000 ft. In The Dalles?

 

[sobe911]

Subaru Impreza w/ M+S rated tires. Nothing special, I had no problems though. One of the days, I helped a jeep get unstuck