Winter Drivers & Weight

[Capita]

Originally Posted by Colton

Now do you put it in 2HI or 4HI in the snow?

Usually 4hi. I only use 4low when in really serious conditions like snow up past the bumper

[Bassetdad]

Was this a poll for Prerunners? Rain / Snow do not bother 4x4's

[newfie8]

Oddly enough i just got back from the beach and got a couple hundred pounds of sand.lol. I used winter tires last winter but still found myself constantly having to put the truck in four wheel drive to get out of every driveway and it got on my nerves alot so this year I'm studding my winter tires and using the sand bags. Remember the beds of these trucks are plastic and don't have any weight to them. And plus i'm from Newfoundland and winters are hell here.

[DdayIsNear]

i can see with a 2dr or access cab maybe needing weight, but with the dbl cab sb, i dont see it being an issue. i mean, i find it hard to spin the rear wheels as it is...

[Capita]

Welcome fellow Newfie! Studded tires do help a lot for our winters. I agree they are hell, don't look foward to it at all

[08TRDOFFROAD]

Originally Posted by thestrangebrew

I have zero experience driving in the snow, but I have a wedding to go to in December in Tahoe. I've got 4x4, but I'm more concerned about my tires. I've got the Rugged Trails with about 25k on them and in dirt alone it was pretty slippery. Anyone else running these tires and have experience in the snow.

They suck, I had mine on last winter with only about 17k on them, couldn't make it up the local canyon in 4lo locked with the Rugged Fails! Worst tire I have ever had!

I am now running BFG A/T Ko's, awesome tire!!! Yet to have a problem with getting stuck!

[Rich Beauregard]

I have driven my 06 4x4 Dbl Cab long bed sport in the snow without any added weight and it drove fine. (I did have good tires) When they call for a decent amount of snow, I do like to keep a Large Rubbermaid Container in the bed (Caged in the bed extender) I put Salt/Sodium Chloride in it because it seems to be easy for me to shovel my walks and scoop it from the container. I usually put 3-4 50lb bags in there. I just slide it out into my garage when not needed. (Don't like to waste gas)

[briangp]

I know I wouldn't have any issues now with the tires I run, but I watched my wife plow through 10 miles of 12-14" unplowed snow with stock tires and no weight.... no problems. You'll be just fine without.

[fatty ac1d]

Originally Posted by thestrangebrew

I have zero experience driving in the snow, but I have a wedding to go to in December in Tahoe. I've got 4x4, but I'm more concerned about my tires. I've got the Rugged Trails with about 25k on them and in dirt alone it was pretty slippery. Anyone else running these tires and have experience in the snow.

I had about 23K or 24K on my Rugged Fails when we had a 14" blizzard here. I didn't even go out until a couple days after it snowed and melted a little. Even then it still sucked.

If the snow is powdery I don't have any trouble, but as soon as it gets packed and icy I'll have some trouble even in 4wd. I couldn't imagine what would happen if we had hills around here. I almost have 30K on them now and I am desperately trying to get enough money for some tires before winter. Don't think it's gonna happen.

[VixTacom]

4X4 and No weight...
Yay sliding around in 4WD

[MTgirl]

I always keep a couple of sand tubes in the bed once the snow flys. anything to avoid that moment when you realize that the rear end of your truck is trying to pass the front end...

in my town the sight of a plow truck clearing the roads is almost nonexistant so we are all on our own. it doesnt help that the majority of the population here thinks its okay to drive at 90mph on black ice with cruise control on. some days, in town, i'll drive around in 4x just in case i need to get out of some idiots way in a hurry. its not that im worried that my truck cant handle the road, its that someone else cant.

[briangp]

Originally Posted by MTgirl

I always keep a couple of sand tubes in the bed once the snow flys. anything to avoid that moment when you realize that the rear end of your truck is trying to pass the front end...

in my town the sight of a plow truck clearing the roads is almost nonexistant so we are all on our own. it doesnt help that the majority of the population here thinks its okay to drive at 90mph on black ice with cruise control on. some days, in town, i'll drive around in 4x just in case i need to get out of some idiots way in a hurry. its not that im worried that my truck cant handle the road, its that someone else cant.

You remind me of my snow packed I-80 trip across wyoming with 60-80 mph side winds while triples would pass me on the left, only to see them in a ditch a mile down the road from me. I suppose that would be ONE TIME I wished I had more weight in the back of the truck. I almost lost it twice at 40 mph.

[GAS]

Originally Posted by dorifuto

I made it to Oregon last Christmas with a cab full of people, a bed full of stuff and a tank full of gas plus chains and recovery gear. I had prolly close to 600 lbs in the bed plus the weight of fuel and ppl in the cab so I had plenty of weight on the tires in the snow.

I just made sure to always have my recovery gear, chains, and a full tank of 91 octane when ever I drove in the snow. I never let the tank get below 3/4 full cuz I needed that weight.

not below 3/4 tank????? you must be filling up every hour. sounds a little over board to me, but good on ya.

[paintdiddy]

my truck is always loaded with a shit load of tools for work.all year every year

[zuter]

Nothing in the back for weight, but then thats why I bought a 4x4.

However I do put on snow tires in the winter - living in the Great White North. I only use the 4x4 feature when it's really slick, like getting going from a stop - maybe 10 % of the time the rest is 2x4 driving, hence the snow tires...can't beat 'em!

Snow tires will do alot better than any added weight using either 2x4 or 4x4. That and taking your time during winter driving makes it easy to get around!

[brandob9]

Originally Posted by Bassetdad

Was this a poll for Prerunners? Rain / Snow do not bother 4x4's

Hah. In 4Hi, no, they don't. In 2Hi, the DC LB has so little going for it in rain with the Duncraps.

[Danosabre]

I'll prolly put 120lbs in the bed and go from there.

[oakleyTRD]

last winter in Nebraska I kept 200 lbs of sand in the bed and used 4hi around town alot of the time

[NMG]

No weight for me, other than the snow that would accumulate in the box (which I do tend to shovel out multiple times per year). I also rarely use 4WD in the winter. I'll use it at intersections that are glazed down, in REALLY deep snow and perhaps on the highway if it hasn't been plowed and conditions are really bad, but other than that, it's generally 2WD for me.

As goofy as it sounds, I actually find that keeping it in 2WD gives me a better idea as to what the road conditions are and I'll then adjust my driving accordingly. For example, if I'm on the highway I'll tend to only go as fast as I would be comfortable driving in 2WD. Same for around town. If it's too slick for a given speed in 2WD, then I'm not going to pop it into 4WD and go that speed just because I "can".

Like one of the other posters said, I tend to rely on 4WD more as a system for getting me out or through problem situations. I don't think I've ever used 4 Lo in the winter, other than one time when we had a dump of snow that was up to the top of the front bumper on my old F-150. That was a crazy amount of wet snow though so it was justified. I usually use 4 Lo for pulling my boat out of the lake when the launches are questionable, going through mud at slow speed, etc.

[frozen_taco]

Up here I dont put anything in the back and do pretty well, I just keep it in 4wd for about 7 months, works great.