Deep snow traveling

In case it needs to be said, 4wLo isn't any good either. To low of a gear just ditch digs.

The real question isn't what you can drive through, it's how good are you at recovery if/when things come to a stop

 

Snowflake is not as important. That just means the tire company wanted to pay the $$$$$$$ to get the snowflake symbol. Siping, and even better additional custom siping, makes all the difference as you know I'm sure.
A long time ago i got some tires extra siped and they were amazing! Too bad they only lasted about 10K miles lol.

 

I've got to disagree with both of these things. In 4hi you'll either overheat your transmission or thrash your clutch. I've experienced both these symptoms, they're not hearsay.

The recovery? If you were driving right you would never need it. Step one is learn finesse and don't get stuck. Of course, you'll never learn not to get stuck without getting stuck a few times.

 

The only issue I've ever had in snow is when it can be compacted enough that it gets slicker than snot, almost slid off a mountain because of that.

 

I've started carrying chains for that situation.

 

Like everyone’s saying, depends on the snow. Fresh snow is a lot easier to go through than old crusty stuff.

If it comes to it, chains and the rear end lock=damn near unstoppable, from my experience.

A good buddy or a good shove are always nice to have though.

 

2" !!! LOL.

OP go for some snow tires maybe 255s or 265s

 

Yeah that's another reason to not get the pizza cutters, the weight. Each one of the 267/75/16 DM-V2s are 6 pounds lighter than each 235/85/16 W965

 

@Danno1985

You're both talking about two different tools for two different tasks. Deep snow calls for pizza cutters aired to low single digits, and everything else calls for c rated and stuff. It's not a discussion about what's better, it's about learning your own needs and building from there.

 

How so? The nature of of 4lo is more torque and shorter gears. Your transmission is working twice as much or you're clutching twice as much because of out running the gears speed range.

Not to mention Toyota flat out backs 4x4 hi use off dry pavement up to 60mph, which I don't encourage, but you're certainly not hitting that in +8" of snow.

And driving with finess? My original statement is to go as fast and as deep as you can bail yourself out of. So if you can't finess and off camber snow corner and push through and off the trail, then you shouldn't do it unless you're willing to accept the possible outcomes.

Personally I drive a stick. I'm mostly 2nd gear 4hi the whole time. Sometimes up or down 1. Can't say I really have to clutch all that often.

 

"siped" means extra rubber "removed" (cut out) from the wear area, right?

 

Its little tiny grooves cut into the tread that contacts the road. More tiny grooves equal better traction on slick snow and ice. Good snow tires have a lot more siping than regular tires. The downside is the tire will wear pretty fast on dry roads.

 

Not exactly:
Let's say you are driving in deep snow in 4hi and the snow's depth is causing you to operate at near max torque output to the wheels. This is going to heat up the transmission pretty quick. Speed has nothing to do with it because in these conditions, you are just trying to move forward at any speed and you will be going slow.
So now you stop and shift to 4lo. What happens? You now have a lot more torque output to the wheels. If you continue at the same speed you were going in 4hi, (slow) then this will greatly reduce the load on the transmission and engine and allow it to run at normal temps. That's the condition when you would use 4lo in deep snow. You also have to use finesse here because with that additional torque available, the possibility of spinning is much greater.

Now, if you are going through just a few inches then of course leave it in 4hi. But, if you are trying to get back to civilization through 30" of snow you better know what tools are available and how to use those tools, that includes 4lo.
Using a locker in deep snow is, to me, the very last thing i would do. I would have to be stuck before i would use the locker as a last resort. If you use the locker before you get stuck, that locker could be the cause of you getting stuck!

To recap, unless you are trying to go twice as fast in 4lo as you were going in 4hi, you will have more output torque with less effort from the transmission and engine.
If you are driving through a snow drift for 20 feet you can "bust" through it, however if you are driving several miles through deep snow, you definitely need to use the technique described above or you will overtemp the transmission and be stuck.

 

You peak at the higher rpm range more often with 4lo more than you do with 4hi due to the shorter gear range. That alone causes excessive movement with auto tranny and more clutching with standards. Especially with my standard I want to be in gear as long as possible. The load has to do with being in the right gear, not just which drive you're in. 2nd gear 4hi give you both range and the ability to keep it high enough in the rpm range to make the work easier for the truck. Unless I'm making contact with something solid under the snow or a few other specific scenarios, I'm using the Smoother torque of 4hi to keep my momentum than I am the too fast torque of 4lo.

Driving styles aside, yes, I'm with you to do what you need in your situation to make the work easiest for the truck, ie higher rpm and mechanical advantage.

 

yeah it’s all good. It’s talk like this that helps us figure out what our needs are

 

3rd shift too @hiPSI ? Haha

 

You are missing a few fundamental comcepts as i outlined above. Going through a deep snow you will only be going 10-15 mph. That is plenty slow for 4lo to be at a comfortable rpm.
In 4lo, you basically have 2X torque from gearing at 1/2 speed.
Bottom line, every situation is different. If you are developing enough torque to go through the snow in 2nd and 4hi, you don't need the additional torque that 4lo will give you. If, you were in 2nd in 4hi and were bogging down and had to shift to 1st at a high rpm to continue, you have the option of using 4lo and going back to 2nd gear or 3rd gear again for example.

 

No i have a conference call with Germany and China in 15 minutes lol. When this happens, i just stay up and go to bed after the call. Then go in late.

 

Hardly the case. We both identified the importance of mechanical advantage through gearing, and rpm in relationship to torque strain on the truck. I don't disagree with anything you said on that last post.

Unfortunately I think it's just too broad of a question for a blanket answer give the variety of conditions people are in.

So let me amend my statement. Make the work easy for your truck and make sure you select your range with a specific intent in mind. Don't automatically go to one or another because well hell, it's 4wd.

Ps you getting snow like we are? Just showing up on our doorstep and we've got 12-18" coming with another potential Nor'easter potentially Monday . Guess my Sunday drive this weekend will have a few miles shortened off it haha.

 

I live 15 minutes from a ski resort. We always get snow lol. See ya.