My first snow drive

A friend of mine in central PA used this technique with his foxbody on snowy hills:
- Put car in 2nd and pop the clutch,
- While tires are spinning as it idles in 2nd, hop out of the car & push @ the door/A-pilar area.

 

Not entirely true. My job is such that if you don't work, you don't get paid. As sole support for my young family, I almost never missed a day of work- certainly not for something as minor as 20" of snow. True story...

True, the number of people who think AWD/4x4 make them invincible and go "joyriding" during bad weather is a problem in our area.

First responders having to rescue the stranded jackass's endanger their lives and cost us taxpayers also.

Stay the fuck off the roads if you don't have to go out during bad weather.

Ok, rant over.

 

My dad taught me how to use traction control before it was invented. Riding the brakes slightly while accelerating reduces wheel spin. He even did it with our manual transmission cars. My take, drivers were better back then too.

 

We also consolidated and drove in fewer cars. The extra weight in the back helped traction, and we always had three people pushing going up hills with four in the car. The girls pushed too. We never went out in snow by ourselves. “Pushers”, the good kind, were invaluable.

 

I feel like if I need to put it in 4WD, I probably won't be going very fast. I generally keep it under 30 when in 4WD, RWD is generally fine for me otherwise.

 

You would have not slipped in a 1st gen. I had a 2018. It’s night and day. Back in 2012, a 1st gen pulled our company f150 from snow at the border of Colorado and Wyoming in the middle of no where. I saw what it could do and where it can go. Ever since then, I’ve always had one.

 

Please explain, I am interested in how this could be true...

 

I have a lot of buddies working in ND. We worked together in Colorado too. We all work off road. The best voted tire by the way from all of us trying a new set every two weeks and driving discount tire nuts is the Michelin Defender M+S. I hate the way it looks. But man, it’s legit in the snow and mud and regular driving. Not as good on gravel. But stop and goes better and you can stay 2wd if you like.

 

Shorter wheel base. Lighter. I drove both and still have both.

 

Because a first gen wouldn’t have ever made it past that semi.

 

The first gen in manual and stock is slightly faster than a 3rd gen automatic. Mine is super charged and definitely can pass anything it wants to.

 

Those two examples equate to worse performance on slick roads.

 

Been driving in inclement weather for 35 years. Never owned a 4WD.

Winter driving is 25% tires, 25% common sense, 25% skill and 25% experience.

 

Like I said. I have em both in my garage right now. A 2016 and a 2001 and drive them both the same day with same conditions.

 

So OP driving your truck, under the exact same circumstances wouldn't have skidded because of "shorter wheel base and lighter" .

Sounds like anecdotal evidence, but if you are sure.

More likely imo.

Too funny!

 

I have quite a bit of experience driving snow/ice covered highway. If it makes you feel any better @HdToys , I still get a bit of fishtailing going sometimes when switching from "rut to rut", or snow to no snow lane, etc like you were in the video. If not much plowing has been done, it's usually the RH lane gets worn down, so when you pass, you are going across the mound on the centerline, and changing surface conditions. Your vehicle is "half on, half off" of each type condition, and it makes you feel the need to oversteer.

I often drive a Camry in conditions like that and I just usually try to stay in the snow, not where it's been scrapped or compressed by vehicles. I get better traction and and stopping grip and the car (or truck) just tend to track straighter for me in a little bit deeper snow.

Just my experience.

 

oh, it’s a terminator and takes over with a mind of its own ?
Gotta have one.

 

I hear you. But like all winter conditons, everything is variable. Longer WB vehicles do tend to track better at higher speeds, but once you lose them, they are harder to get back. Shorter cars are twitcher, but at lower speeds, IMO, they correct much more easily.

 

And 25% “fugly.” Tires. Never saw a pretty tire that was worth s.h.i.t. In snow.