Fishtailing tacoma in the snow

A lot. I live on a mountain road and have been amazed over years how well my truck in 2 wd but with weight, has enough traction in snow to not even engage 4 wd.

 

Let me recount what happened two weeks ago. I have to drive up a mile then down a mile over a winding dirt road to my house. When going down, it was so slippery with ice, the truck began to lose control. I immediately put the shift lever in neutral and jumped on the brakes. I literally, stood on them all the way to my house was able to steer till I got to my drive.
Abs amazes me every time I use it. I always have the option of throwing the truck in gear in 4 wd , jumping on the brakes and locking all four wheels. But, the trees and three foot ditches are too unforgiving. I always choose the abs option.

 

You would’ve had the exact same ABS response with the truck in gear, in 2hi or in 4hi when standing on the brakes...

 

If you don’t deal with snow option, it’s not an easy decision to commit to snow tires. That’s why I look for year round ATs with the snow flake to at least give us a fighting chance. Mud dedicated tires just lack the sipes.

 

My experience is different. The locked 4 wd will not let the brakes front and rear spin at different rates ANYWHERE near as easily. Braking in 2 wd ( rwd) on glare ice is deadly. The rear end kicks out. I’ve been doing snow removal and plowing roads and businesses for decades. The electronic aids work for me. Maybe I’m a wuss. But so far, it’s never failed me.
My tractor requires chains because it has no aids and no provision to free wheel. Neither does my side by side. Without chains or electronic aids, they are suicide.

 

Thanks.
I was looking at the K02's supposedly OK in the snow for an AT. I will look at grabbers.

 

Yup, definitely gonna do AT this time around.

 

One neighbor plows his access road with AT tires. But, he chains up when it’s really slippery. That’s a good option. He’s done it so much, he gets them on quickly. But, they need practice before it’s necessary.

 

Grabbers are a good all around option according to Tire Rack.

 

You know honestly, I should see if my old chains fit. That's a good alternative to infrequent snow. Just sucks having to put chains on when that's half the reason I converted my truck

 

Unless you plow I see little need to do anything but keep the chains for the apocalypse. There’re plenty of decent tires to fit the bill if you keep weight back there as well.

 

Stopping the wheels and stopping the vehicle are 2 completely different things. Locking up 4 wheels on ice or other slick surfaces is not how you stop

 

Exactly. Hockey players make a living by creating a water layer between their ice skates and the ice. That can happen when you lock the wheels too. Forget your complete loss of steerage when wheels are locked.

 

No kidding I am not claiming that locking up the brakes on all four wheels is the fastest way to stop on ice.

My truck has ABS. The ABS kicks in both in 2WD and in 4WD.

My truck doesn't have AWD mode or traction control. It has 2HI, 4HI and 4LO.

On ice, I come to a stop significantly faster in 4WD. I suspect that is because 4WD changes the brake bias, but I can't prove it.
Gollee!

 

100 posts later and all I can think about is when I was little and Mom in her '67 Buick Electra with studded snow tires and ONE driven rear wheel never got stuck in the worst Illinois snow and got us to school through some pretty icy deep stuff.
Makes me think about all the folks who might even be in here dealing with really bad snow and ice with vehicles with all-season tires and front wheel drive. LOL

 

This thread needs to be locked. There's so much shitty 'information' and bad theory in here that the useful actual info is lost in the noise and it's gotten to the point that it will cause dangerous situations in the real world.

 

Arguably true. Anyone who reads SouthernYoder's post #69 will do fine though.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DteNa0dL5F4

 

It doesn't take much snow on I-8 in San Diego County to cause problems. It was amazing how many people got into accidents or drove off the road from what little snow was there. At elevations over 5,000 feet there was actually a decent amount of snow and not many drivers on the county roads.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeNOrCtAOcY

 

I always dreaded the first couple snows of the year. Non stop accidents until people remembered how to drive in the winter. I remember getting called off the lot early to relieve day shift and working nothing but accidents for 10 hours straight, no break, no lunch, in a 1 mile section of road. My entire shift was spent in the middle of Converse avenue. To say my patience was all used up at the end of the day was putting it lightly.

"I don't know what happened, I have 4wd!" :Rolleyes:

Now I live in Florida. If it ever Fridays here I'm not leaving the house. People here can't drive on dry ground.