4wd questions & tips for slick roads

Hi, I recently purchased a '03 4wd automatic Tacoma (with only 88,000 miles on it!)

So it's winter over 50% of the time where I live. I went from a '88 hardbody manual Nissan pickup to the Tacoma, and I'm confused why it's sliding around like crazy. I have been driving cars/trucks in snow my whole life so I'm not just like hauling ass or anything. I already put 300lbs of sandbags in the bed to help traction (is this too much?) and have siped tires, but it's like I have to be in 4wd all the time for it to not get stuck/be sliding around everywhere.

My Nissan was manual lock hubs so I actually only used 4wd like twice a year. With sandbags in the bed it hardly ever fishtailed or slid even without siped/studded tires...

Here are my questions about the 4wd options on the Tacoma. I know it's not advised to be in 4wd on dry pavement. The issue I'm running into is there are icy patches then dry patches then icy etc. Is it worse to be switching in and out of 4wd (high) for these, or worse to keep it in 4wd the whole time?

I know turning is another issue with keeping it in 4wd. Is it actually bad for the truck or should you just try to take wider/slower turns? I understand turning can make it lock up and that's the last thing I want to happen.

ALSO is it bad to put it in and take it out of four-wheel-drive when the wheels are turned/the vehicle is stopped? With my old truck I had to make sure the wheels were straight before locking hubs. (I know there's 4wd high and low, that's a whole other beast I'm trying to learn...)
ie: If I'm stuck in a parking spot on ice or snow or both and put it in 4wd high is that bad?

I'm hoping for ANY advice on how to get this truck to be safer on icy/snowy roads. It's just crazy to me that with all that weight in the bed and the tires if I hit the SLIGHTEST icy/snowy patch I'm spinning out/fishtailing.

Thank you

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/4wd-max-speed.326566/

 

What tires are you running?

 

Any new vehicle is a learning Curve.

Your going from a manual to an automatic .

If I drove a automatic I would be upside down in the river first patch of ice again .

It might be a chance you see the ice you back off the throttle the transmission downshifts throwing you off track when your on the ice .

Not being there it is just a guess.

This is why I hate Automatics in the slippery conditions

 

Tires are probably the biggest variable here. Nothing will be great on ice without studs or chains, but some are better than others. Then there's the weight properties, but it sounds like you've covered that already.

 

A ginger pedal foot is the key. Not just when starting, but whenever you're about to reach a shift point. Either make sure it stays in the same gear or make sure the shift is as smooth as possible.

 

What size are the tires?

 

Are these actual winter tires? Not just an all season someone stuck a snowflake on?

 

Slow down. Accelerate slower than during dry conditions. Break gently.

 

Yeah I agree with the others, autos have to be driven different in slick scenarios. I live in snow country with lots of mountain passes and if it is really snowing I drive my truck with a manual. You probably dont even realize how often you feather the clutch in those situations. If I try and drive my Fj or Tundra, they slip all over as well as I am constantly on the brakes trying to keep my speed down. In my manual I just downshift while feathering the clutch and rear end doesnt even break free. Downshift my autos and the back end is going to try and pass you.

 

I drove for hundred of miles down the 395 (hwy here in CA that runs parallel to and through the Sierra Nevada Mountains) during winter a couple years ago, there was snow on the road most of the time and then patches of ice/snow and dry pavement on some stretches. I kept it in 4hi the whole time.

The no 4wd on pavement rule is especially important if you're going slow on dry pavement and making sharp turns, when you're moving on the highway and making gradual turns you really don't have to worry about it.

As for your traction issue in general, I would be looking at getting better tires. If it's winter 50% of the time where you are, you want some good winter rated tires

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld
Avoid tight turns on dry pavement in 4hi.
Shift 4hi to 2 hi as you please under 60mph.
Shift into 4lo only in park with AT.
Slow down
4WD DOES NOT IMPROVE BRAKING

 

Thanks for all the replies!

I'm not sure the size of the tires... I'm assuming standard size for a Tacoma? They don't seem huge?

I know 4wd doesn't improve braking. I do accelerate slowly and brake early, like I said I've been driving in winter my whole life. But yeah, going automatic is a big learning curve for me I guess *why did I let them talk me into an automatic*! I had a feeling this was part of the problem.

I definitely am trying to be conscious of not accelerating (or decelerating?) on icy patches, but like I do have to move the vehicle lol. It's especially difficult if I'm at a complete stop then try to get moving again on an ice patch. I barely touch the accelerator and the tires spin. Really wish I could have found a manual with the same milage.

I will look into studded tires I guess. I'm not sure if these tires are true winter tires, they are just siped. Siped tends to be better for ice I've heard but who knows. They are new and came with the vehicle so I wasn't even thinking of spending more money on new tires. Argh.


The question that I'm still not clear on: is it bad to engage 4wd if my tires are slightly rotated to the left or right? Not full turning but like 50% of a turn? ie if I'm backing out of the garage and can't get any traction can I engage 4wd if my front tires aren't parallel to the rear?

 

Ok to engage 4wd with wheel turned.stock tire size
265/70/R16
Came from factory with BF Goodrich ATs
KOs are known to be slippery
I'm running Goodyear Wrangler ATs and don't spin em, also MT so.

 

Most important tip is to drive at a reasonable speed.

 

What specific brand and model of tires?
Whats the date code on them?

 

... also how OLD are the tires ?

 

In winter driving, 4 lo is gonna be mostly reserved for when you were a little too ambitious in 4hi and find yourself a little stuck.
Other than that, 4lo you’ll use offroading where your in a difficult spot where you need max torque and Max control. I’m not sure you can get going much faster than 5 miles per hour in 4 lo so unless your getting un-stuck, or off roading, you’ll rarely see 4lo. I like to use it going downhill on trails, little to no braking, and lots of control. Edit but even still, it’s such a slow crawl, I’m mostly just in 4hi unles I’m trying to do some small feature on a trail.

 

You can definitely go faster than 5mph in 4lo, I regularly cruise in 4low/4th gear on the trails if I'm on a technical trail with a bit of an easy stretch. Can usually get up to around 20 mph or so. But I agree you shouldn't ever really need 4lo during regular winter driving unless you're trying to get out of a stuck situation

 

Ya I was definitely exaggerating, it just feels so weird when you in 4th gear and still barely moving hahaha