I keep getting stuck in the snow

I live in Wisconsin and it snows here. The snow will sometimes drift 2-3 feet over my driveway (which is on a pretty good slope). If I just try and giv'er, sometimes the truck will just ride up on top of the snow and all 4 wheels will just be kissing the ground, so I have no traction. Then I have to go and get the tractor and blah blah blah. How can I get my suspension to droop more? I have the Toytec Coilover 3" with rear AAL. I've only raised the front about 1 1/2" until I can get new UCA's. Did this susp. upgrade give me more flex or not. Please help, it's cold outside and the tractor does not have a heater. Thanks!

 

So what you're telling us....You're trying to drive through 2-3 foot deep snow?

Even if you had more droop in your suspension - doesn't mean you'll have traction. You need WEIGHT on any given wheel to give you traction. If you're truck is plowing ontop of the snow and you are basically high centered on that snow..... the suspension is just dangling there. Not only that...but you're trying to pull a 4000lb+ vehicle PLUS you're trying to move another 1000lbs of snow along with it....

Not to sound like a smart ass (sorry, I apologize), but why don't you get the tractor out and plow the snow off the driveway first?

 

There's a poster here, tommigunn as well as some others who wheel pretty good in deep snow, maybe finding that thread will help give ideas.

As far as punching it up hill to make it through a 3 ft drift, hmmmm, no ideas other than an orange snow fence to prevent the drifting.

I just about ripped my catalytic converter off my old 4WD toyota truck once punching through a 3ft snowbank at the end of a long driveway. Luckily it hung on by the last thread at the flange! That ended my punching through bank days.

edit: Janster's idea is pretty good too.

 

What you said makes sense, if the susp. is just dangling there, even if the tires were touching I would only have the weight of the tires/wheels/etc. trying to push the truck. It's just that sometimes if I am gone all day and it's very windy, the snow can drift a lot during 8 hrs. My driveway is about a thousand feet long and uphill to the house. I plow it if needed before I leave but sometimes that doesn't matter. I guess I just need much more weight. I saw a doughnut thread somewhere, maybe I'll try that.

 

I also live in WI and I have 7 bags of the the sand in a tube and they have worked great for me. Boss thought I had a 4x4 which I don't but now that when it snows I am the first one he calls. Great for my paycheck but not good when everyone else is stuck in my alley. Grant you I don't try to go thru 3 feet of snow drifts.

 

You sound like you've been there done that. I tried the drift fence but the deer just run right through it.

 

Chains?

 

I'll try the sand, sounds like a good idea. By the way, I'm new here (WI), so I'm learning as I go.

 

Chains are illegal in the state of WI.

Where in WI are ya???? I love the Carolinas. Told the wife that is where we are moving when I retire.....6 more years baby....I hope

 

Yes, no chains in Wisconsin. I run 5 bags of sand in the winter and don't have any problems. If you are running the stock tires i.e. Rugged Fails you may want to look at something else, because they aren't very good tires for Winter driving.

 

Not to drive with just for really bad days when he can't get out of the driveway.....

 

In Fond du Lac, about an hour north of Milwaukee. I moved here from Charlotte, NC. I miss the weather but not the crowds, Charlotte seems like it's shoulder to shoulder wherever you go now. If I had to move back I would try to head to the mountains or the beach. Here's hoping for a quick six years for you!

 

Thanks

 

I don't think these truck are made to go through big snow drifts/plies. Just ask LonghornTaco

 

I think you're right, it just bugs me when I see my wife get through it in her Land Rover and she's looking at me with that "what's so special about your truck again?" look. Her car has to weigh as much as a tank though.

 

I am in North West michigan, I have no problems at all.. I hate the stock tires on my taco, but they are not doing bad..

 

I had a Dodge Ram for 3 years and I tried going through a 2' deep mound of crap at the end of my driveway (you know, the stuff the plow leaves you after you plow the driveway and clean everything up). I thought...."hmm, this truck is big enough to plow through there" I was actually backing out of my driveway. The rear-end got up & over it, but the front end SANK down in it as soon as it hit the top! Stuck....
I rocked it back-n-forth and finally got out of it.
Never under-estimate even the smallest amount of snow.
I had ice/snow packed in my wheels and didn't realize it until I got on the highway and the steering wheel shaked so violently.

Just be careful plowing through stuff like that... as someone already mentioned, it'll rip up your underside if you're not careful.

 

Yeah you're right, the last thing I want is having to pull it out only to find I've made a high dollar mistake. I'm running bfg AT's and they seem to do well with traction, they still don't clear out well after going through that sticky snow so I have to be careful not to gun it as soon as I'm on dry pavement or I'll end up in the ditch.