Difference between 4x2 and 4x4 in the snow

Hi guys, I will be moving to Oklahoma for school and I just got a truck. I am from Southern California. My truck is a 4x2 Regular Cab Pre-Runner 5 Speed Manual. I heard it snows in Oklahoma and I was wondering if I can drive in that weather. Can 4x2 drive in those conditions? Did I make a mistake by buying a 4x2? At first, I knew nothing about cars so I just got the cheaper one, thinking it wouldn't make a difference. Thanks for the help!

 

Yes you can drive in snow. Your truck is rear wheel drive and light in the rear end, so it will fishtail easily- if you aren't careful. Adding weight (like sandbags or weights) to the bed can help that.

You won't be able to drive everywhere whenever you want if the snow gets deep- but you should be able to get around without too much issue.

Take it slow and pay attention to the changing weather, the people around you, and the task at hand and you will be fine.

 

Can't help you with anything beyond saying that there is a Huge difference between 4 x 2 and 4 x 4 in the snow.

 

For driving on the roads, etc. it's a non-issue. put some weight in the bed to keep the ass end planted to the street and you'll be good to go... also don't drive like an idiot... Remember, it's not the snow that kills ya... it's the ice.

If you are planning on driving off-road in the snow, then you'll start to have problems.

I have a 4x2 in Maryland... truck performed well this year on icy roads with the weight in the bed.

 

Night and day between 4X4 and 4x2 in snow if you are not careful. That being said, keep weight in the bed and you should be fine. Just be very careful taking off from a stand still and be easy on gas around turns.

 

With experience in driving in the snow, you'll learn the capabilities of the truck (and you). I have a 4x4, and I've used it once in the winter under regular circumstances. I use it when I an off roading of course, but I never use 4x4 on the roads, winter or summer. No need to.

 

Probably will only have trouble starting from a stop. We got quite a bit of snow this year and the only time I had to throw it into 4WD was at the occasional stop light/sign that I wasn't able to get moving on.

 

I lived in OK for a while when I first started shoeing horses and the whole time I was there it never REALLY snowed. It is more often rain, ice, and light snow so use good tires and some common sense, you'll be good.

 

Yeah like they said, you should be good if you take the right precautions. Yeah 4x4 is great in bad weather but people don't realize that a 4x4 "doesn't" brake any better then a 4x2 and that's what causes a lot of wrecks. Just dumb ignorant people I guess.

 

thanks so much for the help. sorry i am kind of new with cars. what is the reason for the weights(bags) in the bed? 4x2 means that there is only control in the front? are the bags used to keep the back tires pressed to the ground? do you know how much bags I need? Also, how much do they cost and where can I get them? thank you!

 

You don't have to use sand bags. Just whatever has some good weight to it and can stand the weather you are in.

 

The rear tires are the drive tires on the Taco 4x2....The sand is meant to weight those tires down and hold them to the road.

Depending on the severity of the weather....100-400lbs...You can usually get sand bags at local hardware stores....Throw them in the bed over the axel on bad weather days...and throw them in the garage when you don't need them.

And smart driving will take care of you for 99% of problems...

 

No worries. You put weight in the bed to help keep the ass end of the truck from getting loose. Without anything in the bed, the rear of the truck is very light. Your truck is a 4x2, and with that it is rear wheel drive. Putting the weight over the rear axle will help keep the tires on the ground.

I bought 3 bags of salt this year from Lowes - was 6 bucks a bag and they were 50 pounds each for a total of 150lbs. That seems to be the average weight from when I researched it.

 

4x2 means your truck is rear wheel drive. The eason for adding the weight in the back is that the rear of the truck is light and the added weight will aid the tires in getting traction.

 

Get good tires. Haha for us it's nothing to get 40+cm of snow per storm and we get a lot of storms. Personally I would never buy a 2wd truck as I keep my truck in 4x4 for the winter months. Get some good winter tires and be alert. Defensive driving is the key.

 

With a good set of snow tires, these trucks handle the snow like a champ. 4x4 is a nice luxury, but by no means a necessity. Just remember that driving in the snow & ice is the easy part. Stopping in the snow & ice is where 95% of the problems occur.

 

i have only had one issue with driving in snow and it was more the icey bottom lair of snow and the 14 inches of snow ontop of the 4 inches of ice and i only had like 50 lbs of ice melt ( should have grabbed a few more bags bfore i left work )in the back of my truck btu have had no other problems

 

thanks for all the help. now i know about the bags and i wanted to learn more about the technique about starting and stopping, since that seems to be the main problem. What is the correct way of starting and stopping? going out of first, is there a different or better way to start? also, how do you brake differently? I'm not so sure I understand these methods.

 

All your control inputs (steering, brakes, acceleration) must be slow and steady. Any fast turns, hard braking, or quick accelerations risk letting the rear end lose traction and spin.

Starting in 1st- Just nice slow application of gas and release of the clutch. Don't be in a rush for anything...Not the asshole honking behind you, not being late for something...Take your time and it'll work out.

Braking- Use engine braking as much as possible- Down shift and wait until you are going VERY slow before depressing the clutch and using the brakes. Slow smooth braking will prevent the front end from diving into the snow or piling snow up in front of your tires.

In real winter conditions- Slow and steady wins the race. If you rush and crash- you will be late or worse. Like has been said-thinking and being sensible should take care of you in most situations.

 

the bad part about having 4x2 in the snow is you won't be able to stop on a hill when the cars in front of you are sliding backwards while driving forwards down the hill and eventually into the ditch.
the WORST part about not having 4x4 is that after you stop alongside teir stuck car to ask them if they need any help and they tell you help is on the way, is not having the ability to mash the gas on the same hill they slid down and do a 4 wheel burnout all the way up it! HA HA HA LOVE DOING THAT!
oh and you won't be pulling anyone out of any ditches!