First time in the snow with my Taco...Yikes!!!

Tires make all the difference. I went from a 2WD Ford Ranger with street tires to BFG all-terrains and that was a major improvement. Then I had a Mustang that had blizzaks for the winter that was way better than the ranger with A/Ts. Last winter with 4x4 and All-Terrains was the best yet. I have yet to test out my new duratracs in the snow, but I am assuming that will be even better.

Mustang GT I had on blizzaks in 4" plus icy.

http://youtu.be/1EH5CbW2ReU

The definition of mall crawling...in a mall parking lot!




Foxy my old Ranger

 

I am also in the NE and with such a light rear end i use 4 wheel drive even with 1" of fresh powder. Also running Duratracs, they are a great winter tire and all around great tire but you will sacrifice with some road noise and mpgs will also suffer slightly. Pretty much use the tools Toyota equiped the truck with.

 

This is my first 4WD vehicle. Our first snow is melting right now but I have some questions for the next batch. What snowy conditions are ideal for 4WD use? I have stock tires for the forseeable future, unfortunately. Thanks gentleman.

 

As long as it allows the wheels to slip a little is a perfectly acceptable time to use 4WD. You shouldn't use 4WD on dry pavement. The wheels need to slip to prevent binding.

 

That's what I have and love them. But the E rated tires suck fir daily use. My mpgs are alright at best, but other than that no complaints at all.

 

-Proper driving techniques are key. Only ways to get experience are going to a real driving school (Team O'Neil Rally School), or a lot of trial and error. Everyone mentions "Egg under the foot". Driving in the snow is about pre-planning - look ahead 1/4 mile or more to plan turns, hills, bridges, valleys, stops, schools, shops, oncoming vehicles, vehicles traveling in your lane..... yada yada yada. You look ahead that far because at 60mph, it may take that far to slow down on slick road conditions to a stop. Normal braking for the truck is about, 200 ft @ 60, Expect braking to be at least 3x the normal distance to stop - and don't rely on ABS, get used to threshold braking).

-Excellent tires are needed on any vehicle in the snow, FWD/AWD/4WD/RWD, doesn't matter, minimum of All-Season (M+S Snoflake rated), or dedicated Winter tires. Remember, AWD/4WD in the snow just get you dead faster - I say that because if you shouldn't be out driving (horrible conditions), you likely wont in a 2WD. You don't need to accelerate fast, but you do need to brake fast, that's where the vehicles have a level playing field. Look for a narrow tire patch (245/255), that increases surface pressure and allows you to cut down to harder packed or solid surfaces in the snow.

-Weight. This dose help, I don't do it often other than the typical gear I carry, and we get real winters in northern NH. A lot of people will put 200lbs of sand (or more) over the rear axles, this will help, I'm just too lazy to load/unload it all the time.

-Road conditions. Warm snow like last night makes a heavy, wet snow. This snow has a lower coefficient of friction compared to the light snow that falls when its 0 degrees. Be aware that it will take less acceleration/brake/steering input to break your "Traction Triangle". This will come through experience on the road. If the roads are freshly salted, you may have variable driving conditions (patches of slush followed by packed snow or ice), this is when driving gets scary as you no longer have a constant (snow/ice/wet/dry) pavement condition. Use extra caution in the transitional period from an unmaintained road to a maintained road.

Last night we had about 1.5" on the pavement, I was able to travel @ 50mph without issues in 2wd, but lets consider what I had going on.
-Proper driver training (former winter safety driving instructor)
-Brand new Cooper Discoverer A/T3
-No traffic between departure and destination (well, 2 or 3 cars over 15 miles)
-Unmaintained road (good traction)
-About 200lbs of gear in bed of truck + cap


Greg

 

Any temps close to freezing or below and put it in 4WD so the back end doesn't swing out. Do this with decent tires and your good to go. Adding weight in the box is fine but I've never done it.

 

As above, weight, new rubber, and above all practice. Find an empty, snow covered lot with little to no obstructions, and get a feel for how the truck handles.

 

Last winter, we had 6" of snow and secondary roads in South Carolina are rarely prepped by the highway dept......drive at your own risk kinda thing. The Taco did very well in 4WD, with Mud tires & 1K pounds in the bed. I can't wait for another chance to snow ride. Here's a pic......

 

1,000 lbs will buy you some traction!

 

ABS is not a mandated system in passenger vehicles in North America

 

I run a fiberglass company & put a scrap roll of it in the bed.....worked like a charm except when the forklift driver hit my tailgate & added a dent.

 

I have the stock HT's last night it was slick with some snow\slush and ice on the roads. I expected the ass end to kick out but when I was driving smart it did just fine. Wanted to test it out a bit to see how she reacted in the snow. I will definetely get dynapro atm's next but for now these bridgestones arent horrible. So far..lol 4wd I can say is awesome in this thing. Very happy with my tacoma. I also like having the 6 speed. I can regulate rpms better and get less wheel spin.

 

You must be from California. I also removed the black box (yes, it stores this information. It is stored in the ABS ECU under the dash in front of the shifter). You should turn me in to the black box police immediately. Do it for the children.


PS: I launch in 4wd on dry pavement all the time, with the rear locker on!

 

you'll need that set up living in the Hammer. sorry about the Ticats at the Grey Cup. it was nice having them here in Guelph. guess you'll be glad they're back next year.

 

I agree with what what Greg had said. You can have the best winter tires, all the assists on your truck possible. If you don't drive according to the road conditions it's not going to make a difference. Have dedicated winter tires(with tread), weight in the back, driving according to the conditions is going to keep you from crashing and out of the ditch. Using 4wd on snowy roads, at icy intersections is going to help you. The higher the speed(during crap weather and road conditions), the higher of the chance you're going to have an accident.

 

MAN i'm glad I live in Sunny So cal ..... Good Luck with the pick

 

Our snow here has been really really wet the last couple winters and these tires aren't cutting it. I like them for 90% of my driving but that other 10 is the reason I'm done with them come next summer. I'm going with the Cooper Discoverer ST MAXX in a 285.

 

Wow... Your a real bad ass aren't you? I'm not impressed.