Prepping your Tacoma for Snow

I run around in 8-12 in of the shit (snow) because I live in a college town where only the main road gets plowed, the rest just pile up for days and days. Plus, being a college town you get to see every manner of vehicle attempt to drive in the snow and that is always hilarious. I work in a rural neighborhood near unincorporated Spokane and have to go up a massive never plowed hill that I can only get to from a dead stop. That said my little first gen just chuggs through it with 7 35-50lb bags of pea gravel (the varying weight to counteract Taco lean) and some balding Michelin LT tires. Never had any real issue getting around. Plus, I am the go to guy for pulling my over confident Jeep and Subaru friends out of various snow berms and drainage ditches. The only thing I plan to add this year is a shovel. I have chains but have never put them on, they seem like they don't really do to much beside wreck the road and tire.

 

This is why i love winter as bad as it sounds. I don't get as much snow, and they're good about plowing almost all the roads in my town, but watching the california kids driving in snow for the first time is priceless. ESPECIALLY the ken block wanna be's in their slammed Subaru's, think just cause they have a lot of horsepower and awd they're invincible

 

Also OP, I find one of the best investments is the anti-freeze windshield fluid, many people look over that, but I've thanked myself for mixing in the anti-freeze fluid in prior to cold weather

 

I don't do anything special. I've never had any trouble in the winter up here. As noted above, I sometimes have a snow shovel along with me, but that is mostly because of an elderly father and my wife's mother. I turned over 49,000 miles this fall and just put on new Firestone Destinations, so I guess that counts as preparation for this year.

 

Oh!
I almost forgot my Oh-fee-shall TW GB 30' x 7/8" ASR towrope.
I have so much junk in the back, I don't need to add weight.

Chains are the ultimate for harsh conditions.

But if you ever find yourself laying on your back some freezing night in a pile of slush trying to unwrap a snapped chain from around an axle, you'll find yourself cursing your parents for having met and produced you.

 

Meanwhile in Dallas, panic broke out...

 

Yeah, was gonna say that didn't look like a residential speed. Heh.

 

We had about an inch of snow yesterday (big whoop I know) but it reminded me to Fluid Film the frame. I'm going to pick up some windshield wiper fluid and check the pressure in my Duratracs. Other than that I don't plan on doing anything different.

We had several snow storms last year, one was near a foot and my truck did fine even though I had stock tires at the time (Rugged Trails). My topper gives me enough weight in the back.

 

That's why I carry some carpet in the tool box, among other things. I always fill my gas tank in snowy conditions. That little extra weight helps out, I've already got a bunch of crap in the bed for weight.

 

HOW AM I GOING TO GET TO WORK?!?!?!


But seriously, I think we should probably have defined what issues we were trying to solve in the original post. Driving in snow vs trying not to die on random patches of ice is two separate issues in my mind.

The issue of snow (aka, not getting stuck) is more dependent on 4WD and good tires.

Ice is a bit different. It's best just to drive slow and really keep a good eye on the road/terrain. Inevitably, you'll find some ice you didn't know was there and that's where shit starts to get real. At that point I think stopping is less of a concern (don't hit the brakes) and trying to keep the front of the truck pointed in the direction of travel is what you're likely worried about.

Living in Dallas, I'm not an expert on cold conditions but I am pretty well versed in the physics of sports cars. The principles of yaw control are pretty simple, keeping the weight near the center of the vehicle helps it rotate about it's axis easier. Keeping weight at the far corners of the vehicle will make it tougher to turn. Thus, if you wanted the vehicle to behave more like the titanic and less like a chicken, you should put sand bags or heavy objects at the rear corners of the bed since they are furthest from the center of the vehicle. This should keep the back end from stepping out so quickly. Sand is likely best because as someone else noted, you can use it to get un-stuck should that need arise.

Again, I don't live in Fargo so I don't drive in the stuff but hey, it's 26 degrees in Dallas if you can believe that!

 

I keep a blanket, hat, gloves in the cab. a shovel and a bucket of sand in the bed just incase.

 

Last year was my first year driving a truck in the winter. I did not add any weight to the rear just used 4WD and pushed my limits when I could. I was extremely impressed by the Taco's performance in the snow. There were times I was trying to see what it could do and tried forcing to slip and it just wasn't having it. Even took her on the highway in 6 inches of the fluffy stuff and had more control at higher speeds than any of the vehicles around me. I-84 scares me sometimes but that was one of my favorite drives to work. I wouldn't recommend trying this as in hindsight it might not have been the smartest way to test the Taco.

Now I'm up near Boston so let's see how it goes here. I think my biggest concern will be other drivers.

Good luck driving your Taco this winter.

Edit: I also keep a small shovel in the truck. It actually fits behind the rear seat. I also have a sleeping bag and a pillow.

 

I moved from Chicago to Charlotte - that all I did

 

I give it a good coat of wax and put the winter tires on it. I would have liked to go over the frame in the fall and sanded/painted any scratched areas to prevent rust, but winter came early this year and caught me off guard a little.

 

I think you're correct about the idiots in MA, especially if you're in the city..

 

There are two things that I se every year after the first couple snow storm.

1. Many drive like it was mid summer. Damn near re end you when you are stopped or skid all over when turning.

2. Many, of the suv and cross overs just love using the 4x4 mode so they can go so much faster - never realizing that they always had 4 wheel brakes that do much less in the snow.

 

He is from Mass. it snows there lots. Chains on the front?

 

At first I started to laugh since you are from Maine and usually you get buried much more than us (Mass). But with all the recent silly winters we have been having one area could get 2 feet but a few towns over barely get enough to plow.

 

Fluid Film

 

I am from Illinois, where it snows lots but it's flat, and live at 7500' in NM, where it snows metric f-tons, and it's not flat. Chains in the front work great on 4x4 pickups, if the truck can take 'em. Apparently, Gen 2 Tacomas with stock wheels cannot. Which makes me sad.