Snow Driving Tips and Techniques

Technically it does improve stopping performance since all 4 wheels are mechanically coupled together which results in a distribution of excess braking torque that would otherwise saturate and lock up a single wheel. Having said that, it's still paramount to avoid wheels locking up and brake carefully.

 

Stay away from people, especially Subaru and Jeep drivers. LoL In all seriousness, slow it down and maintain your distance. If someone is coming up behind you fast, if you can, change lanes and let them go. Watch ahead of you and always be ready to stop. I also have a plan of action if I have to avoid an accident. I’d rather dump onto the shoulder or grass or bushes and suffer scratches than hit someone else and then be hit. Last night it took me an extra hour to get home. Kept in in 4H and about 45 with no problems.

 

Put it in 4hi and hit the gas.....(good tires help immensely)

 

There’s something magical that happens between the throttle and the wheels in the 3rd gen in the snow. Full tank of gas and some weight in the back. Have good tires. Stay off the ice.

 

Just to clarify. The throttle response in the Tacoma is brilliant. You can learn to use this truck like a tool in the snow (provided correct equipment and realistic worldly conditions). It’s not a clumsy rig at all but still maintains truck character. Purpose built. Big fan.

 

My tire chains arrived. I put them on while the truck was sitting in the driveway. I wanted to make sure the chains fit and that I knew how to put them on and take them off. It would suck to be out in the snow trying to figure out how to install the chains for the first time. It would suck even more if the chains didn't fit.

[Edit: I'm running the stock 265/70R16 tires.]

I bought these chains:

TireChain.com 3810 265/75R-16, 265/75-16 LT VBAR Tire Chains, priced per pair.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H1NX1SB/
and these tensioners:

TireChain.com 39225 Truck SUV Spider Tensioner Tightener Bungee Tire Chains

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DWP2P82/

We had to change our plans to go to Crater Lake NP. From the park's website (https://www.nps.gov/crla/planyourvisit/conditions.htm):

"Winter road closures are currently in effect. The park's North Entrance Road, Rim Drive, and Pinnacles Road are closed to automobiles. ... Food, gas, lodging, and campgrounds are not available in the park right now."​

Now we're looking at Canyonlands NP or Capitol Reef NP.

 

If you see something interesting, post some photos if you can!

 

Loved visiting both of those in winter
My profile pic is canyonlands (white rim road full loop) at end of December in light snow and freeze. (somehow I go where it gets cold in the winter, and go to where its hot in the summer... really dont like crowds I guess)
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/truck-camping-photo-thread.407866/page-262#post-22521267

 

Didn't read all 7 pages so I am sure this has been said already.

Slow moments and actions.
Slow braking, slow accelerating, slow turning.

Locked tires don't have traction so sometimes the braking is bad.

Practice. Practice.

I have out driven many 4wd people in the past with a fwd civic. Slow and steady.

 

ABS is for stomp and steer in the snow or low traction, they won't lock up. From Canada with lots of experience in the snow.

 

Ha! I do that too. Last year I spent February at my daughter's house in Alaska and the summer at home in the desert.

 

I grew up out west where they'd just throw down some sand at intersections. I usually put on a set of chains when it snowed to get to work. Now in the midwest, our roads are so heavily salted that I try and stay off of them when they're wet to avoid the salt bath.

 

I live in the south and people here can't drive in the rain, much less snow. Typically, if snow is predicted, everything just shuts down so people have never really had to learn how to drive on snow. We are also at the foothills of the Appalachians so everything is hills and valleys and no amount of driving skill can defeat basic physics. I spent 18 months in Germany, while in the military, and snow is just part of life 6 months of the year so it's no big deal. Amazing how people's perspective and life skills can be vastly different based simply on where they live.

 

growing up in Midcoast Maine, I see all types of weather.. snow, sleet, freezing rain, ice storms, I've driven with a 2wd Honda accord through a blizzard for 3 hours to get up to bangor, stopping every 20 minutes to bash the ice off the wipers/windshield (yes defrost was on full blast windshield only). I've also had plenty of experience with AWD, and 4x4 vehicles.

know your vehicles grip limits, and how it will react in a slide, on ice, or in snow.. each consistancy in snow will be different...

2wd_ decent tires all seasons (expect them to slip), wheel speed is your friend when slippery conditions (hills or slight inclines - momentum is required, you have to judge the speed you need to clear a hill, but not too fast that you lose control and crash, or wind up in/on a snowbank/ditch). 2wd is ok through 1-4 inches of snow, expect to add time to your driving/travel..

AWD, more capable, you can push through deeper snow, getting started at traffic lights is WAY better, but you are in a light vehicle, likely with all season road tires.. grip can be limited, so speed to clear a hill may be necessary depending on road conditions (ice, or snow on top of ice), limit on a decent AWD such as subaru, or a crossover is around 8-12inches on the road.. past that you need some better tires, and/or a plow unless its light fluffy snow that doesnt pack into ice..

4x4 as deep as your lift, and tires can handle.. extra weight may be advisable to give more traction to drive wheels on a truck/SUV ( I typicaly run with 200lbs (tube sand)or so in the front of the bed of my tacoma, and I run a snow rated tire (currently goodyear duratracs- they do excellent in snow, not so great on ice, but there are few tires that do well on ice.) recently did a trip into the north maine woods during a snowstorm, roads had ice/snow from a week or so before 1-3 inches plowed, and iced over, and the snowstorm dropped about 6 inches on our trip (fun as hell).. wheel speed can be your friend, but can also get you in trouble if you don't know how your vehicle will react...

tires: street tires vs AT vs MT

some guys prefer to run a road biased tire... depending on the snow type it will pack up the treads, and turn your tire into a spinfest of go nowhere fast... more agressive tread designs will help

some prefer a AT for road manners and fuel mileage, noise... most AT treads do well they are able to clear the packed snow, and at higher wheel speeds, they clear, and grip snow well, tend to perform poorly once worn down near the wear bars )shoudl replace soon).

some prefer MT's. they do well they grip, and clear large amounts of fluffy snow.. the large lugs allow them to clear the treads, and take another scoop at the snow in front of the tire. however... due to the large tread blocks, and typically non-existent tread sipping they do poorly on packed snow/ice.


studs... I have never had a vehicle with them... I have had dedicated snow tires blizzacks (these are an awesome snow tire), however studded snows are only allowed from October 1st to May 1st they make a god awful clicking noise on dry pavement, and do not offer much more traction (they act as a pressure point, and crack the surface of the ice allowing the tire sipping to grip, the studs themselves dont do the gripping action), cost money to get studded, and honestly I have never run them on any vehicle I have ever owned..

 

We ended up going to Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, camping at Canyonlands. The campground at Arches was closed. There was a little bit of snow here and there where it was in the shade all day, but the snow that got sunlight had all melted. The roads were clear and dry. The mornings got down to 21–25ºF (-6–-4ºC). Fortunately, the only ice we saw was a little frost on the truck.

I want to thank everyone that commented and left snow driving tips. We didn't hit snow this trip, but we might on future trips.

 

Fully disengage traction control (long-press while stopped), set to 2Hi, press right pedal.

 

As a NH native, I agree fully!

 

For the future, easy on the brake and the gas and nice easy steering wheel inputs. Yes a tire rolling at 1-3 mph has more control over a tire locked up. Lowering tire pressure can help, during winter here in the mountains, I run my pressures around 28, normally around 35.

As a kid growing up Chicago, my dad would take me to empty parking lots during the winter to teach car control on the snow and ice. First time I put chains on a car was around 14, yes chains can make a big difference.

 

I grew up in snow country and I can’t emphasize enough how much my dad taught me about driving in the snow by whipping around in empty parking lots in our old T100. It’s hard to pull out of drifts (slides) without a little bit of gas. Granted this was in an old rig that didn’t cut power. In my third gen if I’m in snow I disable all “helpers” unless I’m straight highway driving in snow conditions. Also, a good pair of light brown glasses will save you from snow glare without making the outside too dark. I use them in heavy rainstorms with sun out too.

 

this right here. Go out and find some snow and practice. Stay away from everyone. I watched a gypsy cab in nj 720 in front of me while it had passengers headed to Newark liberty, then Once I had the chance I mobbed by them in a Jetta. At about 25. 30 min drive took 2 hours. Got passed by a snowmobile on i 78. Then talked to the guy later at a friends house.