2WD and Ice

4wd also sucks on ice.

Tires and driver experience are massively important.

 

Tires and weight in the truck bed allows me to keep from switching to and from 4hi until roads get pretty well covered. I'm still on stock OR tires and really don't have much issue at 26k miles. Keep about 100lbs strapped down over each tire when it's gonna snow that week. And yes I have driven in 4hi on dry pavement on straight roads. As long as you aren't turning and binding the wheels you're fine. Of course the 4wd police are gonna chime in and say ANY dry pavement and youre gonna grenade your diff. But use common sense and you'll be fine.

 

You can turn on auto-LSD by pressing the traction control button (only press it once, if you press and hold it completely turns of traction control). In my case auto-LSD prevents wheels spinning in 2wd unless both rear tires are completely on ice. If there is enough ice to keep both rear tires on ice, just use 4wd. You can also use 4wd on pavement as long as you don’t make sharp turns. It is mostly okay for soft turns (especially if the road is wet). Speed difference between front and rear drive shafts are considerably small if you are only driving through a curve or etc. if you feel any binding (difficulty to turn or move) it means the curve is too sharp.

 

I second the more weight comment. I carry 200 lbs of sand. TRD OR tires were OK. Coopers (can't remember what I had on 2016's: STT? AT3? RTX? ) were good on ice with 200 lbs of sand in the back.

200lbs of sand in the trunk of my grand marquis back in the days got me going on many an icy days in NY and PA, using whatever all seasons sears had on sale.

 

Anyone have any links to OE steel rims, the "cheap" ones that come on the SR? That way I can buy a set a studded snows and easily switch the rims and tires each fall and spring.

Also, won't those SR steel rims have a different sensor where my truck would need reprogrammed to accept the new rims?

I cannot just remove and replace like I used to on my older Chevy correct?

 

Snow tires make a huge difference because they are made of a compound that stays pliable in colder temperatures, not to mention the increased tread depth and siping.

I run snow tires and keep 200 lbs. in the bed, positioned over the rear axle. I can usually get around in Pittsburgh with no issues in the winter with this setup.

 

Tires, Tires, and Tires. Make all the difference.

 

decent tires, drive slow in slick conditions, and 350lbs or so of weight in the front of the bed of the truck.. NO CINDER BLOCKS, OR CONCRETE!!!! (no deadly projectiles!!!), and tie them down with a ratchet strap or tie them up as best you can (sand bags can freeze solid, even under a tonneau cover) the sand bags can also be opened to put down for a traction aid.

 

get a set of these, and your 2wd will do awesome in any winter/mud condition (mind you still a 2wd)

 

Is this your first truck? (It sounds like it) . The bed on trucks is so light that in 2wd they will always suck on ice. You need to make sure you have good tires (factory tires aren't good tires, they're whatever Toyota could get the best deal on that would work), add a bunch of extra weight (think about an SUV...for example a 4Runner. Very similar platform to the Tacoma, but the tow rating is ~500lbs less, that's because that weight is in the "SUV" part of it), and most importantly avoid wheel spin. Once you start to spin, you've lost any hope of moving.