4x4 Snow Question

I did !

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=240015

 

VSC sucks balls in snow , so does the ABS system on these trucks

 

This for sure...but then again Bozeman winters are a bit rougher than Jersey winters...lol.

 

Actually Subaru AWD is very very good. Its different then most other cars. Its constant and its Limited Slip instead of blant bias based or blant clutched.
Thats what makes Subaru one of the best AWD's out there and no 4x4 pickup can match that.

 

This is the truth.

 

My opinion too. What we really need is a VSC system that sends a mild electrical stimulation, say 150,000 volts, through the genitals of the driver when wheel slippage is sensed. Now that would get statestical results

 

There is already a thread on this and for on road driving its skinny tires.

 

Sarcasm not detected ^^

 

Then they should not be on the road.... Driving is privilege and not a right.

Long time ago when I was getting my driver license on the top of usual driving and theory test, I had to pass test from winter driving, maneuvering car in reverse over predefined course, and pass mechanical knowledge test which required me to check fluid levels, tire pressure, safety devices (reflective triangle, fire extinguisher etc)
That is how it should be...

 

In my 2wd I had the michelin ltx m/s2 and 3 bags of gravel and 3 bags of sand. The bags where always behind the axle.

With that setup I had no need for 2wd in Park City, UT. The thing was a driving machine. It was just the perfect traction/weight to make it a sweet snow drifter.

So this just goes to show good tires and some weight and you might not need 4wd until the snow gets way deeper.

 

I wouldn't put the weight behind the rear tires for a couple reasons. First and foremost, it unweights the front end and it's more important to be able to stop and turn than it is to accelerate. Second is, in the event of an emergency stop, all that weight is going to come crashing in to the front of the bed (if you're lucky) or through the back window (if you're unlucky). Either way, I firmly believe the proper placement for added weight in a pickup is at the front of the bed and secured.

I couldn't agree more about good tires making a HUGE difference though.

 

I agree the ABS SUCKS in the slick stuff. But, a 4wd truck is not exactly light. Still, I don't like our ABS - it seems to me that it disconnects braking altogether when detecting wheel slide.

The VSC saved my dumb ass once so I give it props. I couldn't stop in time to avoid a wreck in the winter but the VSC allowed me a 90 degree turn away from the scene (and up a guy's very long driveway ).

Amazingly, my 2005 Saturn Vue AWD was the best all-weather car I have ever driven. It went and stopped great in the snow and ice.

 

I see what you did there.

 

The ABS system INCREASES stopping distance when on snow

 

FTFY

 

Toyota manual says not to engage the 4WD drive over 60+ MPH, however it is fine to use it over that if it is already engaged. (At least for my 2012)

I keep my truck in 4WD all winter up here, as the roads always have at least a thin sheet of ice. If there are patches of dry pavement, you will feel if you are doing drive train damage in 4WD because you can't mistake the popping shudder if you're binding your diffs.

Aside from keeping in 4WD, most of the time I disengage the TRAC in town as well (but leave it on for highway driving). It's useful to keep you from fishtailing from a stop, but if you are trying to make a turn and find out its covered in glare ice, giving a little gas will help you make the turn. The times I have forgotten to take the track of in town... It's a bad feeling when you step on the gas through a turn and you keep going straight because the motor cut power (especially up here where people add extra lanes in the winter when the road lines are covered up ). Working in the fire department for six years I have seen just as many people get into accidents because they were afraid to use the skinny pedal in the snow and immediately slam on the brakes. In snow and ice, the accelerater is just as important as the brakes and will almost always give you more control in it. That said, I do not want to get anyone hurt, and if you floor your truck with the TRAC of, you will probably end up facing the wrong way an icy road.

It's been said in earlier posts, learn what the power control systems in your truck do and how they feel and react in different conditions. They are only useful tools if you learn their drawbacks too.

$.02

 

Good to know.

 

Hey it was a smiley face not a sarcastic smiley.

Sometimes my sarcastimeter does not work.