Driving a Manual in the Snow

Hey guys. I see the winter driving threads are coming at us like a blizzard. Thought I'd add to the list.

I'd like to hear from guys with Manual Transmissions who have tips or suggestions on how to drive safely in poor conditions. Essentially, what do you do differently on crappy roads that you wouldn't do normally? Things like downshifting for downhill stretches to make use of engine breaking so you don't have to use the brakes. Or is downshifting dangerous because it can cause a brief loss of traction as you let the clutch back out? That sort of thing.

 

Well when I had my standard, it was best for me to keep it in a low gear where it held the truck back a little. And 4WD of course. When the truck goes slow on it's own, it's a lot better than slamming on the brakes. Especially going down hills. Keep it slow in a low gear when it's icy and there's snow. Even though nothing will help with black ice.

 

I love my manual in the snow and ice. i find we have way more control than any automatic where i don't control the shift points.

At highway speeds i shift UP for lower RPM, rather than down ever. this keeps the torque low and keeps me from breaking the rear end loose.

I would never down shift for braking, as like you said, we'd break loose.

I find manuals endlessly provide better control over where you are in the power band, and thus total control over when and how you break loose.

I turn off traction control at low speeds in the city. then keep the truck in 3rd gear, so when i want, i can "brap" it, and have some fun. with me controlling the gears, i can stay right where i want on the torque curve.

I've had a lot of automatics and, (while none of them was a tacoma) those stupid transmissions bust loose easier at highway speeds than any manual trans i've ever had.

 

Agreed on a few parts.
When accelerating, it is better to use a higher gear as well. This will cause less wheel spin. Make your shifts a bit earlier than you normally would (lower RPM)
Just drive it!!! I've driven manual and Auto neither is better or worse, just different.

 

My taco is an automatic but my dd is a manual front wheel drive car. It's a bit different with front wheel drive but same principles.

-Starting in 2nd gear can aid in getting going better since you won't have as much torque as first gear

- always try to make smooth shifts and avoid drastic rpm changes when shifting because that will change your wheel speed quickly which isn't good on slick roads.

- as far as using the engine for braking on a downhill, I would rather us the brakes. When you use engine braking, you are only using the two drive wheels to slow you down. You use all four when you use your brakes so there wont be an uneven distribution of braking between all the wheel which will aid in maintaining control

 

I agree with this as well. Shift quicker. I remember doing that.

 

This is great guys, keep it coming.

 

Manaul or not.... avoid abruptness.... Abrupt braking...abrupt gas.... abrupt gear changes... abrupt turning.... Obviously, going slow...keeping momentum and giving yourself lots of room to slow down.

Consistency & Momentum

In 4WD always....when there's snow/ice on the roads.
When I had a manual, I'd keep lower gear & higher rpm's and utilize engine braking as much as possible. I'd give myself that much room to slow down that my brakes only got used up to 10 feet before the stop sign. When conditions are really bad, I'll slap it into 4Lo. I will avoid roads that are overly steep (you know the ones) but mostly to avoid everyone else. Everyone has a 'road' in town that constantly has accidents because people can't drive.

Offroading is a completely different animal.

 

This is an excellent review. I will just add that if I shift and start sliding, I put the clutch in which has straightened the truck out. Also, if you brake and start sliding, take your foot off the break. And as mentioned above, avoid abruptness.

 

The #1 rule is if you start to skid, turn "into" the skid. That means if the rear end skids to the left, turn the steering wheel to the left. If the rear end skids to the right, turn the steering wheel to the right.

Use the highest gear possible that doesn't make the engine shudder.

Don't make any sudden moves

Keep a lot of distance from other vehicles and don't drive in "packs."

Any time you have to change gears, use the least amount of throttle you can and let out the clutch smoothly.

If you're about to go down a hill, slow down and downshift before you hit it. I like to find a gear that gives me light engine braking but I still have to lightly ride the brakes the whole way down. Too much engine braking or too much pedal braking will make you lose traction.

Find a safe area to practice doing everything wrong and turning into skids. It's fun as shit and gives you a good feel for how your truck will react to poor traction. Then when there's foot of snow on the highway it will be less stressful and you'll be a safer driver.

If you're going off-road, remember all of the above and keep a set of chains in your truck.

 

Drop the clutch with the skinny pedal to the floor and say YEEHAW!

 

I had a 2wd taco on an 80mi stretch of black ice on I80 in Wyoming. It sucked. Broke loose and got sideways constantly. I always corrected it and kept going. The cop riding my ass wasn't so lucky. He met the ditch.

 

Is that why a half-inch of slush on the roads in Vegas shuts down the entire city?

 

They've covered it very well here. I'll comment on the "packs" ... This is I mportant and requires patience during busy traffic periods. As well as keeping space in front and behind, avoid running side by side on highways. I've hit a slick spot on the highway and had the rearend kick out, I was able regain control without losing it, but was straddling the dashed whitelines. Had someone been running in the lane beside me the outcome would have been entirely different. Avoid packs means keeping space around the vehicle giving you space and time to recover without hitting someone. My added two cents.

 

Everyone has said the most important stuff, but one thing that gets me annoyed is people who don't clean their windows. Just as important as anything else i find, otherwise you can't see what you're doing.

Please clean the windows appropriately!

Sorry, i know off topic from the "manual" question but i find very important as knowing your surroundings will help be in the right gear, etc.

 

Absolutely a worthwhile post...hate that peephole driving crap.

 

What? Like this?



One of my biggest pet peeves when driving in the snow.

 

Yea, probably. I've only had accidents in perfect driving conditions though.

 

Ha exactly; or the fogged/iced up windows. Pisses me right off.

 

You have to drive slighty slower than the flow of traffic, which requires a psychological adjustment that seems impossible to some people. Even my friend who has had multiple winter driving mishaps can't comprehend it no matter how many times I've told him to slow down.