Driving in snow 2wd

Working late and my truck is covered in snow. Drive through Charlotte was slow and steady.Only hairy situation was leaving lot and my tires not getting traction. Up hill exit in 2WD not great. Way too many vehicles on side of the interstate. Stay safe out there.

 

I hope you cleared all that snow off your truck before driving.

 

2 things you can do to help gain traction: fill the bed with snow for extra weight and air down the tires. I dropped my pressures today to 19f, 15r just to get out of my icy, twisty, hilly driveway. I have a significantly harder time at full tire pressure.

 

I did clear all that snow. I used my snow gloves and a cane to clear top of my truck. Sat a while with heater on. I did put some bags of fertilizer in my bed. Hoped the camper shell added weight would of helped.

 

Does your truck have limited slip?

 

No. It is a California truck. Didn’t need a 4x4 then. It is first time in Carolinas where I had to drive in snow. Been here ten years and first time I have said I wish I had 4x4.

 

I plan to get a set of winter tires

You must have decent tires if you made it home in that. I’m in central Va and plan to get blizzacks for next winter- same truck as yours

 

I drove in Minnesota for years with only a 2 wheel drive truck. Nothing you can't get used to doing. Be light-footed and trying to anticipate stoplight changes, you know red to green, you get good at it. You sometimes piss people off behind you, but you get used to it.
Even some FWD cars with wide tires struggle in the snow. Wide tires may look nice but in snowy icy conditions, they have their limits.
Now I sure like the option of having 4H when things get slippery. I just have to keep reminding myself I still can't stop any faster.

 

There are very few situations in snow where lowering the pressures will help. You're losing ground clearance and contact patch in the center.

 

I was following a live stream of the storm. 4x4 is good in a lot of situations but nothing is great in ice. Glad you made it safely.

 

I would think you would lose psi as the contact patch would be larger. I know of cases where light small cars with narrow tires have better traction in the snow than mid to full-size cars with wider tyres.

 

The tire deforms when you air down. That's great for mud and rock where you need the tire to deform around obstacles or float, but snow is different. In deep snow it may be good but most of the time you're just starting to lose contact in the center of the tire which is not great for normal driving on the road, even in snowy conditions.

 

Common sense, experience and snow tires mounted on all 4 corners even with a 2WD have served me fine over the years. Always turn on the LSD, which turns off the dreaded traction control. It helps a lot.

I use Firestone WinterForce mounted on my OE steelies.

 

It is the outside edges of the tires that do the work in snow/ice, not the center. Airing down does help in snow. You don't have to go as low as you would off road, but just enough to make the tires softer

 

Looks like a mere dusting to me lol

 

Do you have any problems getting up inclines? I’m getting ready to order a set of alloys and blizzacks for my 5 lug access cab from tire rack ($950 for whole set mounted). There a a couple hills I gotta get up on my commute which changes the game a little

 

Nope....at least with the inclines I deal with. Make sure to turn on the LSD if equipped. Winter tires make a huge difference vs all season or all terrain. And I say that from personal experience over the years.

 

ok thanks. Do you add any weight to the bed?

 

Never have.

I commute 50 miles a day to work. So getting there safely is important. That's why I have winter tires. It just makes for a more capable and secure vehicle....especially as a 2WD.

Just recently made the 25 mile journey home in 9" of snow. I took the back roads because of some accidents on the highway. I was moving effortlessly where other 2WD pickups were seriously struggling....or even off the road stuck.

 

That’s good for hear. A little hesitant to drop a grand and it still not do well I’m the snow. Or trade it and get a 4wd truck or a Subaru - but I’m in central VA where it’s usually not too bad. But ice was an issue this week