First time in the snow with my Taco...Yikes!!!

Go take your truck to a parking lot or some barren place and play with it in the snow. Hang the back end out. Do some doughnuts. Play with the brakes. You've never driven a rear wheel drive before. Learn its characteristics in a safe place. (Watch out for curbs and speedbumps and lamp-posts.) This will make you a better driver.

Front wheel drives are no fun in the snow/wet. They track too straight. Driving sideways is fun and educational.

For daily winter driving, as mentioned, weight in the bed. Use 4WD if things are sketchy. Winter tires are designed for snow and ice. All-seasons are not.

 

^^^^^ Seriously this. I'm in NE Ohio and get the same lake effect (wet snow) I struggled last year with the dunflops even with weight. Got new tires this fall WORLD! of difference. Literally any tire you pick that isn't a supermilage/highway, Is better than the dunlops (i realize your sport has duellers). I just installed toyo at 2's but the cooper at/3's in p-rating are a very reasonably priced tire that has gotten pretty good reviews.
EDIT: no longer referencing post above me..

 

Thanks for all the tips guys, much appreciated.

 

GET THOSE HANKOOKS!!!!! they work pretty well...you have traction control, and you are spinning out? You'd love my traction control-less 08 base model....lololol. Weight in the bed, slow deliberate acceleration, deceleration and turning. You'll be alright....those stock tires are your problem. Happy motoring and stay safe!

 

+100 on above.
Once all is sorted out just remember 4x4 helps you go but not stop... overconfidence bites back HARD!
We got our first real dump here last week and I counted at least six 4x4 trucks stuffed into the back of other vehicles... fortunately most were Dodges.

 

Drive fast and take chances. If you're not sideways you're doing it wrong.

 

When the roads are icy neither a Cooper AT3 nor a Dueller HT is going to provide great traction. You need to put weight in your bed, use 4x4 and drive to the conditions. AT tires will primarily improve your off road traction, not your traction on ice/slippery concrete so much. If slippery roads and sub-zero temps are your concern get yourself a second set of tires that are strictly designed for winter.


Running Bridgestone Blizzak's and Toyo GSI5's in winter has allowed me to run 2wd in some relatively nasty road conditions.

 

I agree with the weight in the bed. You don't want this to happen. Had to get a new door, new wheel, and all new steering components on passenger side all because of an icy highway

 

My truck had the same Dueller H/T's that the dealer had put on when I purchased the truck. Those things spun out even in the rain really easily. We don't get much snow but I have a set of blizzaks for winter that work great.

 

ya. a light weight 2wd truck with no weight in the bed and H/T tires is just going to suck in the snow. no harm in popping it into 4wd if you are sliding around. you have it, use it. throw some sand bags back there if you aren't totally comfortable driving it yet. It will behave differently than a fwd scion thats for sure.

 

What's a good amount of weight to add to the bed?? I want enough to get better traction but not so much weight it negatively effects mpg or anything.

 

hmmm. id recon 4 50lb sand bags wedged in right over the axle would be alright.
I dont use sand bags or add weight with this truck though so im not sure. but thats what I had in my last truck a couple years ago, that was 2wd btw.

 

200lbs works good

And put a bag of kitty litter back there for emergency traction

 

100-300lbs is more than plenty...its up to you...just dob't compromise to much space

 

x2 Oz knows some things...you can tell he spreds his wisdom just look at that post count.

 

I live in northern NH and I've got to say that I'm impressed with the Cooper A/T 3's they have been really good in slush and on ice so far. Definitely get yourself some good snow tires whatever you do. Try www.tirerack.com. Their site has really good specs, pictures and user reviews.

 

I have 2 x 18kg (50lbs) bags of sand over the back wheels.

Brought them into the house to thaw last week... dampened them down a bit and let them freeze into the box groves to stop lateral slide. Add a couple of lines to the cargo tie-downs and your GTG.

IMO... Shifting weight can be as hairy as no weight at all.

 

You could also let some air out of the tires. Makes a huge difference in traction.

 

No kidding about the overconfidence. Whenever there is a snow storm here, most the autos in the ditches are Trucks.

 

well,i havent read ever page of this post but if this is a redundent reply,sorry.
the first thing i did when i got mine new was change tires,i didnt like the idea of that but past expirence tells me every new vehicle i ever got only got around 30k outta the stock tires anyway....i went with duratrcs and am now on my third set of four,i wont use any others.i get around 45k outta a set and they still have useable tread but i want safety so ichange them when their about 3/8"left.
my problem with my truck is all the safety stuff built into it that took me a season to learn how and when to control what it did.the traction control on/off-tractional control button held in for three second(sr5) the bells that would ding when it slid,the anti lock brakes not stopping me on snow covered hills that put me in several ditches...i aint saying take risks,but that stuff dont help me,maybe millions of others......second year of ownership my wife started using truck when snows came and i didnt need it to get to work---again i found myself trying to explain to her what to do to turn safety stuff off,so i went the easy route and just pulled the antilock fuse---the instrument cluster lite up like xmas tree and stayed that way till i replaced the fus in the spring.
this year i have done the yellow wire mod,and also the gray wire mod with a inline switch---now i just flick the switch and go,the wife also understand that simple fix to what my problems were.
i have a couple hundred pound dog box in the bed for the hunting dogs and have travelled from pa to maine in 4 wheel drive for hundreds of miles at a time at highway spped and have had 100% confidence in my tacoma(as long as the safety stuff is off)