Tips for snow and the north please

That is typical of a 4WD, but not of a 2WD, they act differently.

 

Yes very true

 

Yup and 4x4 isn't all that per se. I mean, my 2 wheel Tacoma is better in snow than my 4x4 2006 Colorado was. I've owned mine since Oct 2012. Now look up how bad the MA winter 14-15 was..and I drove it every day in that

 

I will probably get a but I live in snow and they salt the hell out of the roads. I've owned dozens of vehicles in the 42 years of driving all while in heavy winters. I do not believe in undercoating. IMO, it causes more damage then without. I have paid good money on some new vehicles and they are the ones with the most rust. The stuff gets brittle over the years and crud gets trapped between the coating and metal. It won't let the underframe dry as quickly. It accelerates rust. Just spray clean water under the vehicle regularly and you shouldn't have a problem. I even look for puddles after a good rain storm to splash water underneath.

 

LOL, you don't think 4 pages of advice on how to use the brakes and defroster is required??????????

 

I use CRC Brand Heavy Duty Anti Corrosion Spray, it is nothing like shitty undercoating, it is just a thin waxy film and does a great job.

 

+1!fluid film

 

This is true of some undercoatings. That's why some of us are suggesting fluid film which does not do that. I've had and seen the oposite of what you have mentioned with fluid film.

 

When hitting the brakes while driving on snow, or loose ground (gravel, dirt) with ABS. Lightly tap the brakes. If you stomp on them ABS will take over and fuck you. ABS only works when there is traction. So it'll acutally cause longer breaking distances. Best thing, take out the ABS fuse. Same with gravel roads.

A good set of tire chains, blankets, flares, tow strap, blow up doll, flesh light, are all good things to keep with you at all times.

 

Lmao. I've heard keeping squares of carpet for traction is good. Is that best or is there something better that won't take up alot of space? I like what someone else was saying about keeping sand for extra weight and using that to pour in snow for traction. But carpet feels thin. Idk. I've got alot to try and learn in this upcoming winter.

 

I've heard about the carpet square idea. Never used that before, but it's better than nothing I guess. A bean shovel is also very handy. You can always scoop snow into the bed of your truck for added weight. Throw a little water in the snow & BAM! ICE. And that shit is heavy. Couple things of sand works well too.

Bean shovel also is great for getting you unstuck. It'll move a lot of snow.

Just don't be in a rush if there is snow and or ice on the ground. That's what screws most people over.

 

I'm putting the bed mounts in for a Shovel and are and fire extinguisher but my thought was shoveling snow away, not tossing in in the bed for weight as I Shovel. Good idea! I'll remember that one

 

Check the fire extinguisher for safe storage temps. Might find it'll get to cold in Ohio to safely carry it around during winter.

Also, don't let 4x4 go to your head. I grew up in Kansas City. We get a fair amount of snow & never once did I need 4x4. My Tacoma is my first 4x4 vehicle. Bought it wiyh 4x4 because it holds its value better and easoer to sell if i needed too. Use to go up to Iowa all the time too. Never needed it there either. Father grew up in Iowa and never needed it. It comes down to not driving like a moron. So many people believe they can drive fast in the snow because of their 4x4. And they end up getting stuck because of their stupidity.

Had a friend that was rear ended a long time ago during winter. The driver that rear ended hi. Thought he could stop quickly because he had 4x4 on... No joke.

 

What kind of tard thinks 4x4 affects stopping

 

Just a quick response to the "don't need 4x4" comments I'm seeing. I have an older RWD Taco (no traction/stability control) and it is absolutely useless on snow/ice, even with chains and weight in the back. I loathe taking it into the mountains during winter. Just about any FWD, AWD, or 4x4 setup is gonna perform better and that's one reason I'm looking at 3rd gen.

 

Ha. Nah. Probably a bit overkill. It's Ohio. We get snow, yes. But it's not insane.

 

Dude, you're coming to Ohio not Antarctica. There's snow. It sucks but it's not like other areas in North America. Don't drive like a fool and you'll be fine. There's not much to it. You don't need snow tires and you don't need a winch and whatever the hell else people are suggesting. Don't accelerate fast and leave room to stop. There you go. You're driving in Ohio.

 

I haven't read each and every post here, but here are a few thoughts:

1. The fact that you are concerned enough to ask advice about driving in snow shows that you are careful and not careless. Being careful while driving in snow is the biggest and most important thing to know.

2. Leave 1.5 - 2 (or more) car lengths of space between you and the car in front of you. In everyday non-snow conditions I always maintain a car length of space between me and the car in front of me. I double this amount of space in the snow...gives more space to react.

3. There is no car I know of that can drive safely on a sheet of ice. On days like that I don't go anywhere. However hitting a section of ice unexpectedly does happen. In such cases drive carefully and try not to turn or break too hard. Go slow on ice as well. Also at night ice can be present without you knowing, HOWEVER if you clearly see a bright and vivid mirror reflction of car lights and/or tail lights on the surface of the road, then that is a good indication that the surface is iced over. Wet concrete has a distorted reflection of car lights, ice gives more of a clear mirror reflection.

4. Be careful on bridges. Bridges ice over more quickly than concrete on solid ground.

 

Chardonnay is a hour west of me,nice area. Like posted by others,Fluid Film is good,but you can't underbody spray a lot,check with who does it. There's a guy my way for $125 ,does a nice job,Bulldog Undercoating,44410. The salt does suck,but the worst is the spray they do,has beet juice so it sticks to the road,sticks to your truck too,don't know if they use it there. My 04 Dakota lasted 250K & 12 years,would've went more years but was starting to have some mech problems. Stopping & making turns require a little practice. My DC OR Taco balances out nice without any weight,but personal preference,I also run my tires around 36-38 in the winter,I don't want to float on top of the snow & slush,I want to my tires to push thru it to the firmer stuff,like when I go mudding. But again,try all the things folks suggest & find what works best for you,best bet is to remember to anticipate the worst out of the traffic around you & be ready to think ahead,that's anywhere you drive. P.S. Only 2 inches of snow right now,

 

I'm sitting in my kitchen just 15 min. south of Chardon, OH looking at close to 2 ft. of snow on the ground. Its compacted a little. Looking forward to the warm weather coming early next week for a few days - we may hit 50 *F . I drove home yesterday with 400 lbs of aluminum in my truck and hit some snow that had blown/drifted across the road - no loss of traction You don't need that kind of weight,the 120 lbs of sand bags I carry are fine, but I had to move some stuff for work.