snow driving poll

Snow driving - which is safer (not necessarily more fun...)

  • Small front-wheel drive car

    Votes: 34 41.5%

  • 4wd truck on MTs and FRONT LOCKER

    Votes: 47 57.3%

  • I'm scared, driving in snow is very dangerous and you should never leave the house

    Votes: 1 1.2%
  • Total voters
    82
RatLabGuy

RatLabGuy

You look like a monkey and smell like one too
Joined
May 18, 2005
Location
Churchville, MD
Was having a discussion w/ a buddy.
What's better for driving is snow - small front wheel drive car (usually handles very well) or 4Runner on MTs w/ auto-locker in front?

4wd seems great but the MTs don't always let go of the mush and once you have to turn IME the lockers make it, er, fun.

I have both so I may try a side-by-side test on soem local backroads lol.
 
4wd, no doubt. Or we can ask the guy in the front wheel drive Camry I pulled out of a massive ditch yesterday evening.
 
Small FWD will be fine if the snow isnt too deep. Ground clearance is the only minus with the small FWD. I had plenty of these growing up in New England. To have fun, you need to use the skid-out lever (some people call it the parking brake). Keep it on the pavement though, or else you'll be wishing for the 4x4.
 
I think it depends on the tires....

When I had my TJ, I got stuck in a parking lot! It had 36" swamper TSLs and was locked front and rear. Ice storm hit. Parking lot was a sheet of ice, I slid to the lowest point. Luckily there was a curb. All 4 tires were turning but it didn't help move me up the hill. Meanwhile some chick in a new beetle cruised by like it was nothing. Siping on tires may be the key on ice. ???? I tried just a little gas, lots of gas, didn't matter... All 4 tires just spun. I ended up having to winch myself up to level ground. Snow is one thing.... Ice is another. In deep snow obviously a vehicle with more ground clearance will go further.
 
As others have said, it depends on how much snow we're talking about. 6" or less, FWD car. Once you get into small amounts, you're better off running the 4wd in rear-only with the hubs unlocked. Otherwise the lockers will get you in trouble in a hurry. More than 18", air down and go to town with the 4wd. Just make sure you have a shovel.
 
Something with steel bumpers on it, a big hitch and recovery points. That way if someone hits you, the damage to your rig can be repaired with a $1 can of paint. The hitch for when that idiot on his phone, while working his iPod and checking his email rear ends you, your vehicle will be fine. Recovery points and gear is a nice safety blanket to have.

Most rigs have these.

Everytime it has snowed here at the house, it is difficult to get out of the driveway because it is a big ass hill and half covered in ice. A locker is good to have because I can get traction and actually get out.

Important thing about 4WD, it will help you go, but won't help you STOP. That is what'll get you in trouble!

Lastly, I'd drive the rig because you look cool.
 
x2 on Shawn's post. Plus, w/ the morons on the road calculations should include which vehicle will take a hit and have passengers survive better. snow > 6 inches then the 4wd is good to go.
 
I went out to cut up for a while this morning. Had 4-5 inches on the road, most of it unplowed. Most of the time I was in 2WD with an open rear (Jeep Wrangler). Didn't take much to make the rear spin wiith 33" BFG MT's. I kept the rear tires spinning a LOT.. Had no trouble keeping them cleaned out!! I probably went for a mile or more constantly spinning on one particular road.

I put in 4WD for 1/2 mile or so for really slick hilly area to be on the safe side (locked front). Just had to watch your speed, work the steering wheel and gas to turn. It really wasn't a big deal. Very little to no tire spin.....

Front wheel drives do get around pretty good, but not 4WD good.
 
I was trying to keep up with a open/open truck on the roads last night...he was definately more stable at speeds than my locked f/r jeep.

BUT...LOL i quickly became comfortable with the 4 wheel drifting and he couldnt keep up, but it was intense, for sure.

He wouldnt follow me anywhere else lol

TWAS FUN FER SURE!
 
McDowell County

Just in this county alone we had 3 known stuck state trucks w/ chains, load of salt and plow.IMO a late model Subaru Outback v6 w/ studded snow tires will get you anywhere you wanna go on road. As far as the poll, not enough choices. Didn't vote.
 
4wd cause i pulled a bunch of fwd cars out last nite also pulled a powerjoke 4wd and a duramax 4wd out of a ditch i think ill stick to my jeep lol.
 
Having lived up north I can say that almost everything but a 2wd pickup truck or a rear-drive car can get around pretty well in lesser amounts of snow as long as they have decent tires. For driving in deeper stuff an open/open 4wd or full-timer is ideal. Once you are stuck you want lockers.

If the topic turns to ice, open diffs are ideal. Even a well-working LSD rear can cause issues with unintended sliding.

I was very disappointed that the snow turned to rain here in Raleigh. I had to work last night really late and I did see a few cars/trucks off the road and abandoned for the night. I was hoping that it would get real crappy so I could go out and make some more $$ before Christmas...
 
Living in South dakota & Minn. I have dirven in some nasty deep snow. Best vehicle was 1997 cherokee sport with np 241 & Bfg AT tires. It would just go. 6" of snow no problem, black ice comming back from the black hills at 75 mph lock it into full time 4x4 no problems.


You have to have 10 pounds of bacon in the trunk though.
 
Dylan W. said:
I was trying to keep up with a open/open truck on the roads last night...he was definately more stable at speeds than my locked f/r jeep.
BUT...LOL i quickly became comfortable with the 4 wheel drifting and he couldnt keep up, but it was intense, for sure.
He wouldnt follow me anywhere else lol
TWAS FUN FER SURE!
Click to expand...


:LOL. Dylan preparing for the 2010 ECORS season in the snow :lol:
 
Jeff B said:
Living in South dakota & Minn. I have dirven in some nasty deep snow. Best vehicle was 1997 cherokee sport with np 241 & Bfg AT tires. It would just go. 6" of snow no problem, black ice comming back from the black hills at 75 mph lock it into full time 4x4 no problems.
You have to have 10 pounds of bacon in the trunk though.
Click to expand...

Wait, wait, wait...

So you start off by qualifying your opinions with a list of snowy states in which you've previously lived, then tell us that your 4wd Jeep with AT rubber handled 6" of snow, no problem? I should hope to hell it did. A fawking 81 Camaro on half-bald all seasons will do all right in 6" of snow if you've got some tire tracks to follow and a bit of weight in the trunk.

I call bullshit on your carefully-documented snow-driving 'experience'.

:flipoff2:
 
Around here, we get more slush than snow. What's on the street is usually mushy crap. The best vehicle I've had for getting around was a 1990 Subaru Legacy auto. It just didn't give a damn! Where the trucks had plowed and left banks at intersections, it would blow through no problem. Stopped great, too. The next best was either my 85 VW GTI or 82 Dodge Aries. For what we see, I like being low and having a relatively short wheelbase. Just seems more stable and controllable to me. The Suburban does well, but it's no fun to try and stop going down hills. The Sammi's ultra-short wheelbase and welded rear make it fun, but not my favorite to drive. If I don't need to go anywhere, though, I ain't going out. The idiots out there scare me. I'm plenty confident in my abilities, just not theirs. I'd rather not risk it if I don't have to. If it sticks around in the neighborhood, though, I might just have to take the Sammi out for some fun later.
 
I think the 4wd would be better, even though the tires may not be great for snow/mush/ice. I've driven a FWD car in response to fire/medical calls in snow/mush, and I didn't feel very safe at all. I had zero traction, and it definitely didn't want to turn into the fire department parking lot. lol.
 
come up to boone, drive in the 16in or so, and try to get into my drive way. i think youll figure out real quick 4wd is the only way to go
 
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