ok this may sound like a dumb question but i have to ask, how well do these trucks do in the snow? i live in southern missouri so we dont get a ton of snow or anything but we have had some bad winters. this is my first 2wd truck and i know it does not have a locker in the rear or anything so im not really looking forward to my first winter in it
thanks
tyler

 

weight over the axle and good tires works wonders in most cases.

 

I had a 2wd 3/4 with a 6.5 and it didn't do good in the snow. It had a factory limited slip or looker what ever you want to call it but had to much weight over the front end.

 

I've had tons of experience in the snow with many different types of vehicles, including 2 years of winter driving while serving on the DEWline in the Canadian high arctic. Also spent a few winters in Edmonton, Alberta where temperatures will fall to minus 40 degrees regularly throughout the 5 - 6 month winter, and as well, survived a few years in the Ontario "snow belt" region of Canada.

In my opinion, how well a particular vehicle does in the ice and snow is perhaps 75% driver and 25% vehicle. Getting underweigh is one thing, but stopping a vehicle in those conditions can be an even more distressing situation. Spinning your wheels trying to take off can be a humiliating and frustrating experience, but it lasts for only a few moments, whereas sliding into the ditch or the car in front of you in an out-of-control, 4 wheel drift while trying to stop the beast can ruin your whole day!

Try to get going in second gear (manual or automatic) with a real light foot on the go pedal, and when stopping, don't wait until the last minute to punch the brakes; rather, slip the tranny into neutral (automatic) or depress the clutch (manual) long before the stop point, and use your brakes gingerly to come to a smooth, unremarkable stop. With this approach you'll find the vehicle has less of a tendency to slide sideways and then spin, and should come to a controlled stop in a straight line. Much better for the ego!

If it doesn't turn out that way for you, don't blame the vehicle - just take a closer look at the driver!

If you're driving a pickup with no canopy, lots of guys will shovel it full of snow to get the weight better balanced overall as well as concentrated over the rear axle. It should give you better traction, but don't forget the extra weight will require a longer stopping distance, generally speaking.

If you can afford to purchase 4 good quality winter snow tires and mount them on their own rims, that is the best long-term configuration for your wheels. Winter tires are made to withstand lower temperatures and remain pliable with better adhesion to the road surface and ice and snow than summer or all season tires. Studded tires can help in icy conditions, but they don't do that much better in snow. If you face frequent snow falls, get a set of chains to improve your traction.

It's also a good idea to carry some emergency supplies should you break down or get stranded in winter conditions. A bottle of bleach will help you get out of a ditch or whenever you need extra traction on solid ice. Carry a shovel for sure, a heavy tow line or cable, and some fuel line de-icer. Some people add a little methyl hydrate to their tank which encapsulates the water molecules and passes them through the combustion process and out the exhaust. Don't add too much though as it can cause damage to your injector nozzle tips; I've not experienced that problem myself as yet, but I've heard plenty of horror stories, mostly to Jimmys.

Driving a truck safely in winter conditions takes extra skill and practice to get it right, but if you're cool about it, it's no more of a problem than driving a car in the same conditions, or a truck at any other time of the year.

Oh yeah, one more thing. Starting a diesel engine in colder climates can be a challenge. Use a block heater, and take really good care of your start batteries. You'll be placing a much heavier load on your glow plug system which can suck the life out of a battery in no time flat. Also, it takes a lot more cranking amps to spin a diesel to overcome cold, thick, viscous oil, and to build up combustion chamber and cylinder temperatures enough to ignite the cold fuel when injected. Some are tempted to use ether or some other starting fluid or spray, but GM warns it's owners to never use such aids as they can cause immediate and substantial damage to their engine.

You may already know of these tips and tricks, and there are tons more too. A lot of it is plain old common sense, but you know what they say - common sense ain't so common, and it doesn't always make sense either!

So good luck, and remember to keep it between the ditches!

JT

 

Great Post! Thanks for taking the time to write it. I drove professionaly for over 35 years all over the US and eastern Canada.

Everything this guy says is true. I didn't know about the bleach thing though, thanks!

 

wow thanks for the great post! i didnt think about the distance it takes to stop increasing when i added weight to the truck. i will keep these things in mind! thanks again

 

my truck is almost useless in the snow in 2wd with no weight in the back. but in 4wd drifting becomes very fun

 

One of the fun rigs I drove in the arctic was a one-off experimental pickup being tested by the USAF in various harsh climates around the world; the Canadian arctic, the Louisiana bogs, Saudi deserts to name a few.

It was a Dodge Power Wagon W-500 chassis (we called her Whiskey 500), with a crew cab, standard bed with canvas canopy, dual range 4 x 4, a a 383 or 413 CID V-8 (I don't recall which...), 5 speed forward w/2 reverse tranny, a dual range rear end, and these 4 monster tires (inflated to 8 psi) that you'd see on today's "Gravedigger." It was 1970, and you just didn't see tires that large on our roads or backroads yet!

This truck could move thru snow like a snowmobile, but you had to keep the revs way up or else it would literally bounce itself into a self-made ditch up to her axle hubs. I remember slowing down to take a sharp curve, and lost most of my momentum. I applied some power but it was too late - sure enough, I bounced right off the road and landed on a 45 degree angle almost ready to overturn. The station had to dispatch a D-9 Cat to haul me out; the radio operator played our voice comms over the stations PA system during lunch, so I was welcomed back by a 50 man applause in the mess hall. Bad for my self-image!

Most often I drove a "Thiokol Trackmaster" which was an advanced version of the Bombardier full size snowmobile that could carry 6 - 8 passengers or equivalent cargo plus driver and co-pilot. It had a Ford 300 CID 6 cylinder gas engine and a 5 speed tranny that spun 2 full length tracks; it was steered by two brake levers similar to a Caterpiller tractor. Not as much fun to drive as Whiskey 500, but a little more sure-footed!

I was stationed at Cape Dyer, NWT which is on the east coast of Baffin Island - on a clear day you could see Greenland. It was not uncommon to get 15 - 20 feet of snowfall during the winter, which it was 8 -9 months of the year.

After those driving conditions, anything we encounter down south is a cake walk. Same principles apply however - it's the driver more so than the vehicle...

Thanks Guys for triggering the trip down memory lane! The arctic was a hoot...

JT

 

sounds fun ha ha

 

make sure the posi trac is working. It makes a big difference.