Driving in the snow.

[michael833]

Well Houston as well as most of Texas is expected to get at least three inches of snow. global warming, man, I'm tellin' ya. I've never driven in snow before and I was wondering if y'all had any tips on doing so. do I turn O/D off? ECT on? wus da deal?

thanks in advance.

 

[MTDewX8]

just slow down, and think ahead when you get to corners or having to stop. 4 wheel drive will get you going fast, but that dont mean you can stop faster.

as you come to a stop start slowing down sooner than you normally would and watch your rear veiw for the jack ass not slowing down and Ram Roding you from behind.

so if you guys dont get snow very often, then its probably a wet snow and will be slippery with all the water content.

just take it easy and remember its not like mud, romping on it dont help unless you want to burn down to the asphalt. lol

and of course go have FUN in it.

 

[bhowle]

We've actually had some significant amounts of snow the past two winters here in SC, and let me tell you, my 4Runner is AWESOME in the stuff. I've got Nitto TG's, and they bite great. You definitely need to slow down and plan your stops, but I really didn't have any issues.

Follow in the trails that other cars have made if the snow is accumulating on the road. Driving into fresh snow will cause the truck to try and pull off to one direction.

If you have bald/near bald tires, stay home. You'll be all over the road.

 

[Nelsonmd]

just slow down, and think ahead when you get to corners or having to stop. 4 wheel drive will get you going fast, but that dont mean you can stop faster.

x A BILLION

Yeah, the key is slowing down. You don't need to turn anything on or off on the vehicle. I don't know if you have a 4WD or 2WD, but keep in mind that 4WD won't help you stop, only kind of helps you corner, and helps alot to accelerate. It can help keep you from fishtailing while turning, but it isn't actually giving you more grip, just sharing grip between the front/rear better.

4Runners aren't amazing in the snow in and of themselves, no matter what anyone says. The tires make a huge difference, and in 2WD, it is just a rear wheel drive vehicle. It has the same problems any other would, expect it sits high.

You can put some weight in the back to help with traction (especially important if it is 2WD). I suggest kitty litter because if you get stuck, you can pour it around your tires for traction.

x a billion for what bhowle said too, if you have bald tires, replace them now. It doesn't matter what kind of car it is, bald tires will send you sliding.

 

[IanB]

It's been said already, but it's important: 4x4 can't help you stop or turn. Slow down, increase your following distance, give yourself room and time, and keep an eye on the drivers around you to make sure they aren't doing something stupid that will affect you.

And have fun, you don't get this opportunity very often!:cheers:

 

[Clemsonfan15]

3" isn't much. You probably won't notice a difference in driving. I would definitely start to slow down sooner though.

When I go out in the snow I always spend the first few minutes testing out the roads. I'll try to accelerate and see if there is any slipping. Then I'll apply the breaks hard and see if abs kicks in or not.

If y'all don't get much snow then most people will probably just stay in their homes. That's been my experience anyway

 

[TheDurk]

It's not just slowing down, it's HOW you slow down. Bleed off your speed BEFORE you get to the start of a turn. You are much more stable in the turn with your foot on the gas and off the brake. The brake is your enemy in the slippery stuff--use your gears and engine as much as you can to control your speed.

On the highway, try and stay in the gaps between groups of cars. The biggest danger, especially in areas unused to snow, are the other idiots out there (survivor of a few years in DC here).

 

[ironhippy]

3" isn't much. You probably won't notice a difference in driving. I would definitely start to slow down sooner though.

When I go out in the snow I always spend the first few minutes testing out the roads. I'll try to accelerate and see if there is any slipping. Then I'll apply the breaks hard and see if abs kicks in or not.

If y'all don't get much snow then most people will probably just stay in their homes. That's been my experience anyway

This is great advice. I drove home last night in 6 - 10 inches of snow and I didn't use 4wd.

I recommend using 2wd until you get stuck, your back end will swing on corners (or if you accelerate too fast), which should remind you to slow down. If you stay in control in 2wd drive, you have a lot better chance of stopping when the guy in front of you wipes out.

 

[MTDewX8]

I also doubt the snow will last long.

also be careful around stops. cause where vehicle stop a lot like at a stop light or stop sign. its always slippery there than other places. perfect for rear enders.

I tent to stay our of already tracked stuff on the hwy due to packed snow turning to ice. just depends on timing of when you hit the stuff.
or if someone is tail gating you. take your ties in the loose stuff and stir the crap up so he cant see. they usually back off or do something stupid. the good thing is there behind you.
(not that i have ever done that :nono


I would go out and have fun and I am sure many will stay home freaked out to avoid the beautiful white stuff.

 

[Nelsonmd]

This is great advice. I drove home last night in 6 - 10 inches of snow and I didn't use 4wd.

I recommend using 2wd until you get stuck, your back end will swing on corners (or if you accelerate too fast), which should remind you to slow down. If you stay in control in 2wd drive, you have a lot better chance of stopping when the guy in front of you wipes out.

I don't agree with this. My spinout on the highway was a result of me being in 2WD. I didn't hit the gas (I was on maintenance throttle), just hit a really slick patch, and my rear wheels started driving past me. Of course you need to stay below 50mph in 4WD, but that isn't such a bad idea anyway.

And I don't see how 2wd will help you brake faster, other than it being harder to accelerate.

No doubt it's good to practice in 2WD, but if I risk hitting another car, then it's 4WD all the way on the slick stuff. My auto tranny is a bit jerky at times, which also doesn't help the situation in 2WD.

 

[NickF]

Just drive slow, and turn off O/D to help you slow down if you are worried about stopping. Otherwise, 3" is not bad at all.

 

[ironhippy]

I don't agree with this. My spinout on the highway was a result of me being in 2WD. I didn't hit the gas (I was on maintenance throttle), just hit a really slick patch, and my rear wheels started driving past me. Of course you need to stay below 50mph in 4WD, but that isn't such a bad idea anyway.

And I don't see how 2wd will help you brake faster, other than it being harder to accelerate.

No doubt it's good to practice in 2WD, but if I risk hitting another car, then it's 4WD all the way on the slick stuff. My auto tranny is a bit jerky at times, which also doesn't help the situation in 2WD.

Yeah I see what you are saying, my attitude is "if I'm in 2wd drive, it is a LOT harder to control, so I will be travelling at a lower speed and with more care than if I was in 4wd". You won't brake faster, you'll just be travelling slower and it will force you to be more cautious.

If I spin out on the highway in 2wd, then I am going faster than I should be. If I put it in 4wd, sure I can drive that speed and not spin out, but I'd rather be in control in 2wd. Just my preference.

I only use 4wd if I need to, which is almost never on pavement.

Edit: I will concede, if I had full time 4wd, my attitude would be different and I would use it a lot. I'm referring to my part time 4wd.

 

[Mr. Leary]

4 wheel go doesn't mean 4 wheel stop. Even you guys with part time 4wd have SOTF, so there isn't much excuse for not using 4wd unless you are practicing or want to play.

The biggest thing you have to worry about in Texas is the combination of people who don't know what they are doing and compensate by going excessively slow/slamming on the brakes when they are on the ice and the people who think they know what they are doing and are speeding past all of the other people on the road. Both are dangerous.

Steady speed, and don't try to make any directional or speed changes fast. just imagine that you are driving in slow motion, and everything takes a while.

 

[jsmarine]

4 wheel go doesn't mean 4 wheel stop.

x2, its not the 'go-ing' its the 'woah-ing' !!:lookout:

4 wheel drive or not, just keep it slow and steady.

 

[michael833]

thanks guys. i really appreciate it.

for the record: i have 2WD. *sigh*

 

[brian2sun]

Go find yourself a big parking lot like at the local high school or something and get a feel for it where there isn't anything around to crash into. I know you're 2wd so this doesn't really pertain to you OP, but I hear what ironhippy is saying about driving in 2wd. I try to drive in 2wd whenever possible, however I wouldn't recommend that to a beginner because 4wd is much safer in the snow.

And this is the most important thing as far as I'm concerned...
2wd is easier to pull off in snow if the roads are flat. But where I come from in the mountains, I absolutely hate people that try to drive around in 2wd when it's snowy/icy because they always seem to realize about 1/2 way up that hill that they can't make it in 2wd. And by the time they let off the gas so they can get it in 4HI, they loose momentum, then they loose traction and start sliding sideways, and then they veer off into the bank and get stuck. I've seen it happen a billion times around here and it is so annoying because if they were just in 4x4 to begin with, they would have been sitting in their nice warm, cozy house by now - instead of waiting for a tow truck for 3 hours freezing their ass off, blocking 1/2 the road and making other cars manuver around them, and paying the tow truck driver 3xs the normal rate due to "emergency conditions".

Remember that momentum is your friend when you're climbing a hill in the snow so don't loose it!! But it's also your enemy when you're descending so put it in 4LO and crawl. And if you use chains remember this...
Chains are not for getting you unstuck, they are to be put on before you get in the snow to prevent getting stuck. Way too many people wait till they are already stuck to put their chains on and they cause a road hazard for everybody else. If you've ever done this and wondered why the locals hate you, that's why.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

This is great advice. I drove home last night in 6 - 10 inches of snow and I didn't use 4wd.

I recommend using 2wd until you get stuck, your back end will swing on corners (or if you accelerate too fast), which should remind you to slow down. If you stay in control in 2wd drive, you have a lot better chance of stopping when the guy in front of you wipes out.

Huh?????

Dude, if you got 4 wheel drive USE IT.

Thats like saying don't use your heater until you lose feeling in your toes - makes no sense. ;-)

 

[Climber]

Im resurrecting an old thread here cause i dont want to create a new one. Im an arizona guy who drives in the snow maybe 3 days a year so im a bit concerned. Im planning a trip up north in a couple weeks and this will be my first time driving my 4runner in the snow. I have a 5 speed, 4x4 with rear locker and to my understanding i have no traction control. How should i aproach driving up there? 4hi? Any help would be great, i already know im gonna be driving like a grandma.
:lookout:

 

[KidVermicious]

Im resurrecting an old thread here cause i dont want to create a new one. Im an arizona guy who drives in the snow maybe 3 days a year so im a bit concerned. Im planning a trip up north in a couple weeks and this will be my first time driving my 4runner in the snow. I have a 5 speed, 4x4 with rear locker and to my understanding i have no traction control. How should i aproach driving up there? 4hi? Any help would be great, i already know im gonna be driving like a grandma.
:lookout:

Drive like a grandma is perfect, much better than drive like an idiot. You probably won't need 4wd, if you do stick to 4hi and stay away from the locker button. Give yourself 3x the distance you think you'll need to stop until you've got a feel for how the truck will behave. Don't freak out the first time you hit the brakes and the ABS starts chattering at you, it's doing what it think's it's supposed to do. The ABS won't kick in if you don't lock up the tires, so think of it as a threshold warning and if it kicks in back ever so slightly off the brakes.

What tires are you running? edit - n/m, I see your sig now. I don't know how the Wardens behave in the snow, but I assume no worse than any other aggressive AT. Drive slow and careful, and most of all drive predictable, and you and the drivers around you will be fine.

 

[Climber]

Drive like a grandma is perfect, much better than drive like an idiot. You probably won't need 4wd, if you do stick to 4hi and stay away from the locker button. Give yourself 3x the distance you think you'll need to stop until you've got a feel for how the truck will behave. Don't freak out the first time you hit the brakes and the ABS starts chattering at you, it's doing what it think's it's supposed to do. The ABS won't kick in if you don't lock up the tires, so think of it as a threshold warning and if it kicks in back ever so slightly off the brakes.

What tires are you running? edit - n/m, I see your sig now. I don't know how the Wardens behave in the snow, but I assume no worse than any other aggressive AT. Drive slow and careful, and most of all drive predictable, and you and the drivers around you will be fine.

yeah thats the plan just be very cautious. They are the same as the bfg all terrian, but they are cheap and i want to replace them soon.