Getting stuck in the snow... Is 2 feet too deep to drive through?

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pmrowczynski

New member
Over X-Mas we had a couple of feet of snow fall here in Tahoe. Driving on the roads was fine (packed or plowed) but when going into the deep stuff - I got stuck twice:

First time was in 2 feet of the white stuff in the Tahoe elementary school parking lot (just to kill time).

Second time was turning around on a highway and winding up driving partially off the road into a plowed snow bank AND facing down hill (someone wanted to take picture of the deer). Again, 2 feet.

There didn't seem to be a problem with any powder less than a foot in depth, but around 1.5 feet, moving became a problem and at 2 feet -- it required digging and pushing.

Is 2 feet too much snow to try and drive through?

4 LO, locking the diffs, rocking forward back, etc. were no good and only seemed to dig in deeper. This was with the stock Michelin ATX tires on an '08 4Runner.

I have since bought 1. a pair of chains and 2. a shovel. AAA was useless and the dispatchers all pretty much stated a 3-4 hour wait along with pretty much calling it a night at 5P due to the number of incoming calls - so back muscle was definately required.

Anything else useful in "just in case I drive into a snow bank" situations?
 
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I will preface this by saying this truck isn't as good as my old Tacoma was in snow, but I've gone thru packed snowbanks left by snowplows of around 2 feet with little difficulty; powdered snow should be fine @ that depth.

With that said, the stock tires probably aren't as good as some thing with a more aggressive tread pattern would be; BFG A/T's or M/T's would be better.

But the limiting factor is probably ground clearance. These things aren't all that far off the ground, and as the weight of the vehicle starts to be supported by the packed snow underneath it, the tires lose traction.
 
Annoyed said:
I will preface this by saying this truck isn't as good as my old Tacoma was in snow, but I've gone thru packed snowbanks left by snowplows of around 2 feet with little difficulty; powdered snow should be fine @ that depth.
Click to expand...

Interesting , we are looking at a Tacoma off road package right now.
 
We plowed through a lot of trails with fresh powder up to 2 feet. No problems... This was fresh powder though and we weren't traveling alone!!!

Air down the tires to 15-20psi...DO NOT STOP!!! and plow on through. Be warned though...stuff can hide under 2 ft of snow. Thankfully I haven't been unlucky enough to hit a big rock ... yet. Carry a tow strap and have a buddy of yours follow...if you get stuck a quick yank and you are good to go again.

Oh yeah and get some winter tires...that helps too!
 
It all depends on the truck and the type of snow (powder, wet, etc).

It wouldn't bother mine at all.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone!

I'm driving a 2008 4Runner Limited (X-Reas & Rear Air Suspension if it matters) w/ the stock Michelin Cross Terrain tires (good for 60,000 miles, so about 35,000 to go).

The snow that day was wet/powder. Not packed at all, and not too wet. It was snowing on/off for the prior 12 hours and was starting to come down harder around 2PM.

I was (and still am) running the regular 30-35PSI in the tires. At the time, it didn't even cross my mind to let air out of the tires :)

Wasn't too concerned with items UNDER the snow, was actually in a round-a-bout by the school on top of the black top when I got "stuck".

So... Let air out, get a come-along and a tow strap. Definately good advice!

And next time -- PICTURES!
 
My cousin and i had a similar "issue" with his truck. He's got a 96 and i got a 99, neither of us have diff locks. We got about a foot of snow at about 20 degrees or so, so it was really light. Well we went out messing around in the stuff in his 4R (donuts, j turns and drifting) and about a mile away from my house we got stuck driving through the snow that was plowed from the road on to the shoulder/sidewalk. The snow in that spot was about 2 feet deep. The 4 wheel drive wasn't enough.
We didn't have a shovel or anything (not too smart when driving around in snow) but about a minute after we got stuck and we attempted to get out, a cop drove by and gave me a ride to my house. He didnt give us a ticket or anything! i grabbed a rope and i drove back up to where my cousin was and tried to pull him out but no luck cause i couldn't get any traction on the compacted frozen snow. Well i started shoveling with the shovel i had in my runner and a guy in a tacoma came by and helped us shovel but that wasn't enough. Then we dug as much as we could around the front tires and put the chains on. Well the runner drove right out of the snow. After that he told me he was gonna drive around with the chains on from now on. But it really depends on the type of snow and if your truck is stock or not.
 
I've been through more than 2 feet without major issues. The biggest issue I faced was having the front end turning into a snow plow. I had to back up and start a new track once it piled up in the front. This is the heavier wet snow... With true powder, it gets to be a lot of fun, although visibility becomes an issue... You have chains now, but you could get some tires that are more winter rated which would help in place of chains.
 
Falls said:
Interesting , we are looking at a Tacoma off road package right now.
Click to expand...
That little Tacoma was GREAT in the snow, never had anything better. I recall having to take her into a field with snow as deep as my knees.... in and out w/ no problem... And I had forgotten to put it in 4WD. Didn't even realize it till a passenger asked if it was FT 4WD, why was there a transfer case shift lever..
 
a rear locker & winter tires would of helped. i know thats what id have on mine if i lived there.
 
I was up there driving around in that same storm. Matter of a fact, went all the way to Cabela's parking lot at 2 a.m. to have lots of fun! Yeah and I forgot my camera. You saw the pics I posted from the Morman Emigrant Trail/El Dorado Forest. That was some deep stuff too.
I had no issues except for when I intentionally set myself up.
Yes, you need to air down a bit, and better tires. Oh and stay out of those ditches! It's no fun to burry your vehicle in deep snow to only find out after you dig down through the snow to find now you have to dig out of mud!!
Next time we do a Nor Cal Snow Run and I post here, come along. I'm aiming for not this upcoming weekend, but hopefully the next.
 
I too, think depends what kind of snow. We got stuck with an other truck when we were around, the snow was too heavy and the truck did not appreciated being a snow plow..
 
The same thing happened to me last year. I was pulling out of my driveway, nice and slow with central diff locked and stuck on the snowbank left by the plower. Rig stuck on the snow built up under the bottom. What I did, just put floor mat under the front wheel and it kicked me out. But later on I was analysing the situation and I think I just had to go faster.
 
It depends on alot, like previously stated. For example, my 2nd gen has more clearance the the 4th gen, but better tires are on the 4th gen.

I could go through deep stuff in the 4th gen, but i feel alot of drag cuz of how low the front is.
 
sn0wrunner said:
:worthless:

It all depends what your driving.

Ulfr would have no problem in 2' of snow.
Click to expand...

Err... lol
2' of snow is barely as high as my wheels, so it's pretty hard to compare 30-35s to 44s...
But back on topic...
There have been numerous threads 'bout this matter.
Anywho, some tips from an Icelander (don't know what that's worth)
Tires, it begins there, you'll need traction and softness. The softer the tires are, the better they are in snow and can handle more speed and lower air pressure. Tires like that get worn faster then others. For example, Gumbo Monster Mudder is a very soft tire, but it'll last half as many other sorts that are out there.
5psi is probably the lowest that I'd suggest you to go. Be careful not to take to harsh turns in the snow and do other things that might put alot of pressure on the sidewalls, the tire might drop of the bead of the wheel.

Take it very smooth when accelerating. The smoother it is and slower, more likely you will float on the snow.

Lockers are good but they won't help you if you don't know how to drive in snow in the first place. =)

Keep the truck as light as possible. Less weight = less likely to sink in the snow. I've gone through more than 2' of snow on my ol' runner on 32s at 0psi... lol

If you get stuck, don't be so afraid to rock it back and forward, very easy each time. Just be careful not to overheat the transmission if on Automatic, or damage/heat the clutch on manuals...

You should watch Top Gear's trip to the North "pole" with Arctic Trucks assistant on the Hilux's. They have some nice tricks there that you might learn. ;)

And well, one shameless plug of a picture taken in my last trip in November last year. (I know, I'm a picture ho')

img_039_r.jpg
 
Funny, just got this Top Gear "Polar Special". It's blu ray. Unfortunately it's not available in the U.S, but if you get if from amazon.co.uk and have a PS3, it will play it. it's one of the most watched DVD we own..
 
Annoyed said:
I will preface this by saying this truck isn't as good as my old Tacoma was in snow, but I've gone thru packed snowbanks left by snowplows of around 2 feet with little difficulty; powdered snow should be fine @ that depth.

With that said, the stock tires probably aren't as good as some thing with a more aggressive tread pattern would be; BFG A/T's or M/T's would be better.

But the limiting factor is probably ground clearance. These things aren't all that far off the ground, and as the weight of the vehicle starts to be supported by the packed snow underneath it, the tires lose traction.
Click to expand...

I will definately agreee with you about the ground clearance. I have been stuck 2x in snow and both times was a "high center" issue.

Perhaps in Tahoe you need a severe snow rated tire or a dedicated snow tread?
 
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