Need advice for 2WD in snow

[JeffMerr]

Purchased my 4runner 8 months ago after a LONG time searching. At the time I lived in the city and had no use for 4WD, just always loved the look at wanted something full size for dogs etc. Fast forward to now and I had to move up near Tahoe for work. I've already put about 3 grand into my truck in preventative maintenance, mods etc. and love this thing, I REALLY do not want to have to sell it. Not only will I loose a ton of money but I would have to come up with even more money for a 4WD to get anything near the condition/mileage mine is in. Where I live I don't get a ton of snow, I'm at about 2800 ft., but there are some winters where it does dump. My fear is getting stuck and not being able to get up the hill I live on or out of my house to work.

Do I have any options? I talked to a local shop about a locker for the rear and they said it wouldn't be cost effective in the snow because the front tire power is where the advantage comes from. Any other routes I can take or am I SOL? Thanks for the help!

 

[asahi4runner]

Get a beater 4 wd for the bad weather.

 

[02SE]

I've lived where it snows heavily in Winter, all of my life. I'd sell it and buy a 4wd.

Barring that, I'd get the skinniest snow tires you can safely mount on your wheels. My choice would be the Bridgestone Blizzak DMV1. Some extra weight in the back; say a couple hundred pounds of ice melt, a shovel, tow strap, maybe a AAA membership, and then hope it doesn't snow too much.

 

[Lolrax]

If you don't have winter tires then that is probably going to change everything for you. If you live in a snowy climate you really should get a 4WD. I wouldn't have a 4Runner if it wasn't 4WD, there are much more exciting RWD vehicles out there.

 

[JEL]

+1 on all the stuff mentioned.

But to be honest, if it could interfere with my livelihood I'd either get a beater 4wd or sell it and get a nice 4wd 4th gen (possibly with snow tires for winter, depending on your conditions), and KNOW you'll be able to get around in nasty snowy weather. The multimode systems are great and very flexible, I think it's the best feature on both of my 4runners (and my '00 has the coveted e-locker).

 

[Brownfaux]

Well think of it this way now too, your 2WD 4Runner is worth a lot less where you are now. I think you will take a hit unless you leave the area.

 

[bpowa]

I ran into the same scenario. I just bought mines but could have got a cleaner truck if it were 2wd and maybe cheaper. but I know the 1 time I would need it I would kick myself. however you would be surprised what 2wd would do. BTW. I hadmy 3rd gen for a bit over a year dumped a few grand in it also. I know I'm taking a bit of a loss when I sell it. however I think it's worth it. if you have Amy doubt's. sell it and get a 4wd. remove all your parts and put it into the new truck. I can't swap out my lift from the 3rd gen. :\ at least you can swap all mods over.

 

[RunnerAK]

Adjusting your driving style for winter conditions (SLOWING DOWN!) and a good set of snow tires will make all the difference. Plenty of people up here in AK get around just fine with 2WD vehicles including most of the police who have to be able to get everywhere on short notice (RWD Crown Victorias) . The 4th gens seem to have a pretty good traction control system, and there are some people on this board who have done some gnarly offroading with 2WDs, so I think you'll be ok.

 

[ebg18t]

If the roads are cleared fairly efficiently you should be ok with quality snow tires (Nokian Hakka's or Bridgestone Blizzak). But if it was me I would drive to southern Cali and sell the 2WD truck and replace it with a 4WD truck. If that is not an option maybe just get a beatup Subaru and use that for snowy days.

 

[Mike07SE]

The problem with your scenario is that you may unfortunately pour more unrecoverable money into this for it to still not perform. Like other's said:

• The skinniest winter tire you can put on your wheels. Skinny tires cut into the snow and also increase the PSI on the smaller tread area.
  
• Some form of locking rear end. Swap rear for a factory e-locker, ARB locker, or other LSD device. This will help improve traction, but not as great as the front wheels pulling too on a 4x4.
  
• Buy a hitch basket to hang large amounts of weight off the back (bags of salt, sand, etc). This also helps keep the inside clean.
  
• Snow chains will be a must.
  
  Like you already said Jeff, you may be SOL.

 

[Drak]

A really good set of dedicated snow tires for starters.
Might be the only thing necessary.
Grab a set of wheels somewhere and a great set of dedicated snow tires.
You might be surprised how well true snows will get you around.

 

[MarkinWMich]

Living in Michigan, the "Winter, Water, Wonderland", there are people who drive all year in front wheel drive or rear wheel drive cars. A lot of people do not even have snow tires. I drove for over 25 years, in all sorts of cars without a 4WD and never had an incident. From November to March, it's cloudy and we get lake-effect snow daily. By the end of December or January, MDOT has totally run out of salt, and we just have to make due.

So, there is some good advice in the previous posts, but really, simply taking it easy, slow hand on the wheel, slow foot on the accelerator and brake, giving yourself room to brake, and refrain from over reacting to those little breaks in traction. I wouldn't get too anxious about the idea of 2WD in the snow. The T4R has enough ground clearance, you have the computerized traction control, if you have a decent set of tires and are cautious, you should not have too much problem getting around.

 

[LandCruiser]

If you live where it snows a lot, you have the wrong truck. I've seen several 2WD Cali trucks, including 4Runners, get stuck on the hill to my house on the first snowstorm of the year.

A 2WD is like a hippo on rollerskates when it gets icy and snowy, and will probably do fine where it's flat and featureless, but mountains will totally kick its ass.

Sell it and buy a 4x4 or get a winter beater Subie used--drive to Colorado where they have millions of them.

 

[awdjunkies]

+1 with everything everyone above me has said, including but not limited to, just because you have skinny-snow tires doesn't make you a careful driver. Especially on snowy/icy conditions like in Lake Tahoe. if you've driven a 2wd vehicle almost or all of your life, you will definitely have to get used to driving in bad weather. Good Luck with your decision...

PS: If you are going to be buying a winter beater, doesn't always equate to a reliable one.. Just like you did when purchasing this 4runner, do your homework..

 

[Victor_inox]

I`ve had RWD BMW with blizzaks, drove great in the snow.
I`d try that first before trading in RWD 4runner.
Me personally I`d never buy RWD 4runner.
It should be called 2runner IMHO

 

[JeffMerr]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I've started to look around but there isn't much out there. Hopefully I can find a 4WD before winter hits.

What do you guys think of this?

2006 Toyota 4 Runner

Seems expensive given the mileage, but I'm used to looking at 2WD prices so I'm not too sure, thanks.

 

[Drak]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I've started to look around but there isn't much out there.
Hopefully I can find a 4WD before winter hits.

What do you guys think of this?
2006 Toyota 4 Runner
Seems expensive given the mileage, but I'm used to looking at 2WD prices so I'm not too sure, thanks.

Not bad really, but you don't find a good deal on a 4runner by casually looking around for 10 minutes.
You gotta put your head in the game and hunt it down!
I looked every single day at every possibility for a month before I found mine.
Some of them sell in a day flat.
It's a war out there!

 

[JeffMerr]

I looked for about 4 months, every day, to find my current one. So I definitely know what it takes to find a good deal. 4WD models seem to be an even tougher battle.

 

[Drak]

If you like white, the one you linked to looks pretty sweet actually.

I looked around at the Modesto listings, there's a few nice ones there.

4 months? That's some serious determination!

 

[Mike07SE]

That actually doesn't seem like too bad of a price. That age and mileage are commanding a bit more over here in the north east corner. If it stays listed for a while you may be able to talk that guy to taking 1 - 1.5K less than what he's asking.