What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

ice storm comin, time for snow/ice tips

T

tecton

1/2 ton status
Joined
Dec 1, 2002
Posts
1,553
Reaction score
0
Location
WV
ok...up hill im not affraid of, 3 feet of mud im not affraid of...but for the love of god, i cannot get over the fear of coming down a steep hill thats covered in ice or snow, especially when there is a house at the bottom of it.

Any tip for not sliding? Ive done it once...dont want to anymore.
 
Oh man Id love some tips too. Im waitin on the same storm down here in Blacksburg. God I hate ice /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif
 
drive some small sheet metal screws in your tires, that'll make you stop on a dime.
Also drive slow and leave an out when driving around, make sure theres room on all sides so you don't smoke someone and you can have somewhere to go if you don't stop. Avoid icy hills. We have been dealing with ice here since a month ago and its not that bad just take it easy
 
i know putting it in 1st and low range when going down a hill to have the engine help brake...what about putting a click or two on the e-brake...
 
thats not a good idea you will get compression braking and will loose the rearend out sideways, very hard to control.
 
put in neutral and pump the brakes carefully to gain traction, its a bitch to do sometimes
 
Only thing I have to add is don't go to the carwash between classes and expect to be able to get your key in the door when the high for the day is in the 20's...
Not that I know anything about that /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif
 
I agree with R72K5. If you're coming up to a stop or a turn and you start to slide, pop the sucker into neutral ASAP and use your brakes as sparingly as possible. When you stay in D the rear tires keep on pushing you when the front brakes lock up. Practice dropping into neutral ahead of time so that when it comes time to do it in an emergency you can do it instinctively.

If you're on the highway, STAY AWAY FROM SNOW COVERED SHOULDERS. Snowy shoulders will suck you into the ditch faster than a vacuum sucks up a dust mite!!!!

And don't gun it around corners. Your short wheel base really encourages fishtailing. Ask me how I know...... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
ive pumped my brakes before...slid, hehe

the neutral makes sense...i guess thats why the last time i slid my rear turned to the right a little...

if your not on a highway...say...under 5mph and you start to slide...perhaps putting 2 wheels into the ditch for something to grab onto isnt a bad idea?
 
The only problem with hitting the snow in the ditch is that it's normally way thicker than it looks. When the plow goes by it will push the sloppy snow to the shoulder. This means you can have a hard, crusty layer sitting on top of soft powder. If your tire breaks through the crust and sinks into the soft snow you're totally fawked, even in a 4x4, trust me.

If you're approaching an intersection and you start to slide the best thing you can do is pop into neutral and steer onto the snow that hasn't been beat down by all the other traffic.

Maybe tomorrow I'll take the camera to work and snap a couple pics of the icy roads I've been dealing with for the last month. It will make most of you guys feel lucky to live where you do!!! /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif
 
You can gently brush your right front tire against the curb to help you stop if you're going under 10 mph or so.
 
Snow isn't too bad, but Ice is an unpredictable nightmare. For snow, good tires make a big difference, but nothing will help on ice. The only thing you can do is slow down.
 
my brother runs BFG A/Ts on his stock ford, I borrowed it last winter for a week or so, amazing my geolanders don't come close to how they performed on the ice. Stuck it in 4hi and it was like I was on dry pavement. You could stop at the last moment and you didn't even slip a little. It also had 4 wheel discs w/abs. Personally I think tires make all the difference on ice.
 
Main thing IMO to remember is you have more control while your tires are rotating rather than locked hence the reason why ABS work so well in slop. If you are driving a manual bang it into low gear and rev it until the tires grab then let off the gas and let the engine slow you. I have also used the curb trick to stop a nasty ice slide but this trick is less effective the bigger tires you have. I always make sure not to follow close and to have an out should I slide or my brakes fail be it a median, ditch, or snowbank. Hitting any of those is better than a car/person/building.

Going uphill remember you need to let off the gas when you break traction. Then just goose the throttle a little bit and sometimes that will work.
 
"thats not a good idea you will get compression braking and will loose the rearend out sideways, very hard to control"
I will second that, ebrake will do the same thing. The main things are imho
in order of importence

1 Slow down- just because all the other "suv" crowd thinks 4x4 and abs means ice and snow dont affect driving condtions doesnt mean its true.
2. fully functinal brakes-no pulls while braking and they stop as designed
3. Good tires- some will argue this, but go out in a icy parking lot and try to stop on bald tires, then go buy some new ones and see how much faster you can stop.
4. Weight- weight will help keep the truck planted and increase traction
5. Gentle use of brakes and gas, tires spining can have you side ways in a second, locked brakes will do the same.
6. be aware of the vechciles around you most people are idiots and will get you killed, Any body can be safe in ice/snow, its the dumba$$s that arent that hit you, ask me how I know.
7. do NOT use cruise control in ice/snow ask me how i know.
8. Beware of hard 2nd and 3rd gear shifts when your on slick $hit and your on the gas easy and 2nd gear hits hard say good by to traction ask how I know that too
9. 4x4 is great in the snow, and can help on ice to, it will prevent you from losing traction in the back and the back passing you,
10. drive slow, your not going to get there faster if you
1. get in a wreck
2. hit a person
3. die

:disclaimer: These are just my opinons gathered from my experince. Doing one or any combination of these will not gurantee that you will not slide, wreck or die. These are just my "tips" on ice/snow.

FWIW I drove a whole winter in a car with slicks and skinnies , a 3500 stall and 4;10 gears (and no heat)
I never got stuck and I never wrecked. If it can be done in that you should have no trouble with a 4x4
 
IMHO!
Find a frozen parking lot and get use to controlled sliding and power turns (although this is how I trashed two gov-locs)
again IMHO
brakes and ice dont mix give it a little gas and turn (providing your in 4wd) at the bottom of the hill, if you have to stop at the bottom of the hill look for an out and start lightly tapping the brakes on the way down (right foot over the gas for your out route, and left foot on the brake tapping)

I think the best driving skill for winter/snow driving is always have an out route... its hard to tell when someones going to slide in front of you or behind you or if your going to be the one sliding. In my daily driving I usually have a couple outs planned.
Second winter driving skill is definatly getting use to controlled skids and power turns (with all four tires spinning), then when it happens while driving on the road you have a feel for whats going on, your vehicle and how to control it.
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

I'll add this...
Find a frozen over parking lot (empty, if thats not a given) and punch it, accelerate quickly, lite-up all four tires up and try to keep it going straight (alot like mud!), then you can experience what its like to go from dry road to frozen, I've had to do this several times.. theres an imaginary line south of the town I live in that is seem to freeze north of it but not south of it /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif but in any case more than ocne I've been doing 60 coming home and hit black ice /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif talk about pucker factor /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Its all still practice and luck /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
Always slow down before crossing bridges and overpasses. The road without solid ground under it always ices more.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Always slow down before crossing bridges and overpasses. The road without solid ground under it always ices more.

[/ QUOTE ]

Overpasses and bridges are always the worst because they get the cold air blowing underneath them and over the top of them and no insulation from underneath, and that causes them to be the first things to freeze.
-Andrew /forums/images/graemlins/usaflag.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom