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Question about driving K5 in the snow?

R

RJB44

1/2 ton status
Joined
Dec 3, 2005
Posts
238
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Location
Northern Virginia
Hi, We just got hammered with about 26 inches of snow here in northern VA and since this is a place not accustom to large volume snow, I need to get feedback on getting around. Maybe some folks in other parts of the country have regularly driven in bad (snow) winters with their K5. Anyways, I have a 91 K5 with 4 inch lift and 35 inch tires and I am wondering if I should venture out onto my street, which is unplowed and with drifts. Unfortunately I have a long drive which is a essential a hill and I do not intent to shovel it.I have been able to get through the snow on the flat areas of the driveway just using 4 HIGH. Actually did that to pack the snow with tires.

Based on the specs, using 4 HIGH or 4 LOW, do you think I should be able to get around, or will the K5 just bog down and spin. I just don't want to end up stuck on the street when the local plows come by. Basically avoiding the "I told you so"

Thanks for the input.

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When I lived in Oregon and Idaho, I drove my K5 in the snow all the time. Ran great in the snow...never needed 4Low, always just used 4High.

In the winter of 2008-09, we got hit with about two feet of snow in the Portland area...I used chains on all four tires and got around with no problem at all...made several trips from Portland to Mt Hood for snowboarding during the blizzard...I was able to drive anywhere with the chains on all four tires. The only reason I used the chains was because we had a layer of ice under the snow.

Snow is easier to drive through than mud...
 
I'm in Northern Va too,snow sucks. I got my Sub out today finally,no lift 33's got around fine in 4wd Hi.
 
Tall skinny tires are much better than wide ones in snow..but with 4wd,you can get around pretty well with big tires,IF you have sufficient weight in the truck..chains are nice in real poor road conditions,I have used them a few times on all 4 wheels when I lived on a very steep hill in a town that was full of roads cut into the sides of mountains farther north--its like having your own personal tank!..I never use 4 low much,not even for plowing--but it IS handy to crawl DOWN a steep hill so you wont need to use the brakes..

You might still get stuck,hung up on deep drifts,or slide off the road,so I'd at least have a come-a-long with me,a winch is real handy for self recovery..
It will take time to get used to driving in the deep stuff--just be careful not to get it rolling too fast,its easy to get moving in 4wd,so easy you get over confident and unfortunately,a 4x4 stops NO better than a car with slicks will once you get that 3 ton monster rolling!..I have had to plant my truck in a snowbank a few ties rather than hit another vehicle when the ass end tried passing me a few times,a plow up front makes for some real squirrely rear end slide outs,and its easy to do a 180 without even trying ..SLOW is the key word in snow,go just fast enough to maintain forward momentum and you'll be OK..
 
The 33's on my 80 do not like to do a quick stop in the snow. But like "diesel4me" said, take it slow and you will be fine.
 
No luck

Well... I got down my driveway no problems (of course its down hill) and then tried to get through the unlpowed stuff, no luck. The snow is above my differentials. Tried 4 LOW, but the tires just spin. If I go a few feet then back up then go few more, I might make it. I do have to go up a incline on my street. I was only able to get back up my drive by making 4-5 runs at it, each time packing the snow with the tires. On about the fifth or so try, with a good start, and all four tires throwing snow everywhere, I made it up (barely!).

My Neighbor has a 97 F250 with six inches of lift and about the same tire size, he also could not get up the street in 4 Low. Looks like were stuck here until the local plows come by sometime on Tuesday, according to local Highway Department. I live in a cul-de-sac, so those subdivisions are last to get plowed.
 
RJB44 said:
Hi, We just got hammered with about 26 inches of snow here in northern VA and since this is a place not accustom to large volume snow, I need to get feedback on getting around. Maybe some folks in other parts of the country have regularly driven in bad (snow) winters with their K5. Anyways, I have a 91 K5 with 4 inch lift and 35 inch tires and I am wondering if I should venture out onto my street, which is unplowed and with drifts. Unfortunately I have a long drive which is a essential a hill and I do not intent to shovel it.I have been able to get through the snow on the flat areas of the driveway just using 4 HIGH. Actually did that to pack the snow with tires.

Based on the specs, using 4 HIGH or 4 LOW, do you think I should be able to get around, or will the K5 just bog down and spin. I just don't want to end up stuck on the street when the local plows come by. Basically avoiding the "I told you so"

Thanks for the input.
Click to expand...

Dude
Your truck looks like mine:crazy: I'm in Smithfield, WV and have the same issue with snow. My girl drives just great in it:D
 
20" of snow here in the north of Spain three weeks ago.
I didn,t have troubles with my 33" BF all Terrain and open diffs.
In my opinion,the trouble with the k5 is the ice.At leas with 33" and 35" tires,they are too much widht.
Before the BFs i had Yokohamas Super Diggers ,they were under the 50% of their furrow when i bought the truck,and it was a suicide to drive that in the snow.
 
I have an 89 with 31x10.50's no lift, I got buried!!

  • I hit a drift on a dirt road and sunk! When I opened my door the snow was level with the floorboard!!!! My in-laws had a tahoe and followed my tracks in reverse and were able to get me out. A 6" lift might have prevented it, but I don't even think it would have. it was one hell of a drift. but it did fine other than that drift. Moved around in 4high all over the snowy roads, and from the sound of it, I'll get to 2morrow!
 
I took my '90 out in the snow a couple weeks ago for fun and did manage to get stuck. I'll admit I got over confident thinking I could out-perform my brother's yota and ended up stuck. Had mine up to the rockers on stock lift with 33's.

Shovels and recovery straps my friend...
 
I took the truck out sunday to try and make a path down my street . with 4" lift and 37's I did good. had to back up a couple times and hit it again, but made it to the main road. then it was a piece of cake after that. thats with about 30 inches of snow. VDOT came thru after that and cleaned up for a short till he got stuck. we dug him out twice and he went home without finishing. :rolleyes:
I got pics, will load later.
 
I wonder if the front axle holds us back in the deep snow. Even with a lift and big tires, if the front axle is under the snow it acts like a plow and you have to go back and fourth until you push yourself through (unless you get stuck and end up digging yourself deeper and spinning... then you need to get pulled out)

I'm only saying because my brother's yota has IFS and seems to have more ground clearance up front. He has a like a 4" lift, but his tire size is stock 31" and he can crawl in circles around me in the deep stuff, while i get stuck. Maybe its his gearing (4.10s) and diesel backed by an auto tranny, I don't know

pics here:
http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=266129
 
Snow

Finally got our street plowed by VDOT Monday morning. Another 10-20 expected between Tuesday and Wednesday here in NoVA area. I agree, the front diff does act as a plow and pushes the snow if high enough. If the snow is light and fluffy, you will get through it in 4 HI, or at least 4 LO. Even wet snow will flatten out easier then the rock hard stuff. Best to wait until the sun hits the top of the snow to soften it up. I have 35x12.50 tires, which works good for compressing the snow, but like crap for traction. Nothing aggressive in terms of tread. I see a couple old beater blazers (rust buckets) running around with plows. I have heard that these can be decent plow trucks for parking lots and driveways. I hear the trans hold up well under the stress of plowing, just not the bodies.
 
Went snow wheeling last weekend here in California, had a blast. ran about 20 miles in 2 feet of snow with a bunch of blazers, broncos, yotas, and a Nissan. Air down, we run about 12 psi and your traction go up by orders of magnitude. Take it slow and you will have no problems.

Cheers,

Rufus
 
stuck my tonner in a drift or two here but they were hard enough to stand on. I use wheel speed and momentum to get though most things.
 
x2 on what rufusbooth said. Air down! I had a stock k5 when I lived back home in mass. Never had a problem aired down on 33x12.50's
 
Most of us were running between 32 and 35 inch tires on 15 inch rims. We ran between 12 and 15 PSI. Nobody had beadlocks and we did not have any beads break loose (10 trucks). Snow is much more forgiving and less likely to pop a bead than rocks and such, especialy if you are on a normal road that is paved and trying to get from point a to point b. We were climbing hills and trying to get stuck (only succeeded 2 times :D)

Basically when you air down you get more if the tire surface area on the hard pack. the lower you go, the more traction you get. It is amazing where you can go once aired down. It is like installing spikes on your tires.

Rufus
 
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