Tips for driving 4WD Tracs in Snow?

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Gavin Allan

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What is the "right way" to drive in snow with our Tracs? Pat gave some great tips for driving on sand in another thread. I would like to get some ideas from other Trac owners for driving in snow.



I am ashamed to say that I have gotten stuck on level pavement in snow more than once in my 4WD Trac. Traction Control was worthless. Selecting 4X4 high or low was worthless. It seemed that if I could have kept my wheels spinning, I could have dug down to the pavement and got some traction, but instead the traction control seemed intent on preventing any wheel spin, and it alternated what little power was available back and forth from one wheel to another, but no spin. Turning Traction control off was no help either (holding the button down for 10 seconds).



What am I doing wrong?



I have not had this problem with other 4WD vehicles (rangers, B-4000s, Subaru Outback, CJ-7, etc.)
 
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The first tip is to have the right tires...either snow oriented like Continental Extreme Contact DWS or actual snow tires like Blizzak. The next tip is more open for discussion. I've heard from some that you should be in 4x4 hi with traction control off, as this will give you better control and predictability in driving. I'm looking forward to hearing more input, and even more, to trying it out! I've driven everything under the sun EXCEPT a 4x4, and never been stuck in even the worst storms, so I'm so I can't wait to drive my Trac!
 
Tires with good tread, I don't run snow tires personally, just All Terains. When they are getting lower on tread life, i spin a lot more. Other tip is to go easy on the gas pedal, don't "goose" it. Also put some weight in the bed for better traction over the rear wheels.
 
Gavin,

I was born and raised in Northeastern Ohio, and spent much of my military career living in Germany, Washington, DC. Indiana, and Kansas. And worked for a company with their corporate offices in Bismarck, ND. I have spent most of my early life living, working and driving in snow country. I now live in Texas because I got tired of shoveling snow..:angry:



The secret to driving in snow and ice (2wd or 4wd) is to not make any quick movements of any kind....do not change directions or momentum too quickly. Accelerate slowly, stop slowly, and steer slowly, no sharp or abrupt movements. Do not follow too closely, and leave yourself plenty of room around your vehicle at all times....just in case you start to slide, you will have room to make corrections or to get out of someone's way if they lost control.



I always like to test how slippery the roads are from time to time by quickly tapping my brakes when there is no other traffic around. That lets me know my traction limits and I can adjust my driving to fit the road conditions. I recommend practicing this technique in a a large empty parking lot before attempting this while driving on a slick road. Actually, you probably should practice winter/snow driving by using a large empty parking lot as a skid-pad and practice skidding and correcting skids and see how your vehicle handles and reacts when driving in snow.



Also, be alert for Black Ice. Black Ice is a nearly invisible thin patch of ice on the road that does not have a glassy sheen like typical ice does. It may appear as a slightly darker patch of pavement or even a slight damp spot. It often appears to be a shadow on the road from nearby trees, etc, but it's that shadow that has kept the sun from melting the ice. Hitting Black Ice on a curve, or when you are trying to stop or accelerate can throw the car out of control very quickly.



...Rich
 
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Well said Richard, wish more people both knew AND followed your advice. Also it pays to carry a spare blanket water, power snacks, and and other standard emergency gear in your truck. Make sure you have a good 50/50 mix in your radiator, and a low temp and full windshield washer fluid.
 
No 1 Rule: Remember.. its 4 wheel DRIVE.. not 4 Wheel STOP.

the brakes on your Trac are the same as on your 2 wheel drive..



4 wheel drive helps you Get going.. so do not go any faster than you would if you were in a 2 wheel drive vehicle.



steady pace is the best..
 
Actually, you probably should practice winter/snow driving by using a large empty parking lot as a skid-pad and practice skidding and correcting skids and see how your vehicle handles and reacts when driving in snow.



I nearly got arrested in my youth for this exact thing. Although not in snow, I was learning how my '69 Cougar reacted under different amounts of throttle and steering inputs. Practicing [evasive] driving is apparently frowned upon in my hometown.
 
"Practicing" evasive driving or making donuts? :grin:
 
I need to put some winter tires on my '07 which currently has P235/65/R18 all seasons. One tire supplier said that he recommends I go to R16 for winter tires because they tend to handle the snow better and will be a cheaper price as R16s are far more common to come by. Another supplier said he doesn't agree with that logic but says if I do drop to R16 for winters I should go with 70, not the 65. Any thoughts out there by you Trac owners who drive in the snow?
 
One thing I can add is to learn to shift into neutral when traction is poor. This is a good practice for any automatic transmission car or truck, unless the owner's manual says otherwise. I've found myself on black ice, surrounded by wrecks, and simply switching out of gear helped me stay put as others slid around out of control.



Bruce, I just bought a set of snow/ice tires for my '07 Limited. I was thinking about finding 17" or 16" rims to mount my winter tires on, but after thinking about it for a while, I decided to use my factory 18" rims. If you already own a set of 16" or 17" rims that are right for the Sport Trac, you can save a few dollars on tires, but the smaller tire diameter will NOT give you any advantage over the 235mm track of the 18" rim/tire combination.



For winter driving you want a smaller contact patch in order to punch through the snow. For a given weight, fewer square inches of contact patch means more PSI of downforce (not to be confused with tire pressure) to keep the tires planted. Since you're not going to be able to do any high performance turning in the snow, any potential advantages of a larger contact patch are moot, and narrower tires rule.



BTW, lowering tire pressure in the snow is the opposite of what you want to do! NEVER drive on public roads with less than the recommended tire pressure! Ideal tire pressure will create a flat contact patch, which is nominal for all conditions. Lowering tire pressure on road tires will cause the center of the contact patch to recede, creating a pocket that traps snow and water, and leads to hydroplaning. Conversely, raising tire pressure will expand the center part, making it easier to clear snow and water while driving. If you're not using special winter tires, raising tire pressure slightly is a "cheap trick" that will improve stability in the snow.



If you go down to a 17" rim, the recommended tire is 245mm wide, which is actually worse! I was able to get my favorite snow/ice tire, the Michelin X-Ice in 235-65R18 for ~$1000 installed, which is significantly cheaper than the ~$1800 that I'd have to pay to get smaller winter tires and the rims for them. But since I found the tire I wanted in the size of the rims I already had, there was no advantage to owning more rims. I also didn't need to worry about the speedometer being wrong either.



Winter tires are only made in the fall, so plan on buying new winter tires when the latest batch is coming out of the factories. That will guarantee the availability of a wide range of tires in the size that you need, and help ensure that you're getting brand new tires. Tires do age over time, and you don't want to buy a tire that was made a year or two ago if you can help it.

 
Thanks a bunch, Mustang Guy. You should be called "Tire Guy" rather than Mustang Guy. You write as though you are in the business of tires. Yes? No? Either way, I really appreciate all your insight.
 
Mustang Guy,

I agree with everything you said in your post, however I disagree with shifting into neutral for better traction.....that practice is very unsafe. Simple letting off the gas a little before encountering ice will allow the vehicle to coast over the ice. The problem with shifting into neutral is that Black Ice is often not visible and you don't know you are on it until the vehicle starts to slide.



Yes, I agree that wide tires in snow do not provide good traction. Narrow tires are better because they have more weight concentrated on the contact patch and allow the tire to dig in and compress the snow to get traction.



...Rich
 
It
seemed that if I could have kept my wheels spinning, I could have dug down to the pavement and got some traction, but instead the traction control seemed intent on preventing any wheel spin, and it alternated what little power was available back and forth from one wheel to another, but no spin. Turning Traction control off was no help either (holding the button down for 10 seconds).



Any thoughts on this?



Thanks for the advice.
 
Continuously spinning the tires doesn't work well. How long would that have to continue - until all the snow to where you are going is gone? If the snow is deep enough, you may end-up sinking into it and stuck.



Don't mean to be sarcastic, but yes, that is the purpose of traction control - to keep the wheels from spinning.



Good suggestions from people here. Traction Control off (so you have continuous power); second gear (so acceleration is smooth). Slow and steady wins the race with snow.
 
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hmmm... Maybe that is the problem- my traction control doesn't really turn off. Even with it disabled, it still reduces engine power and will not let it go enough to pull itself along. I am talking about 4-5" of snow on level pavment. Very embarassing for a 4x4 pickup to be stuck this way. I will say that was with the crappy OEM michelin cross-terrain tires with about 1/32 tread left.
 
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