Winter Traction

oughtsix wrote:
In my opinion a 2wd pickup is about the most dangerous vehicle on snow and ice. My first vehicle was a 2wd pickup some 28 years ago. It was useless on snow and ice no matter how many sand bags I put over the rear axle. Rear wheel drive and minimal weight over the drive wheels makes 2wd pickups want to fish tail a lot resulting in complete loss of control. They are similarly bad when it comes to breaking, the back wants to whip around to the front. I still have a 2wd pickup today and it is just as bad on snow and ice as my first 2wd pickup no matter how much weight I put in the bed.

I never drive my 2wd pickup in snow or ice. If you can get away without driving your 2wd pickup during bad conditions I encourage you to do so. If you have to drive it in bad conditions I encourage you to buy some good quality winter tires. I am lucky here in Oregon in that studs are still legal. If studs are outlawed in your state please look at good studdless tires along with the weight in the back of the bed.

I have been hit twice by 2wd pickups during icy conditions. The second time the pickup totaled my car in an icy intersection because it was unable to stop, turn or do anything because it was completely out of control.

Please drive safely!

True only when a bad drivers with little to no snow driving skills are at the wheel.
As mentioned a 2 wheel drive vehicle can be driven safely with a bit of weight added above the axles.
4x4 and FWD vehicles have not been in the mainstream forever. People have traveled through lots of snowstorms with only RWD vehicles.

Since the proliferation of FWD and 4x4 vehicles people no longer learn/know how to drive in the snow. They rely solely on the added capability of the vehicle.

Their have been great advances in traction and the ability to go forward. Unfortunately there have not been the same advancements when it comes to stopping.

Consequently you often see 4x4 vehicles flipped over or in some precarious situation when it snows as a result of driver error/inexperience.

john&bet wrote:

oughtsix wrote:
In my opinion a 2wd pickup is about the most dangerous vehicle on snow and ice. My first vehicle was a 2wd pickup some 28 years ago. It was useless on snow and ice no matter how many sand bags I put over the rear axle. Rear wheel drive and minimal weight over the drive wheels makes 2wd pickups want to fish tail a lot resulting in complete loss of control. They are similarly bad when it comes to breaking, the back wants to whip around to the front. I still have a 2wd pickup today and it is just as bad on snow and ice as my first 2wd pickup no matter how much weight I put in the bed.

I never drive my 2wd pickup in snow or ice. If you can get away without driving your 2wd pickup during bad conditions I encourage you to do so. If you have to drive it in bad conditions I encourage you to buy some good quality winter tires. I am lucky here in Oregon in that studs are still legal. If studs are outlawed in your state please look at good studdless tires along with the weight in the back of the bed.

I have been hit twice by 2wd pickups during icy conditions. The second time the pickup totaled my car in an icy intersection because it was unable to stop, turn or do anything because it was completely out of control.

Please drive safely!

I have seen 4x4's do all those bad things in South Dakota, Ill.,and Indiana in the winter time. Just as out of control as 2wd and just as stuck. JMHE.

Well I drove a 4X2 for years and in the snow without much trouble I did add a bit of weight, but more important is good tires!! The next thing is to drive within the the capabilities of the truck. What you get with 4X4 is traction, but MORE IMPORTANT is CONTROL!!!! The stopping power of a 4X4 is no better than a 4X2 given equal tires.
The reason you see more 4X4's in the ditch during bad conditions is many are sold that "With the 4X4 and Traction Control you can drive anywhere and at normal speed"!!! Thus they over drive the abilities of the vehicle and their abilities!

In my opinion a 2wd pickup is about the most dangerous vehicle on snow and ice. My first vehicle was a 2wd pickup some 28 years ago. It was useless on snow and ice no matter how many sand bags I put over the rear axle. Rear wheel drive and minimal weight over the drive wheels makes 2wd pickups want to fish tail a lot resulting in complete loss of control. They are similarly bad when it comes to breaking, the back wants to whip around to the front. I still have a 2wd pickup today and it is just as bad on snow and ice as my first 2wd pickup no matter how much weight I put in the bed.

I never drive my 2wd pickup in snow or ice. If you can get away without driving your 2wd pickup during bad conditions I encourage you to do so. If you have to drive it in bad conditions I encourage you to buy some good quality winter tires. I am lucky here in Oregon in that studs are still legal. If studs are outlawed in your state please look at good studdless tires along with the weight in the back of the bed.

I have been hit twice by 2wd pickups during icy conditions. The second time the pickup totaled my car in an icy intersection because it was unable to stop, turn or do anything because it was completely out of control.

I have to disagree, most of the "rolled over" vehicles are 4x4 or four wheel drive. spend a lot time driving the frozen North's highways and byways, I can say that all the vehicles in the ditches or on their roofs in the meridians are four wheel drive of some kind. these drivers think because they have four wheel drive it makes them invincible to winter driving conditions, they drive above and beyond the road conditions. its very similar to when ABS braking first came out, drivers thought they could stop quicker or in shorter distances, that was not the idea of ABS systems. ABS was to give the operator more control in adverse conditions where the ABS would not allow wheel lockup-skidding.

I used to swing by the local concrete plant, and I would buy a quarter yard of washed sand. They would load it into the back of the truck and I was good to go. In the spring I would shovel it out where needed around the farm.

It will freeze into a lump for most of the winter, but that wasn't a problem.

Use sand bags. You do not want that other junk sliding or rolling around in the bed.

oughtsix wrote:
In my opinion a 2wd pickup is about the most dangerous vehicle on snow and ice. My first vehicle was a 2wd pickup some 28 years ago. It was useless on snow and ice no matter how many sand bags I put over the rear axle. Rear wheel drive and minimal weight over the drive wheels makes 2wd pickups want to fish tail a lot resulting in complete loss of control. They are similarly bad when it comes to breaking, the back wants to whip around to the front. I still have a 2wd pickup today and it is just as bad on snow and ice as my first 2wd pickup no matter how much weight I put in the bed.

I never drive my 2wd pickup in snow or ice. If you can get away without driving your 2wd pickup during bad conditions I encourage you to do so. If you have to drive it in bad conditions I encourage you to buy some good quality winter tires. I am lucky here in Oregon in that studs are still legal. If studs are outlawed in your state please look at good studdless tires along with the weight in the back of the bed.

I have been hit twice by 2wd pickups during icy conditions. The second time the pickup totaled my car in an icy intersection because it was unable to stop, turn or do anything because it was completely out of control.

Please drive safely!

I have seen 4x4's do all those bad things in South Dakota, Ill.,and Indiana in the winter time. Just as out of control as 2wd and just as stuck. JMHE.

It wasn't that long ago that almost every pickup on the road was 2WD. We got around just fine even in the winter.

Sand bags are good for all the reasons mentioned. After a freezing rain it's best to chain up or just stay in.

In my opinion a 2wd pickup is about the most dangerous vehicle on snow and ice. My first vehicle was a 2wd pickup some 28 years ago. It was useless on snow and ice no matter how many sand bags I put over the rear axle. Rear wheel drive and minimal weight over the drive wheels makes 2wd pickups want to fish tail a lot resulting in complete loss of control. They are similarly bad when it comes to breaking, the back wants to whip around to the front. I still have a 2wd pickup today and it is just as bad on snow and ice as my first 2wd pickup no matter how much weight I put in the bed.

I never drive my 2wd pickup in snow or ice. If you can get away without driving your 2wd pickup during bad conditions I encourage you to do so. If you have to drive it in bad conditions I encourage you to buy some good quality winter tires. I am lucky here in Oregon in that studs are still legal. If studs are outlawed in your state please look at good studdless tires along with the weight in the back of the bed.

I have been hit twice by 2wd pickups during icy conditions. The second time the pickup totaled my car in an icy intersection because it was unable to stop, turn or do anything because it was completely out of control.

Please drive safely!

I use sand bags in my 4x4. I get two bags a Lowes and in the spring I spead them over the garden.

Another option is a fiberglass canopy. They weigh over 200lbs typically, while providing a nice covered storage area.