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Some non Jeepers seriously think they are invincible in a Snow Storm when in 4WD or AWD

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631_Islander

631_Islander

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Similar thing happened to me on my LSD sport, 2 door rubicon suspension. But in this case it was a snowplow and a pickup truck. I was in mammoth, in the middle of a wet snowstorm. Windy ass road, the road was covered in a solid sheet of ice. I had my oem A/T tires, no chains. We were sliding extremely easy under 20 mph, so I got out and drop the tire pressure considerably and obviously turned 4HI. The high center of gravity, and the short wheelbase makes the 2 door wrangler perhaps one of the worst vehicle I've driven in winter conditions. Great traction, can't really get stuck, but at speeds, stability is horrendous.

I lived 10 years in Vermont and had a half an hour commute to work on rural roads, drove on blizzars, NEVER had an accident. I know WHAT is safe and what isnt, and it is all about speed. You can feel what speed you can drive at based on the vehicle. It makes 100% sense on a light 2 door Wrangler, on a windy icy road, it will be extremely unstable.

Anyway, we were driving 20~25. And I had a snowplow tailgating me badly, and of course I wanted to let the snowplow pass for the guy to do his job! but I had to wait until I could find a safe area to slow down and stop, braking abruptly is the worst thing!. Anyway, I start slowing down slowly and turn my signal to get on the side of the road and let him pass, he accelerates and passes me on the right, starts sliding all over the road and almost falls through a f!king cliff!. His buddy behind, on a pickup truck has the balls to stop next to me and tell me I am driving very dangerously.... People these days.... I wish everyone drove slower on snow.
Wife and I wanted our second Jeep to be a 2 door as she prefers driving smaller vehicles. She loves my Rubicon but finds it too big for her driving tastes. Currently she drives an old 2009 Civic Sedan as she likes small cars. instability in the Snow is a huge dent in that purchase plan of ours....
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No doubt that driver was being an idiot. But I generally find that the Wrangler isn't as stable driving at speed going down a snow covered road. I've had/have Audis and BMWs. Too many to list really. Almost all of them felt/feel more confident at speed (without driving like an idiot). Jeep will get you unstuck better of course.
 

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Wife and I wanted our second Jeep to be a 2 door as she prefers driving smaller vehicles. The instability in the Snow is a huge dent in that purchase plan of ours.
It is scary man! never driven anything like that in my life on bad conditions. Luckily I live in Los Angeles. It isnt an issue in the mountains here because city people see one snowflake and drive at 5MPH. But in the sierra towns where they are used to snow they drive their trucks much faster. Becomes an issue for this damn Jeep that feels so unsafe.
 
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It is scary man! never driven anything like that in my life on bad conditions. Luckily I live in Los Angeles now.
Having experienced a 2 door Jeep in snow, would you think it is even more unstable versus a small sedan like a 4 door civic? If so, we might as well buy a brand new civic or accord for her as another 4 door Jeep may not help her at all.
 

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Wife and I wanted our second Jeep to be a 2 door as she prefers driving smaller vehicles. She loves my Rubicon but finds it too big for her driving tastes. Currently she drives an old 2009 Civic Sedan as she likes small cars. instability in the Snow is a huge dent in that purchase plan of ours....
It's really not that bad, just have decent tires and some common sense. It's infinitely better than every jeep made until they started added 2 more doors. Less wheelbase will affect stability, but respect what you're driving and you'll be fine.

Edit: It will probably not be as stable as a civic :CWL:
 

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Having experienced a 2 door Jeep in snow, would you think it is even more unstable versus a small sedan like a 4 door civic? If so, we might as well buy a brand new civic or accord for her as another 4 door Jeep may not help her at all.
100%. I had a jeep patriot and a tiny 2013 corolla in Vermont. And yes the Jeep feels worst than the corolla. But keep in mind I always had snow tires on the corolla which makes a big difference. If you put snow tires on the jeep it is probably much much better. But think about it, it is a recipe for disaster. High center of gravity, short wheelbase, light truck. Stability is very important in snowy conditions. If the road is straight it wont feel bad, bud on a windy road it is nerve wracking. You just have to drive much slower, then youd be fine, and yiu are never getting stuck.
 

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Lived in the snowy lands for many years, and made long commutes. I cannot begin to tell you the number of times folks went flying by my TJ in winter storms only to wind up stuck in the ditch or median strip a few miles down the road. If you’ll drive a 4wd the same way you’d drive it if it was 2wd they’re basically unstoppable. If you drive it 20-30 mph faster, you “will” get in trouble.
 

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Sorry, losing my patience in my old age..., I would have hooked the tow line right to the front fascia and ripped that fu$ker right off that Douchewagon (German for Audi)... God bless you sir.., you are a fine man.. I have pulled many people out of ditches, snow banks, etc.., but that guy could have hurt a lot of people. Stay well Jeeptroplis.
 

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@631_Islander

Audi's are crazy, they wanted $3400 just for the headlight and another ~$300 for the install at the Audi dealership in G'ville SC

Though a calamity of errors by the Audi dealership in Charlotte, they did right by me and sold the headlight to me at their cost. Still cost my son in college a bunch of $. However, he learned two valuable lessons:

1. When you drive a 4x4 truck (Hummer H3T w/manual, one of 56 made), double check your surroundings for black Audi A6's hiding in dark parking lots.

2. Never buy an Audi.

Anyway, the Audi was fixed and lessons learned.

Oh and my $0.015: Jeeps and Hummers, especially those with manual gearboxes, are way cooler than Audi's

Jeep Wrangler JL Some non Jeepers seriously think they are invincible in a Snow Storm when in 4WD or AWD H3T.JPG


Anyway, it was great that a couple of Jeep folks took the high road and helped the Audi driver.
 

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I suppose I'm fortunate in that we don't seem to have the degree of dangerous driving during winter weather events that others have mentioned in this thread thus far. Almost everyone slows down; the few rubes that race on down the road are left to their own devices. The cold and the snow do provide a respite from the summer nitwits in their ricers and on their Harleys. I knew I liked the cold for a reason. :)

I will say that, having taken my JLU out in the snow now, its perceived stability (when being driven sanely, natch) doesn't compare as well to its predecessors as I had hoped. This is a bit disappointing, if I'm honest, but I've already adjusted my driving style. My Ridgeline was very confidence-inspiring, even with Michelin LTX A/S on all four corners. My VW Golf with proper winter radials on the front was a real go-getter; genuinely impressive in anything but truly bad unplowed roads.
 

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Was dropping my mom off at work early morning today at around 5:30 here on Long Island. It was blinding Snow, Sleet with significant ground accumulations, a biting wind and even worst wind chills. On top of that it is still fully dark out.

I get on the single lane road that goes straight to her work place. The Road is coated in a thick layer of Snow with a very thin layer of Sleet underneath. Speed Limit is 40MPH (65 kmph for my fellow non American or non British Jeepers). I put my JLUR in 4Hi and take it easy going at about 30 to 35MPH (50 to about 55kmph). Besides me, there are some Pickup Trucks who are doing the same speed as me (a Tacoma, a 1500, a Titan and a Jeep Gladiator). Usually we can go about 50MPH on that road (80 kmph).

While I am driving, this little prick in a brand new Audi A4 AWD station wagon is rapidly closing the gap behind me and then starts tail gating in blinding snow! He had the gall to start flickering his beams at me and asking me to speed up. When the road opened up and became a two lane, he cuts me and two Pickup Trucks off while honking his horn. Just near my mom's work place, the douche ends up spinning out of control and is stuck in a snow bank. I drop my mom off and then go back just five minutes later The guy is out there waiting for someone to tow him out.

While I wanted to pull down my window and flip him off, I felt bad and stopped; as did a fella in a JKU Sahara who looked like a gentleman in his early to mid 50s. The JKU Sahara owner had a tow rope on him and the two of us helped get the guy out of the snow bank. It had become obvious to us that the poor soul has no idea how to even hook up a tow rope. So I put helped put the Rope on the Audi while the JKU Sahara owner connected to his Jeep and got him out. The guy looked just extremely embarrassed as he know I am same JLU Rubicon owner he had cut off just some minutes ago. Afterwards I called him out for cutting me off in front of the JKU Sahara owner; who begrudgingly told him that having an AWD in a Luxury German Car does not make you invincible. He told him that if Jeeps and heavier vehicles are taking it easy, he always fails to understand why people in their Audis or BMWs or AWD Nissans think they are God.

Don't know about others but I have also experienced the same. Our fellow Jeepers and many Pickup Truck drivers tend to still take it very easy in the Snow as we know what can happen. It is always that one idiot in a BWM or Mercedes or Audi or Lexus that thinks they are God in the Snow with their computer controlled AWD system. This is despite a Jeep or a Pickup Truck being a lot more capable in inclement weather versus these AWD cars. Wonder when these folks will learn???

Sidenote: The JLU Factory LED Headlamps are an absolute disaster in the Snow as there is significant reflection from the surface. Hope I get used to that over time. Otherwise, I love my Jeep!
I was doing the same as u this morning but for my wife. Taking her to the hospital for work at 530 but here in pa.

this was my first snow in my Jeep. No way I was going over 30 even. It was bad.

I think what you did was good karma for you but also sooo funny you called him out. Way way way more rewarding then a flip off he would have not even thought about. You had his attention in person.

golf clap to you!
 

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I don’t know about all this 4x4, awd talk. I lived in Buffalo for 5 years for college. My parents stuck me up there with a 4 door Saturn that weighed like 100 lbs soaking wet. Damn car was all plastic. And I never ever got stuck or slid off the road. I got everywhere. Never missed a day of skiing. I think that’s why I’m so good in snow now back home.

let me tell you I was tee-boned in that Saturn by myself thankfully New Year’s Day. I was dropping my grand mother off after church. That Saturn exploded. There was no body left at all. There was plastic everywhere. The cop was like man all u got left are a bunch of amps and subs in your trunk. Lol. I’ll never forget it. I should have been killed. I was totally fine. Well that led to my first truck purchase after college. A 2000 grand Cherokee.
 
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I grew up driving in lots of snow with only rear wheel drive cars. My 72 Gran Torino station wagon was great fun in the snow. I’ve never had 4wd or AWD to this day but am planning to order a JL after the first of the year. When I get it I don’t plan to drive much differently in the snow than I did with rwd or fwd other than starting off will likely be better. Ok I might when alone in a safe place to “see what it can and can’t do”

The coolest part of your story is you helped him. I would too. This is a great forum Full of good people.
 

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I don't know how people have a hard time with a Jeep in snow. My TJ Sport with a 44 LSD rear has been the most capable snow vehicle I have had. It was better than my old '77 Dodge M880 and that was a beast of a truck.

The lighter Jeep with capable tires is more maneuverable and has less mass to stop or make change direction. In heavy virgin snow, mud tires did OK. Not so great on packed snow though.

Now I have the JL with Duratracs. It made it up the mountain yesterday in about 4 inches of snow with a heavy layer of sleet on top. 4low with both diffs locked just crawled right up. The road is too steep for the state to accept it just as a reference to what I mean by up.

OP, you are a better person than me. I would have pulled up to the Audi in the ditch, rolled down the window and been....

Jeep Wrangler JL Some non Jeepers seriously think they are invincible in a Snow Storm when in 4WD or AWD hqdefault
 
 



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