Driving in snow / ice…any tips?

[mcjeff]

In Charlotte, just don’t If you can avoid it. I did when I lived in Atlanta - from Buffalo - guess who the over-confident idiot was that spun out and hit a cement mailbox?

Me. I’m the idiot. Southern winter storms are a different breed.

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[J0E]

Ice takes experience. Having iced raced in Montana I can say there's no substitute for studs on ice + experience. I somehow talked my Dad into letting me take the car on my paper route when I was 12 y.o. I quickly learned that our 69 Pontiac Catalina with 4 studded tires was more fun on ice than the 63 IH Scout (4 cylinder) with 4 studded tires and generally better for ice racing.

Ice is so much different than rock crawling. My GF had never off roaded before. After a few hours of her crawling with me, I had her driving through very difficult crawling obstacles with me spotting. An automatic and lockers was all she needed. She even bumped it a few times. But ice is a different story. Ignore all the safety-crats. Just like my paper route days, from 2 AM to 5 AM is the best time to learn to drive on ice. Who knows when ice driving is going to come in handy. Everyone in Montana (and surrounding states) drives fast on ice and snow. Every skier drives fast on snow and ice. I've done 115 MPH on pure ice with studs, but at 115 the centrifugal force pulls them out and it sounds like a machine gun going off. Limit your speed with studs to double digits.

Even if you don't have studs, get out there an learn to drive on snow/ice.

If you have lockers, go to a parking lot and see how fast you can go in a circle with the rears locked. You'll quickly go into a spin. Then try all 4 lockers to experience how you can't turn. Lockers are awesome when you're stuck or going through deep snow in a straight line.

Remember in snow 4H is your friend, For ice, nothing but chains or a true winter tire (Blizzak or similar)

Good chains properly tightened have a max speed of about 35 MPH. Save them for off-road and deep snow where they rule.

Any ice racer can tell you 4H is guaranteed spin out going around a corner if you have a locked transfer case like most transfer cases:

You can order a Rubicon with Auto 4WD but no Wrangler is available with AWD. I can't comment on how well Auto 4WD works on ice. I know Audio's, Sub's, and other good AWD systems with 4 studs have a huge advantage accelerating around a corner. If it's slick snow and not ice, a balanced 4 WD in high range is OK as some slippage is tolerable. By balanced I mean put some weight in the back of a pickup.

How much acceleration do you need going over 50 MPH? Not much if you're not racing, so 2 WD is fine. The Jeep Auto 4WD is probably pretty good on ice. I'll never know since I spend my winters in Hawaii.

Air down a little to get traction with those tires, as mentioned they aren't great in snow & ice on pavement. Stay away from the lockers.

Air down on ice with studded tires to put more studs on the ground. Going through deep snow, don't air down. Lockers guarantee you can't turn.

if you drive over any bridges do the following
-slow down BEFORE the bridge
-make sure you are aimed correctly for the exit of the bridge
-do NOT move the wheel, brakes, or gas while on the bridge.

i have driven on the highway in freezing rain / sleet many times over the years. The bridges were almost always covered in ice.

Yes, consider bridges pure ice.

As others have mentioned, 4 WD helps you accelerate but not stop. I've recovered over 100 mall crawlers in the ditch.

 

[JSFoster75]

We just got a dose of snow. Last week it was ice.

The best thing to do is assume everyone else that is out is a moron. That's the way they are here anyway.

Driving too fast for conditions, tailgating, sliding into others, sliding in the ditch, on their phones, smoking their blunts, etc.

Until I got my Jeep, I drove a 2WD pickup (really 1WD cuz no positrack) that weighs nothing in the back.

I got around fine in the snow/ice because:
• I'm not a moron
• I slick-test when I enter a road & occasionally thereafter
• I look AHEAD and form a plan
• I use momentum for slick hills
• I start decelerating way before the stop
• Mostly I devote the proper attention to driving in adverse conditions one should.

It's not rocket science, but experience and common sense will help.

That's the biggest issue I see today in young drivers, no one teaches them how to plan ahead... Even on the sunniest day, they will speed up behind an obviously slow-moving vehicle, then at the last second, they'll slam on brakes and try to change lanes in a panic... Drives me insane...

 

[Whaler27]

Do you have automatic or manual transmission?
Engine braking is helpful when your tires slip on ice/snow. That’s one of many reasons why I prefer manual over auto.

I used to feel the same way. I had only manual transmissions in my CJs/Wranglers between 1977 and 2006, but the manual mode in the new automatic transmissions gives you the best of both worlds. Now you can benefit from as much engine braking as you wish — with more gears to choose from!

Lots of other good advice here, and some terrible advice too.

We get heavy snow every year, and bad freezing rain about one year in three. I have been driving in these conditions for 45 years and working in them for more than 30 years. I agree with the idea of getting up early to practice driving ONLY IF you have a large open space near home — like a huge parking lot. As kids, we used to practice in a nearby ski area parking lot. Of course, we also had fewer people, fewer transplants from sunny California, and people weren’t trying to drive while juggling, texting on their cell phones, and eating lunch at the same time...

Going out just to drive around town in a snow/ice storm is a super-dumb idea, even if you’re competent and well equipped. Road maintenance folks will be trying to tow/sand/salt/plow/mitigate, and others will be trying to get a jump on the work day. The last thing the community needs is people out trying To develop new driving skills on snow and ice.

I agree with the statement that one idiot can make thousands late for work. I’ll add that the idiots, lots of them, are ALWAYS in the driving mix. All day, every day. More and more are impaired by alcohol or drugs, especially in the northwest. When traffic slows to adjust to adverse weather conditions they’ll be tailgating, passing on the right, passing on the shoulders, and crashing into others. We have people crashing around the clock even in the good weather — over 40,000 crashes per year in Oregon — and the vast majority of the crashes are caused by impairment and/or truly unfathomable stupidity. The last thing first responders need is people out on icy roads “practicing”.

Freezing rain is, by far, the most dangerous condition. It provides a perfectly smooth surface of ice, often with a momentary layer of water providing an additional lubricant. Freezing rain also resurfaces the ice immediately — like a Zamboni — as it immediately encases the sand/pumice/chain-gouges from sanding trucks in a new layer of ice. One night I watched cars on I-5 trying to cross a bridge fifteen minutes after the bridge was sanded. Cars in the right lane slid off into the bridge walkway, while trucks in the left lane slid off to the left — because the crown/camber of the highway provided enough slope to cause the slide. That night troopers and tow operators couldn’t walk fifteen feet without slip-on ice cleats.

Finally, it’s idiotic to suggest that you can somehow learn to drive “safely” at high speeds on icy public roads. No amount of skill and training overcomes physics, and there’s an infinite number of variables being introduced to that environment, including other idiots, warming temperatures that cause a melt that increases slick, cooling temperatures that refreeze melt, animals that appear and cause reflexive braking, and so on. (It’s also important to remember micro-climates. In many parts of the country, including Oregon, temperatures can vary dramatically over short distances. I’ve seen as much as 17 degrees difference on I 5 in less than thirty miles. The weatherman was reporting 40 degrees and rain. It was 42 degrees and drizzle when I left home, and 29 degrees and frozen roadway less than twenty miles away.)

I drive over 40,000 miles per year. I’ve also had a lifetime of experience in these conditions, many years of EVOC and skid-car training, and my vehicles are always properly equipped for the conditions, but I know better than to think I can drive public roads safely on snow and ice at high speeds. There will always be an idiot or an animal waiting to throw a wrench into the plan.

 

[DogDaddy]

Florida boy now living in North Carolina where we are supposed to get a decent amount of snow. Any things I should know or tips for driving in snow or ice in the event it’s needed?

‘20 JLUR / Mopar lift / 35” BFG KM3’s

Louisiana guy here, was about to ask that question, here in NC also, I haven't used 4 wheel drove yet, just drive up here Saturday before the Winter storm, do I need to disconnect the sway bar when in 4 wheel High driving on the snowy roads

 

[W4V3]

do I need to disconnect the sway bar when in 4 wheel High driving on the snowy roads

No. No. No. Disconnecting the sway bar is for extending articulation when off-roading - only.

 

[DogDaddy]

No. No. No. Disconnecting the sway bar is for extending articulation when off-roading - only.

I thought so, but it says to disconnect in both 4 wheel drive modes and that makes no sense if you're not extreme off road driving, I just wanted to reassure that I can drive this 4XE in 4 high on the roads in the snow, thank you

 

[Nomod]

Snow - go slow. Ice - stay home.

 

[B-man]

I’ve found the KO2s to be great in snow. Conversely, I’ve found the Cooper Discoverer tire to be terrible, even dangerous, driving on snowy roads.

 

[Dyolfknip74]

The amount of people that think your diffs are going to grenade the split second a tire touches some dry pavement is hilarious. 4 HI is just that. You can go fast in 4WD. If you're one of those that thinks this you really need to brush up on how a 4WD vehicle with selectable diffs works.

Let's say you're on a highway that has snow on it. Doing 45mph. If a dry patch comes up. You don't need to instantly switch back to 2WD. You're going in a straight line or even a long sweeping curve. Keep it in 4Hi until it stays dry for an extended amount of time. You can even slowly turn a street corner on dry pavement without the world ending.

Now, if you're in 4Hi and you pull up to a donut competition on a dry parking lot, that will cause you some issues and isn't reccomended.


Otherwise, you're fine in 4Hi full time in sloppy shit. Just be smart about it.
I have the auto setting but I still prefer full time because I know when wheels are engaged.

 

[Whaler27]

I will add another suggestions

if you drive over any bridges do the following
-slow down BEFORE the bridge
-make sure you are aimed correctly for the exit of the bridge
-do NOT move the wheel, brakes, or gas while on the bridge.

<< snip>>

… also +1 on the wildpeak at3w’s. They are awesome in rain & snow. (KO2’s are really good as well)

all of the Mud Tire variants seem to suck in the rain / snow.

I love KO2s, and they’re great on wet pavement, but I’ve never driven a tire that’s more prone to hydroplane after hitting standing water. If your highways puddle, as ours do, and you’re running KO2s, you better slow WAY down, or you’ll be surfing and lose steering, especially with 35s or bigger. For environments with hard rain and more standing water, a more open tread pattern works better to evacuate the water. I’ve found Duratracs to be a better snow/ice/rain combination, and they are pinned for studs, so I run them on my pickup. Unfortunately, they don’t come in a 37” tire unless you go silly-big on the wheels, so I run studded Grabbers on the Wrangler in the winter.

 

[JoeBanks]

“I used to feel the same way. I had only manual transmissions in my CJs/Wranglers between 1977 and 2006, but the manual mode in the new automatic transmissions gives you the best of both worlds. Now you can benefit from as much engine braking as you wish — with more gears to choose from!”
Sounds like a good option (especially for those who don’t like manually shifting gears).
I personally like rowing through the gears (and saving money).

 

[Whaler27]

“I used to feel the same way. I had only manual transmissions in my CJs/Wranglers between 1977 and 2006, but the manual mode in the new automatic transmissions gives you the best of both worlds. Now you can benefit from as much engine braking as you wish — with more gears to choose from!”
Sounds like a good option (especially for those who don’t like manually shifting gears).
I personally like rowing through the gears (and saving money).

I felt that way too, for years. When Jeeps first became available with an automatic transmission I thought it was silly. Now, many people can’t even drive a stick.

These days I’m getting old. And lazy. I appreciate not having to hassle with the clutch in stop and go traffic. We never used to have that in Oregon, but we’ve imported it from other states over the last thirty years, so now the traffic sucks here too!

 

[BRuby]

Florida boy now living in North Carolina where we are supposed to get a decent amount of snow. Any things I should know or tips for driving in snow or ice in the event it’s needed?

‘20 JLUR / Mopar lift / 35” BFG KM3’s

Mostly good advice you have been given. For driving in snow make sure your tires are 3PMSF rated as a bare minimum with sufficient tread depth - more tread depth the better - more sipes the better - more sticky soft winter tread compound the better.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=125

For driving in ice slow right down and test grip when 100% safe by tapping your brakes for a second. If your vehicle slides or ABS kicks in - slow down a lot more. If driving a lot on ice get studs if you can. We always test slippage as we drive down iced up inclines.

We drive in snow slush and ice all the time as we live at the bottom of a ski resort. So go through these conditions sometimes in extreme weather with near zero white out visibility. Key is to know your vehicle very well and test how it handles when safe (ie. iced up empty parking lots and iced up inclines). You will learn a ton about grip and more importantly lack of grip. Most times we drive in snow with a layer of solid ice under.

One time we got stopped because of a huge pile up at the bottom of the ski hill. Got out of the parked vehicle to see what was happening and started sliding down a very slight incline. We had to have one person hold the vehicle stationary while the other piled snow in front of the tires. Took 2 hours before fire trucks and snow removal crews were able to clear and salt the road down enough before they let traffic through.

Key to note is conditions can change - since when snow and ice melt - a layer of water can make the surface you are on even more slippery. Stay safe and be prepared out there.

 

[tehfrr]

A lot of good points in here. As someone who intentionally drives on roads and trails when its snowy and/or icy here is my take on chains if you go that route:

If its heavy slushy snow I air down. If its icy I chain up.

If you want to air down AND chain up, do not air down too much. I have cut into my sidewalls more than once when <20 PSI. From inspecting it, appeared that the latching mechanism cut the rubber when I drove over a large pothole or similar.

ALWAYS test fit your chains somewhere warm, dry, and well lit if possible. You will have a bad time if your first attempt at installing them is late at night on the side of the highway with semi trucks flying by at 70+ mph. Its not the time/place to learn. The first time I tried I realized after over an hour of swearing the dude at the tire store sold me a set that was a little too small.

If you need them just to pass a checkpoint on a pass or access a park you can get away with one set. If you are buying them with the intent of actually using them, buy 2 pair to chain up all 4 tires. I can tell you from personal experience when coming down a steep icy hill with the front chained having the unchained rear slide out, flipping the Jeep 180, and then starting an uncontrolled backwards slide is terrifying. In this instance I put on the e brake, slowly pumped the main brake until I came to a stop. I then drove back up and took an alternate route down that was longer but less steep.

Chains are great when the situation calls for it, but they aren't magical. Don't get cocky and start paying less attention, going too fast, etc. Sounds like a no-brainer but its easy to do.


Gain experience in places where errors have low consequences first.

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