SELEC SPEED CONTROL (SSC) and Ice

[PyrPatriot]

Has anyone implemented the Select Speed Control to help going down hills covered in ice? I am seeing that having the wheels keep spinning a little when descending a hill, or even on a flat surface, that is a sheet of ice helps maintain control. Before I try this on my driveway and risk crashing into the neighbor's garage (driveway slopes down at about 10 degrees for about 2-JLU lengths, exits into an alley with neighbor's garage immediately across from driveway), I wanted to see what I should expect. Only time I ever tried this feature I ended up giving up because it sounded like gears grinding and to a newby Jeep owner on his first offroading trip I just used breaks. Sounded like gears grinding and all sorts of aweful so I decided to try later, well today might be "later"

Sponsored

 

[Chocolate Thunder]

Going down an ice covered 10 degree slope kind of sounds like a recipe for disaster period, no?

 

[Dan M.]

Nothing will work on sheer ice. I have a driveway which at its steepest part is 13 degrees (luckily I have space after the steep part). I've used hill descent control on snow and a mix of snow and ice and it works great. I don't believe at any point when I've used it has it locked up all the wheels. I would think it would work better than just using the brake pedal, but don't hold me to that if you are talking straight up ice.

 

[PyrPatriot]

Nothing will work on sheer ice. I have a driveway which at its steepest part is 13 degrees (luckily I have space after the steep part). I've used hill descent control on snow and a mix of snow and ice and it works great. I don't believe at any point when I've used it has it locked up all the wheels. I would think it would work better than just using the brake pedal, but don't hold me to that if you are talking straight up ice.

Yep, straight up ice. If it was even a small layer of powder of any type it is fine. Fortunately we got in 6" of snow and I make it down just fine with using the brakes to slow me down enough to go at a crawl

 

[PyrPatriot]

Going down an ice covered 10 degree slope kind of sounds like a recipe for disaster period, no?

Yes with a structure at the end of it that going too fast will make me crash into. But it's the driveway and the alternative is to park on a narrow dead-end street where folks will probably hit mine

 

[davewald]

Ha! I was just trying this yesterday with my new Rubi and the ridiculous amount of snow we got in the PNW. It was the first time I used Selec Speed, and was thinking it would be good for downhill on ice/snow. I didn't have a 10 degree slope, but it seemed to work pretty well on the 5 degree-ish street that I live on. Seems logical. The computer is much better than my foot at controlling speed.

 

[PyrPatriot]

Ha! I was just trying this yesterday with my new Rubi and the ridiculous amount of snow we got in the PNW. It was the first time I used Selec Speed, and was thinking it would be good for downhill on ice/snow. I didn't have a 10 degree slope, but it seemed to work pretty well on the 5 degree-ish street that I live on. Seems logical. The computer is much better than my foot at controlling speed.

Did you freak out the first time you used it with all the noise?

 

[davewald]

Did you freak out the first time you used it with all the noise?

Not really. I was expecting it to be noisier.

 

[zadok]

Did you freak out the first time you used it with all the noise?

I did. I have a 23 Rubi diesel. The SSD works great going up an uneven incline offroad. The OffRoad+ noises did freak me out when I first gave it a shot. This is my first diesel and I can’t tell by engine noise like I did with the Pentastar what the RPM is unless looking at gauge.

 

[Shibadog]

On sheer ice you need tires that’ll grip, like Blizzak’s or similar “ice” tires. Methinks no difference in gearing/braking is going to make much difference.

Sponsored