Bad weather driving?

[JohnM LowryJr]

Okay, We just got are first bad weather around here in several years, first time with the Trac. We had about a 1/4 inch of ice, about 1 inch of snow with some high winds. I know about the sway bars upgrades. But what else can I do to cope with drivability problems? I added some weight like I always have in the past with my ranger and f-150 and used 4 wheel drive when needed. Tires where new when I got the trac in july and i got new shock (reflex) back in Aug. I guess my guestion is what do the Sport Trac-er's do up north differently in the bad weather to there Tracs. :wacko:

 

[Andy Chase]

SLOW DOWN is the best you can do.

 

[Todd Z]

Well the tires make a HUGE part and driving habbits....



My 04 with the revos will drive allover my 03 with the OEM Good years.....



I have all the suspension mods, Sway bars, spacers, Blah, blah, blah...



If you drive fast, Hit the gas hard, it Will spin and not go any where but the nearest ditch...



I can easily do 4WD donuts in both trucks...



Both my trucks have the limited Slip 4:10.



Todd Z

 

[2]

I added some weight like I always have in the past with my ranger and f-150 and used 4 wheel drive when needed.

I am not a fan of weight in the back. Additional weight may be fine to get you going, but when you try and stop you suddenly have to stop the extra weight as well. If you get into a skid/slide situation that extra weight will carry you further in comparison to not having it. The ST is well enough balanced that it does not require extra weight. I live in Alberta, so I know plenty about winter driving.

 

[Jim parnell]

just take it easy, use common sense, allow extra distance between you and others if possible, don't get on the gas hard or the brakes, do everything in slow motion so to speak, no sudden moves/actions to upset the vehicle, try not to spin the tires or slide the tires, if its ice, just stay home, not many vehicles go anywhere on ice, just to slick.

 

[Andy Chase]

not many vehicles go anywhere on ice

How else am I supposed to catch the fish in the winter though?? I've got to drive the truck out on the ice:lol::banana::lol:

 

[EddieS'04]

Olaf makes a good point about the extra weight. Dont forget about good shocks along with the tires. I would think driving style, tires and shocks are more important, than swaybars in icy conditions.

 

[Gerald Pierce]

How else am I supposed to catch the fish in the winter though?? I've got to drive the truck out on the ice

On this.....







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[jason vocaty]

just go slower our tracs are great in the snow had over 5 feet in madison wi all ready use the four wheel in the turns any ways a good tire makes 2 wheel work fine!

 

[heent]

Other than chains, studs, and/or maybe a plow on the front end (often an effective brake, but I wouldn't make my ST suffer one), techniques will probably be the most helpful...



Get off the gas and turn as shallowly as possible on slippery surfaces; if sliding, steer so as to point the front of the vehicle in the direction you want to go (without over-correcting); try to get your braking and as much of a turn as possible done on dry areas if driving on partially cleared surfaces (i.e. brake early before a turn/stop if a dry spot presents itself, cut the wheel harder in dry section of a turn, shallower in slippery sections); increase following distance to several seconds rather than just two; use momentum to carry you up hills rather than trying to spin your way up and avoid stopping on the way up if possible; use engine braking to keep your speed down on downhills; if so equipped, attempt to engage 4wd before loss of traction; etc...

 

[Don Pertz]

PA Driving for 45 years. 03 Trac. Keep it in 4x4 when the roads are bad and the rear end will not spin out on you. They have a tendency to get really squirelly in a hurry when in 2x on slippery surfaces.

 

[Andy Chase]

Cruzrtwdgt



I wish i could get a 4 wheeler, but money is tight. I keep bugging my dad to get one or a snowmobile, I'd feel a lot safer driving either of those out on the ice then the truck

 

[JerryW Gilliland]

We get quite of bit of snow and ice in Oklahoma.

When I pull out of my garage, I put in 4-high and leave it there.

Never had a problem as long as I drive conservatively and in do slow motion movements.



The Trac is great in bad weather! :wub:

 

[Todd Cloutier]

I've never had any winter weather driving problems with either of my Sport Tracs or my Explorer. Get a good set of tires (I use Michelin LTX M/S) and drive smoothly. Use 4Hi if things get slippery.

 

[Richard Kolb]

My 2wd trac has studded snow tires and weight in the back for traction. I've never had a problem, the first winter I had weight and all-seasons and I only had issues on ice. Since ice can be a problem here I went to studded.

 

[Johnny O]

heent gives good advice.

A big part of winter driving is to be smoooooth. Real smooth with the brakes, gas, and steering.

Don't do anything real suddenly, if you can help it, or you will be sliding.

In 4wd the front end will want to push around corners in the snow, i.e. go straighter than what you have turned the wheel, and the more gas you give it the worse that will be. I try to coast around sharp corners or give it as little gas as possible and in my '05 I'd often just switch the 4wd off to turn a corner, then switch it back on when I got straight. Not an option in my '08.

I never put weight in the back of my Tracs (I'm on my second one) like I did my Rangers, I don't think it needs it.

I'm with Todd Z on tires. I had Bridgestone REVOs on my old '05 also and it would chew through anything mother nature could throw at me until such point as it was snowing so hard that I couldn't see where I was going. Which has happened. Curiously my '08 goes and turns very well in snow with the stock Goodyears but braking in snow is horrible and downright dangerous. Be getting Bridgestone A/T's or REVOs this summer.

Dedicated snow tires do make a difference if you need to get serious, but I've never bothered to get them on my trucks. My wife's Taurus has Bridgestone Blizzak snow tires and it goes every bit as good in snow as my truck and better on ice and in braking.

Ice basically sucks and there isn't much you can do. Winter here is more wet than anything, past two weeks excepted and I think studs do more harm than good. Plus once they wear down they're useless anyway. Snow tires have real soft rubber to grip on ice without studs plus it doesn't get as hard when cold. The tread on my wife's Blizzaks feels like a pencil eraser and it's literally tacky.