2WD trucks during winter

[JustinS]

Anyone have any experience in this department? I'm looking at a truck for hauling stuff, but don't ever plan on offroading so i'm thinking a 4X4 would be pointless for me. I drive to Des Moines from Ames for work everyday and I'm cautious of a 2WD because of Iowa Winters and I-35.

Any insight would be appreciated. :bigthumb:

[sLoWnStEaDy]

I drove an '85 F150 a couple winters as well as a jeep, blazer, and a couple other RWD's pretty much the same as a RWD car in the winter. Just make sure you have some good tires and throw some weight in the back. I never had any real issues, except with the ice storms but even the 4WD guys where fucked then so...

[SaNdMaNsSi]

I hardly ever put my jeep into 4wd during the winter....basically if you're not driving in an ice storm and you're not a dumbass, you'll have no problem.

[JustinS]

Sweet. 2wd also saves me some money too haha.

[ZEE]

Just have decent winter tires and you'll be fine.

[McKeever]

Since no else has said it yet I will. 2wd trucks suck in the winter! ya you can make it here and there most of the time in them, but IMO they are the worst possible vehical for the winter. But if your serious about this, great tires are a must, and I highly recommend a LSD rear (not a locker). Lockers that are not selectable are extremely dangerous on ice.

[ZEE]

Yes 4wd gets you around better in the winter. 2wd works fine in the winter. I had a company truck for a lot of years that was 2wd before I got a 4wd truck which I have also had for many years. It did fine. Granted you can not go where 4wd could go but if your just driving on roads it will be fine. Because of my job I drove that thing where most people with 4wd wouldn't normally go and in snow and ice storms no person in there right mind would travel in. If you know your limitations it will be fine for normal winter driving.

[NewSpeedSteed]

Four wheel drive is nice to have in the winter and personally on a truck I consider it a requirement because the rear end is so light. Like people said though you can always load sandbags in the rear and have agressive tires. The trucks height helps out quite a bit with snow so that would be a big plus if you ever have to commute on roads that have yet to be plowed.

The main thing people seem to forget with any 4x4 is that your not invincible- first cars I see in the ditches every winter are four wheel drives. It is nice to have the extra traction to help you get around in crappy weather but 4WD doesn't help you stop any better, like I said 4x4 isn't invincible.

[krustindumm]

I'd go with blizzaks over mud tires, but I got around fine in my 240 and in 2wd with a ram 1500 last year. I only clicked in 4 when the snow was over 1ft deep.

[slobalt]

Weight in the bed over the axles does help alot. When I needed snow tires they were out so I bought a set of All Terrain, seemed to do the job just fine...

[JustinS]

Thanks for all the input guys!

[sLoWnStEaDy]

For the record... four wheels will spin on ice just as easy as two wheels....

IMO 4WD should be used cautiously, I have seen SO many more people in 4X4 spin out and wreck and all kinds of other stuff than those in 2wd trucks. I guess mainly because 4wd owners tend to think they are unstoppable or something... when i say the Blazer was RWD... it was actualy a selectable 4WD too of course, i just never used it. I have made it through every winter since i was 16 (so 7~ years now) with a RWD vehicle and never once went in the ditch, spun out etc...

[Scott]

you guys are freaking nuts!! last 2 years i was stuck at home cuz my 2wd would get stuck everywhere!! i had good tires and still had to buy a winter car so i could get around, no joke you will wish you have 4wd come winter time

[69gt4speed]

Worse car in winter imo I've ever had is the 94 tbird it drags snow worse than a stang so it goes nowhere. That's w 300# of sand in back. A 2wd truck or my old rwd aerostar was fine w 300 to 500# of sand. I drove a 2.3 auto 2wd ranger for yrs at k.c. As long as it doesn't drag snow w weight and tires it can go good enough in 6" to 8" imo. t bird 3".. maybe.. I've got to say we didn't have fwd for yrs and k.c. maybe gets 8" once in a few yrs, but more ice. Then you are fkd w/o chains, 2wd, fwd, or 4wd. The city of k.c. was cheap azz, you put 500# sand in the back called it good, didn't even have a/c. Shovel it out come spring.

[ZEE]

Best car in the snow I've owned was a 73 monte. Thing would go anywhere. Worsted was 89 Pontiac GTA. I gut stuck at red lights often. It sucked.

[Ricky]

best was WRX ;) but the worst was the jetta till i put rally snow tires on it....

[DragonUSMC]

OK how bout a tip from someone who drives through a foot of fresh snow every morning.


1. 2wd is fine, people think 4wd makes you invincible anyway... slow down and learn to drive patiently.

2. SKINNY TIRES, are what you want in the snow. Not mud, or big ass beefy ones. Skinny with a snow / aggressive tread. A wide tire will act like a snowboard... and send you skidding everywhere, skinny tires cut through the snow better, like a snowboard on its edge.

3. You cant get these but we also have studded tires. They make life a bit better when there is 6" of ice, with 16" of snow on top of that covering the roads from my house to the mountain where i have to go to work.


But yeah, weight your rear end, skinny tires and you'll be fine... just dont drive like a douche and you wont get sideways and kill someone. You will still slip here and there... but smart driving will correct that quickly.

[JustinS]

Thank you sir.

[DragonUSMC]

^justin you can check the iowa studded tires regulation... if you need a set of studs i can get you some, they are damn near free out here mainly cause everyone has to have them.

[JustinS]

I'll let you know if I pick up a truck in the near future.

[Urban Legend]

you guys are freaking nuts!! last 2 years i was stuck at home cuz my 2wd would get stuck everywhere!! i had good tires and still had to buy a winter car so i could get around, no joke you will wish you have 4wd come winter time

x2

I've had rear wheel and front wheel but my 4wd truck has sold me, night and day difference. Not saying you can't get around in 2wd, but why

[69gt4speed]

^ It sounded like he was driving a lot and they suck gas normally. If he had a 2 vehicle option then a 4wd on crappy days. Figured if going to college, lot of $ wasn't a option. Insurance used to be high, my dad paid mo for a 87 bronco than I did for my 85gt. idk now. both full coverage 500 ded.

Oh yea I bought the wife those yokohama ice tires last yr for the villager, x2 at least compared to a all season, so far wearing fine. Lot better in water also. Lil noisy though.

[JustinS]

Yeah I drive 80 miles roundtrip everyday for work, so unless I can pick up a 4cyl Tacoma 4x4 for a good deal everything else sucks for gas mileage. No college kid here anymore, I'm graduated now.

[Drifte]

graduated just means you get to pay back those loans ;)... I'll take a set of blizzaks for the talon. I never struggle in that with all seasons, but I want to jack it up and rally this bia.

Oh and ive been looking for a decent toyota 4x4 for years now, nobody wants to get rid of the good ones.

[Krumm]

learn how to drive and a 2wd truck will get you anywhere. mine did awesome this last winter. krustin would always say to me "hope you got 4wd if your going out cause i had to use it..." HA i never had a problem no matter how deep (except for huge drifts, avoid those) and ice...kick the bitch sideways to get both going and your good. and if you need a cheap truck let me know.

[Krumm]

Since no else has said it yet I will. 2wd trucks suck in the winter! ya you can make it here and there most of the time in them, but IMO they are the worst possible vehical for the winter. But if your serious about this, great tires are a must, and I highly recommend a LSD rear (not a locker). Lockers that are not selectable are extremely dangerous on ice.
dont listen to this. BAD idea in a truck. there is no wait back there, you get both tires going when you dont want them to and your FUCKED. open diff is much easier to get around in. with no weight back there and with both tires going, all the time, expect to have problems going around any corner....

[McKeever]

Since no else has said it yet I will. 2wd trucks suck in the winter! ya you can make it here and there most of the time in them, but IMO they are the worst possible vehical for the winter. But if your serious about this, great tires are a must, and I highly recommend a LSD rear (not a locker). Lockers that are not selectable are extremely dangerous on ice.
dont listen to this. BAD idea in a truck. there is no wait back there, you get both tires going when you dont want them to and your FUCKED. open diff is much easier to get around in. with no weight back there and with both tires going, all the time, expect to have problems going around any corner....

Are you kidding me? Do you know what an LSD is? It does not fully lock up the rear so you can go around corners. Trust me LSD > than open Diff., I used to just have an open diff in my truck and then I installed a LSD and it made it much easyer to get around in winter, and that's with the same tire and weight combo. Nonselectable lockers are the enemy, not LSD's.