2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Deep Snow

[MoparMark]

Just curious if anyone has experience driving these mighty Dodges in deep snow. 1 to 2 feet of snow:--)

My truck has M/S tires with good tread

remaining and is a 4x4 dually. I have never driven a dually in the snow and was wonder if they are any different than SRW trucks?



Thanks

Oo.

 

[Gordon Maney]

One to two feet of snow still does not define the snow. If it is light powder, freshly fallen, you could do 24 inches. If it has been sitting, blowing, drifting, and developing a hard shell and a packed consistency, you won't go through 24 inches.



With the wrong, or worn, tires, you won't go through extended distances of 12 inches, particularly if you stop. Extended distances could mean anywhere from 100 feet to a mile. Keep it moving if you are in doubt as to depth or conditions.



Good performance in deep snow depends a lot on your tires and the percentage of tread left on those tires. Also, a narrow tire will tend to work better than an extremely wide tire. My 255-85 tires work pretty well.



You need experience in knowing what you can charge through and what you can't, and how to use momentum. Given the weight of the front end on these trucks, if you get it buried bad, you won't get it out without extensive shoveling or a tractor.



Very often it is important to know when NOT to stop. Have fun. We just got quite a bit of snow here, the first this winter, actually.

 

[MoparMark]

I have driven in snow al my driving life

and am comfortable with that. My main question (sorry if I confused you with such a broad topic) was the difference between SRW and DRW.

 

[Gordon Maney]

I think he means Single Rear Wheel and Dual Rear Wheel.



My experience with a truck with duals is that they don't work quite as well in the snow as a truck with singles on the rear.

 

[just8av8]

hey mark... where are you at in Va... . I am in fairfax... . getting ready for some snow also

 

[MoparMark]

I live in the Staunton area of the Shenandoah Valley. I'm ready for some snow also. I have to work Sun and Mon

so I'll be trying out the 3500 for the first time in real snow

 

[Snow man]

The Dodges do great in the deep snow,good ground clearance and lots of weight. Like was mentioned we find the single rear wheel trucks do much better in the deep snow,unless the dually has real agressive rear tires,and lots of weight,then the duallys seem to go anywhere. Weight is the key with duallys. We ran our dually 1 ton at 16K lbs in the snow,and 4wd wasnt needed until lthe spreader got down to 1/2 full.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Snow? What's that??

I keep seeing discussions about this snow stuff, but where could I find some? The crockusus are up and the daffodils are starting to bloom, what's the odds of getting some in the Northwest?



Vaughn

 

[Sticks]

I learned the hard way with the dually. Definitely need to have her gain some weight in the arse. 12" of super dry crystal powdery snow sitting on snow pack and ice. All the snow did was pass right underneath the tire as it slipped on the pack underneath. I have had more traction on oil slicks. Both rears and at least one of the front (I am not convinced that the front acts like the LSD in the rear) just sat there turning after the forward momentum stopped. Took me a bit digging out a 30 foot path on both tracks to get the momentum back. Live and learn.



Sticks

 

[Cowboy Medic]

I think my dually handles excellently in the snow, I just put new BFG AT's on it the first of December and I have been very happy with them. As stated above weight in the back is definitely advised if ya are not wanting to use the 4WD. I sometimes put weight in the back but honestly usually just throw it in 4WD if I am getting in some snow that is giving me a problem. Compared to driving my brothers 2001 I honestly don't feel the difference is anything to really worry about. If a guy wants a dually for towing or whatever other purposes he shouldn't hesitate because of worrying about driving in snow.



#ad

 

[Big_Daddy_T]

aww shucks my subaru would do 24". I had a paper route on a mountain. It was 12 miles of white knuckle driving when it started to rain on the ice. Some nights the snow would be up to the hood. Id have to have someone hold a spotlight out the passenger window because the snow covered the headlights and was being pushed up the hood. Id have to stop every 30 minutes or so to get the snow out of the engine compartment because it would stop the electric fan and blow the fuse. If I let it get that far it would usually have turned to ice by then and require a chisel and a hammer.

Its the settled snow that I get in trouble in with my RAM. too heavy to float. too light to dig in good. I found that with 1000lbs over the rear axle is does alot better. I quit buying mud and snows and all terrains years ago because it is like doing the job halfway. I dont believe in settling for almost. No compromises. You wouldnt take a sawed off shotgun moose huntin would ya. Nokian and Hankook both make an exceptional snow and ice tire. I personally prefer the nokian because the rubber is very durable and still very pliable well below zero. It is also a directional tire. Making it more difficult for bozo's like me to bust the belts.

I made the mistake of running mud tires one winter. A friend of mine calls for a tow. I go to get him out of a gravel pit that he drove through and wound up some distance above and behind it. His truck walked right through it. Me being at a 2000# handicap and running 35/12. 5s had a hell of a time following his trail. I wasnt even breaking trail and i was wallowing bad. I hook a snatch strap to him and he say pull gently his custom exhaust might get damaged. While he had sat waiting for me he spun himself into 4-6" ice holes in addition to the 12" of soaking wet snow. I give it a little tug and sink my truck with the strap tight as could be. Hes stuck and im stuck and we are tied together. Almost comical. I covered the strap with a tarp and some coats in case it flew and worked on unhooking my truck for about half an hour. Finally I got it off and I drove right out. I tugged again but without the ***** footin and it popped right out.

 

[Sticks]

Big_Daddy_T

aww shucks my subaru would do 24".

That is because the Subaru is part Asian snowshoe rabbit.



All three of my Subaru's over the last 14 years have NEVER had any issues in the snow or cold. Now if they just made a full size diesel powered pickup...



Sticks

 

[Pit Bull]

When it snows I drive a Toyota Landcruiser FZJ80 with solid full floating axles front and rear and locking diff's and BFG AT/KO's. Of course that is because I have one Would I drive my 3500 4x4 in that much snow? Yes but I would want 1200 lbs of weight secured in the bed and I would not want these Goodyear AP's on it. I would want a set for Michelin XPS Tractions 235/85/16's. Good luck.

 

[AKDrifter]

Big Daddy T you are right!

Those Subys do kick arse in snow!



The Nokian Hanakapelitta or something like that are the best money can buy. I put them on the Dodge 2 yrs. ago and the Suby and it feels like cheating when it comes to winter driving: studded of course. 235/85's, they get down to what is real. Will never put another kind of winter tire on, unless they stop making them.

 

[MoparMark]

Well I decide give the Dodge a try today

and it let me down on the way home in my drive way. The snow is 16" with 2"

of sleet on top. I could not tell where

the driveway was but I gave it a shot.

It's 1/2 mile long and I made it to within 150 yards of my house. I thought the frontend was going to jump out of the way it was bouncing and jerking. I noticed the rear end felt like it was surfing or

floating around in the deep snow. I did not have time to add weight in the rear,

I know that would have helped but oh well. I know now to stick with my Suzuki sidekick in the snow. It goes like the Subaru's which I have owned in the pass.



Oo.

 

[PLaFrombois]

I think it's horrible that those on the East coast are having such a hard time deciding what tires work best in deep snow. Why don't you send some snow to the Midwest so we can have those same problems. Paul

 

[David_VT]

ladder bars, good tires, safe weight and a tow strap

My experience in rural NE Vermont after several winters, including a '100yr winter' with over 110" of snow (quite a bit for NE VT)...



Yes, I've been stuck:

• Pulling out of my driveway while the steering pump was too cold to work. Allowed me to ditch it across from my driveway (very embarrasing)
  
• driving out in a field to rescue my snowmobile. . (first winter, pre ladder bars, pre common sense)
  
• while not stuck, many close calls being unable to stop. . Don't forget stopping is important too!
  

The axle blocks on the rear axle of my 2500 seems to really cause a problem with axle twist in the snow. some form of ladder bars make a world of difference I broke a mount on the ladder bar in the fall and have not put them back on. I can now tell with complete confidence that those ladder bars really work!



Last winter I put on a set of studded softer rubber snows and that was the ultimate in winter performance. Saddly these same tires this winter are virtually useless. . (but, no ladder bars this winter. . connection???)



In my 2500 I must add properly restrained weight to the bed for a better ride and for increased traction. After seeing what sandbags did to the rear of a quadcab after a Ram was 'stopped' by a tree, I never mention weight in the bed without a plug for making sure your weight is properly restrained. If someone had been in the back of that quadcab they would have been crushed to death as there was no rear seat area after those sandbags finished their dirty work.



Regardess of how good your tires, toys, horsepower, etc... Keep a tow strap ,good cold weather gear,etc. Just when you decide that mother nature can't stop your mighty Ram, she will... ...

 

[Pit Bull]

Re: ladder bars, good tires, safe weight and a tow strap

Originally posted by David_VT



After seeing what sandbags did to the rear of a quadcab after a Ram was 'stopped' by a tree, I never mention weight in the bed without a plug for making sure your weight is properly restrained. If someone had been in the back of that quadcab they would have been crushed to death as there was no rear seat area after those sandbags finished their dirty work.

David how did they have the sand bags positioned in the bed? I have mine up agains't the cab, wedged 2 high and 2 wide with a 2x6 holding them in place. I can only get 8 - 70# bags wedged in this way because more would not be safe, (they might move around). I wish I could find something that I could put back there that would be over the rear wheels and stay in place??? I guess you could dump a scoop of sand back there and just drive around with the sand all winter and shovel it out in the spring? I figure 560 lbs is better than nothing. I have observed pickup truck owners in my area, driving around with big logs by the tailgate with nothing securing them, Ouch!!! if they run into anything.

 

[illflem]

willyslover can tell you how it feels to have a loose sand bag come though the rear window in an accident.



Bear with me, this is hard to explain with words but is very simple and cheap.

You can pound together an H with two cross bars shaped frame from 2x6s on edge, the top and bottom of the H side bars straddle the wheel wells. On the box formed in-between the wheel wells extend sides up with plywood. Use metal angle brackets if you want it strong. Fill it with weight. The legs on the H will keep it from siding fore and aft because of the wheel wells, tie downs in an X across the bed will keep it from jumping upwards.



Problem with loose sand in the back is that it either gets frozen into a mass that can also become a missile in an accident or gets dry and blows away.



I see people cruising around with concrete blocks sitting loose in the back, good luck...

 

[DodgeSales]

What a timley topic!

Over 30" of snow today, Truck drove great, roads not plowed here yet. I had a DRW 4x4 and It did well also as long as I had it in 4x4 without 4x4 it was not as good as SRW. Just my 02