Disappointing in snow

[GBrzezinski]

We get plenty snow here in NY. My dually slides in 2wd empty, but add 2000lbs. , and boy does she bite! Get rid of the stock tires & WOW, what a difference!

 

[Khood]

Well to answer a question if the '03 has limited slip front axle is NO!. Or if it does, mines not working. I got STUCK in less than rim depth mud. My son observing said both rear wheels where spin-

ning,thats good. But only the front right wheel was turnning. So

don't get to confident. We really only have 3wd.

What I'd like to know is there a fix for this? At times [more and more] I miss my old '97 RAM

This is a case of ''progress'' digressing,[going backwards]

 

[bighammer]

As soon as somebody is making a true snow tire in 17" (of a reasonably tall narrow profile) I will buy a set. Cooper Discoverer M+S made a HUGE difference on my 94.

 

[Mel Fuelling]

Vaughn,

I have experienced wheel hop in snow. The deeper and denser the snow conditions, the worse the hop. It seems to affect spring or air suspended vehicles from Suzuki Samurai's to Freightliners, but not unsuspended vehicles like farm tractors. The only variable that I had luck with reducing hop was adding more leaf springs on a 74 Jeep J20, 2 more in front and 3 more in back. With v-bar chains on studded 7. 50x16's all the way around, I was going through 48" deep snow uphill that was breaking u-joints and axles on other pickups trying to keep up with me offroad. The downside is that it was sprung too stiff to drive empty under normal conditions.

My . 02 cents.

Mel

 

[realsquash]

Well since this thread is still going I thought I'd post some more info. I'm really happy with my truck in the snow after last night. The snow has been drifting a lot out in the country near me and I recieved a call from a friend who lodged his car in a 2' drift right in the middle of the road. I got him out and drove through it w/o a problem.



On my way back there were two trucks stuck in the drift and I pulled them out w/o a problem. I am quite happy with the truck's performance in the snow.



Andy

 

[RobbieH]

Originally posted by Khood

Well to answer a question if the '03 has limited slip front axle is NO!. Or if it does, mines not working. I got STUCK in less than rim depth mud. My son observing said both rear wheels where spin-

ning,thats good. But only the front right wheel was turnning. So

don't get to confident. We really only have 3wd.

What I'd like to know is there a fix for this? At times [more and more] I miss my old '97 RAM

This is a case of ''progress'' digressing,[going backwards]

Not many vehicles have limited slip fronts, and your Dodge certainly never has had one available.



Limited slips don't work too hot on the road in the snow in front. You end up going sideways instead of your intended direction. For offroad, it's a different story, but onroad you may want to rethink putting a limited slip or locker in front.



Your '97 did not have a limited slip either, at least not from the factory.



Since my CTD does not have 4x4, I have not looked to see if the aftermarket has anything available for the front (for offroad) but typically you have lots of options. If you are in a snow region, you probably would prefer a selectable locker in front, so that there are no side-effects in onroad driving in the snow or ice. Here in the Dallas area we have no problem putting automatic lockers in the front of our rigs though.

 

[DPelletier]

Robbie's right, none of our trucks ever came with other than an open diff in the front. In fact very few vehicles ever did. Early Jeep Quadra-trac, I believe. New Jeep Rubicons have front and rear air lockers and Hummers (H-1's) have a similar system.

In reality, most vehicles are 1 wheel drive, and most 4x4's are two wheel drive. Mine with my limited slip, I consider a 2 1/2 wheel drive!



Dave

 

[DPelletier]

Oh, and Vaughn,

The snow here did get heavy and deep enough, I guess. I experienced some wheel hop. Probably a function of the long, soft primary rear springs that the DC engineers used to help sell trucks to the "must ride like a Caddy" crowd.



Dave

 

[Dean Upson]

Originally posted by DPelletier

Robbie's right, none of our trucks ever came with other than an open diff in the front. In fact very few vehicles ever did. Early Jeep Quadra-trac, I believe. New Jeep Rubicons have front and rear air lockers and Hummers (H-1's) have a similar system.

In reality, most vehicles are 1 wheel drive, and most 4x4's are two wheel drive. Mine with my limited slip, I consider a 2 1/2 wheel drive!



Dave

My 72 Bronco had LS (Traction Loc?) front and rear. That thing would go anywhere it had clearance. I bought it new, loaded and the sticker was $4556, if I remember right.



Dean

 

[ceastmen]

Originally posted by Dean Upson

My 72 Bronco had LS (Traction Loc?) front and rear. That thing would go anywhere it had clearance. I bought it new, loaded and the sticker was $4556, if I remember right.



Dean

I have a 1979 Power Wagon which I installed a Detroit locker in the rear (Dana 70) and a factory Dana (trac lok) limited slip in the front (Dana 60). The truck is incredible off-road (that was the intention) but is absolutely horrible on dry pavement and in the snow. By the way it has the NP 203 T-case (full time 4wd).



The LS in front is pretty tight and makes the vehicle go straight when you want to turn in snow, an undesireable characterisitc. However, if I got stuck in snow it was unbeatable, 99% of the time all 4-wheels spun and it pulled out great.



It was worst in light snow - variable traction - conditions, it pulled to whatever side wasn't getting traction at the time. Never install a limited slip in the front axle of an "on-road" vehicle, spend the extra dollars and get a selectable locker, then use it only when you get stuck and need all 4 wheels to spin.

 

[SMorneau]

Re: forgot!!!

Originally posted by DMyran

snow and ice traciton is amazing, drove through same roads as ol traildog and saw many of the vehicles of the road and were driving 45, i drove 75 which is what i am accustomed to and have never driven off the road in my life and had no problems

When everyone else is driving 45 around here there is a reason for it. What exactly goes through your mind. Do you think the rest of the people are all pansies or stupid? Hell I have never turned around because of snow but I have went home plenty of times because I didn't want to share the road with people who think they are immune to the law of physics.



Normal commute speeds around here are 75-80 mph. When everyone is suddenly driving 60 or less you had better wake up and slow down. I have seen many many many people learn this the hard way and I and a lot of others will never stop to help put these menaces back on the road.



Can you tell this is a pet peeve of mine?



Good luck and drive safely for my sake and yours.



Scott

 

[Casey Balvert]

Re: Re: forgot!!!

Normal commute speeds around here are 75-80 mph. When everyone is suddenly driving 60 or less you had better wake up and slow down. I have seen many many many people learn this the hard way and I and a lot of others will never stop to help put these menaces back on the road.



Can you tell this is a pet peeve of mine?



Good luck and drive safely for my sake and yours.



Scott

I just view folks that travel that fast as future customers. Unfortunately they often take innocents with them.



Casey

EMS Deputy Chief

 

[Blakers]

My 88 F-150 had factory limited slip in the front. It was fine for off road, fine for driving on icy and snowy roads. But when you were on a road with snow on one side (passenger tires on snow) and bare, salted pavement down the center (drivers tires on bare road), it was terrible. Always wanted to head off the side of the road and had to compensate with the steering.



This happened whether in 4 wheel drive or not. Of course it was ok with the hubs unlocked.



Blake

 

[Blakers]

Originally posted by SMorneau

When everyone else is driving 45 around here there is a reason for it.

Sometimes.



I often see the situation on the freeway where it is comfortable and safe to go 60 mph and you'll come to a whole group going behind one car, going 45 mph. They think it is necessary to go so slow because they think that gal up front knows what she's doing. In reality, she's not a good driver and is just scared. Some days you'll see several of these little follow-the-leader groups, with everyone else driving normal speeds. Perhaps each leader of one of these little groups is from an area that seldom sees snow and they don't learn how to drive in it?

 

[Scrappy]

wheel hop

Mine wheel is horrible in 2wd (1000lb. snowplow doesn't help much). I can get it to wheel hop BAD in 4wd at moderate throttle pushing the plow. I gotta get a set of traction bars. Even w/ the wheel hop, it will out push a f550 with a sander on the back and the same plow!

 

[RJOL]

Originally posted by Vaughn MacKenzie

... Another thing I don't like is this truck is more nose heavy than my shortbed quadcab '01. I have weighed both rigs and the weight over the rears is the same but the nose weighs almost 300 lbs more, which doesn't help... Vaughn

Vaughn... I wonder what they added to the front to make it 300lbs heavier then your 01???



We don't get a lot of snow here, but a several weeks ago we got a few inches, and I would have been stuck in front of my house, turning around on level pavement, if I didn't have 4WD.



I have never liked these trucks on ice or snow, and just don't drive it in those conditions, unless I have to. Even putting a couple of hundred pounds in the back doesn't make up for all the weight in the front and the light pickup rear end. Others who deal with these conditions all the time may get used to it, but I will just leave it parked...