Winter fun

[ckrajewski]

This will be my first winter with a CTD Ram. I travel up north to snowmobile and run into some bad road conditions. I tow a fairly light trailer (3000 lbs. ) and was curious if the diesel powered truck will be more likely to spin out when in 2WD. I'll be installing a Edge Comp box soon and am concerned that would only make matters worse. Please let me have your thoughts. Thanks guys.

 

[ftb87]

I live in Denver... weather not as bad as where you are. However... with all the weight up front... I would utilize the 4-wheel drive.



Besides it help circulate the lube in the front differential .



Frank

 

[Amianthus]

Know where you're coming from.

Let me tell you. You will have a new respect for winter driving with your CTD. Use the 4wd when you can. 2wd will work but it WILL get really, REALLY squirelly. Also, watch those brakes. They can get kinda funny too. If you need anything else...

 

[JR2]

You will not be able to use much of the comp's power in 2wd on snow or ice. As a matter of fact you will not be able to use much of your trucks stock power in 2wd on snow/ice. I drive more than half the year on snow and ice and I have to leave it in 4x4 ALL the time. Last wintert I had an EZ, 275 injectors, and a PE installed. I set the ez to the weakest seting (extra fuel starts above 20 psi) and left the PE off and still had several 2wd burnouts at 60 mph on the ice.



Another word of advice, don't use your curise control in 2wd on snow and ice. If you drive up an icy hill with the cruise on the computer sensese the slow down and pours the power to it and your rear wheels will start spinning and you will be out of control in a hurry.



My advice to you, install the comp and set it to a real low setting. Then put it in 4x4 and take it easy. Nothing is worse that going on a trip to have fun and then not having it.





Check out the winter fun link in my sig... .

 

[DEZLPWR]

Question re: Stacking EZ w/PE

JR2-

When you stack the PE & the EZ, aren't you over-fueling the engine since both of the boxes provide "enhanced" fueling. I know the EZ provides the timing enhancements that the PE does not, but I still am confused as to how stacking these boxes would give good power increases without being "too much".



Can you clarify for me how they work together?



Thanks!



Steve

 

[JR2]

SCooke-

I can try... . both of them working together is called the Edge Comp



The EZ is primarly a timing box, it does provide a "little" more fuel but not that much. The PE is a fueling box only and provides lots of fuel it you want it. Edge combined these two boxes to make the Edge Comp. The only reason I don't run a comp is that I already had a PE and EZ when the comp was released. I could not justify buying a new box when I had already spent over a grand on the other two.

As to overfueling the engine, that depends on what you call overfueling. I have set my truck up for this fuel and power so it is fine for me.



Read this post for some more info.



John

 

[legbert]

I can tell you about my tragic event.



I was driving on an icy highway in Indiana US64 and I hit a patch of ice while going 50 mph and my truck lost traction. I have an automatic and did the wrong thing. I didn't throw it into neitral like I should have. Well i had to bale the truck off into the shoulder to avoid a serious accident. In doing so I hit the slushy ground (our first snow of the year) and ended up popping both driver side tires of the rims and truck landed on it's side tearing the crap out of the whole driver side body from grill to bed. Cost was $8,000 for my insurance company. My mistakes: 8 foot bed needs to be weighted down at tires to give better traction capabilities, put it in 4X4 regardless what owners manual says, if start to slide at higher speeds and driving an auto, should put into neutral. Next truck will be stick. I had stick before this and thought the ease of driving would be nice, but I'm sacrificing driver control too much for me.



Just my experiences with ice and snow. Play it safe



Louis

 

[LSMITH]

You will have a new found respect for torque when you start driving your CTD on snow and ice. One point mentioned that needs repeated- DO NOT use the cruise control if it is slick. If the bridges and overpasses could be icy don't use it. Sideways at 60+ is not fun in any way. If you need to pass or accelerate quickly use the 4wd even if it is just a little bit slick. With all the weight on the front axle these trucks will go just about anywhere in 4wd with decent tires, but they stop like 7K pound sleds. Work into it and you will be fine.



Oh, and the comp box- you will learn to turn it all the way down or even off when it is wet, snow or ice will be a no-brainer for you. Hope this helps.

 

[CMAC]

When I had my 2000 Ram CTD 4X4 with 5 speed , I used 450 lbs. of sand bags . This helped alot , but , if your bed getts icey they will slide forward at a quick stop. So I put them behind the wheel wells and put them behind a 2x8 that fit crossways in the box. More weight than this would help since you are pulling. .



P. S. There isnt any snow in northern Minn. yet. . Wait one more week... .

 

[Cummins Corvette]

You need to consider that a Cummins equiped ram is more handicapped in the snow than a gasser due to the wieght of the diesel engine. You have a lot of wieght in the front and with an empty bed, very little in the rear. This gives you a poor ratio of weight on the driven wheels vs wieght on the non-driven wheels. I think that it is about 70/30 in two wheel drive and 100% in 4x4 of course. In my truck traction in 2 wheel drive is pathetic, I have even been "stuck in the rain" a few times. Just not enough traction to get moving because it's wet. Put it in 4x4 in snow and ice and leave it there untill there is enough traction to cause the drive train to bind up. Be careful- if you are like me your CTD is one of your most valueable possesions!