Driving habits of rural folk

[turnkey4099]

It can when nothing else fails, but you need to be on top of your game and expect the unexpected. The first time that I drove my new company F150 in sleet/snow after running my ABS-less GMC for years (because I pulled the fuse and a few other parts), I tried to stop well in advance of an icy intersection but it was just wishful thinking; t appeared that I was going out into a busy intersection no matter what I did. And it wasn't from going too fast...I was doing about 20 mph.
In desperation I stomped down on the parking brake which gave me traction with all 4 tires instead of just one.It snubbed me up so quickly that I was glad nobody was behind me.

I use the parking brake a few times per winter on snow now, although not as hard as I did that day. Often it's just because I want to stop, and not wait for the ABS to decide when it will happen. On snow all that feature does is allow you to maintain steering so that you can decide what you're going to run into.

Another trick when skidding while stopping. Shift tranny to neutral. I don'[t know why but it changes braking distance tremendously on slick roads.

 

[turnkey4099]

When it comes to fast and slow drivers, we tend to see it through our own filters. Usually along the lines of:
鏑ook at that guy driving faster and passing me. What a reckless ***hole!
鏑ook at that guy going slower than me that I知 going to pass. What a ****ing moron!

Nothing beats studded snow tires.
I壇 take a 2 wheel drive with studded tires over a 4wd or awd in snow. In fact I literally do. Until ground/snow clearance becomes an issue. (~10?/-).
IMHO 4wd trucks are the worse when it spotty snow and you don稚 want to drive on pavement in 4wd all the time. Don稚 get caught in 4wd on pavement and ruin drivetrain; but also don稚 get caught in 2WD or you値l get passed by your....rear end when you spin out.

Test after test by the experts show that studded tires are better than good snow tires in ONE AND ONLY ONE situation - glare ice. The day of studs is coming to an end, we already have to pay an extra fee for them. My suds have been in the shed for 30 years or more, I'll take good 'all weather tires" and reasonable driving any day.

 

[MossRoad]

Another trick when skidding while stopping. Shift tranny to neutral. I don'[t know why but it changes braking distance tremendously on slick roads.

Because your drive wheels are still pushing your car while your non-drive wheels lock up on the ice.

 

[MossRoad]

Keep in mind that 4x does not help in stopping.

In the old days 4x would rapidly wear out tires as there was no differntial between front/rear and one wheel somewhere on the rig had to be skidding going around corners. Gone are the ddays when On e had to get out an turn in the hubs to go into 4x.

4WD does help in stopping. With the brakes and with downshifting. See your post about putting a vehicle in neutral.

 

[4570Man]

4WD does help in stopping. With the brakes and with downshifting. See your post about putting a vehicle in neutral.

How does 4wd help with braking on a vehicle? On a tractor yes but I’m not seeing how it helps a vehicle.

 

[lman]

Another trick when skidding while stopping. Shift tranny to neutral. I don'[t know why but it changes braking distance tremendously on slick roads.

I usually just step on the clutch.

 

[MossRoad]

How does 4wd help with braking on a vehicle? On a tractor yes but I’m not seeing how it helps a vehicle.

When the truck is in 2wd on slick roads, and you step on the brakes, the fronts lock up and slide, while the rears keep pushing the vehicle. Every rear wheel drive Chevrolet I've owned does this. You can toss it into neutral, and it'll stop pushing the rear wheels and you'll stop better. Or, you can have it in 4 wheel drive and step on the brakes, the fronts don't lock up like they do when it's in 2wd. Also, downshifting in 4wd applies reverse force to both front and rear ends VS only the rear end when in 2wd. You stop faster.

 

[MossRoad]

How does 4wd help with braking on a vehicle? On a tractor yes but I’m not seeing how it helps a vehicle.

Every time this subject comes up (and I'm not saying you), someone drops in and gives the old "4wd doesn't help you stop" advice. They are incorrect, and here's why...

 

[Jstpssng]

Another trick when skidding while stopping. Shift tranny to neutral. I don'[t know why but it changes braking distance tremendously on slick roads.

I shift into neutral on a regular basis, snow or no snow. It's SOP when I'm sitting at a stop sign or red light.

 

[defranks]

I remember driving with my grandfather when I was 17 and he was well into his 70's. He was a pretty slow driver in his old International pickup, (which my brother now owns). One day a guy went flying past us and my Papaw said, "Go ahead, you'll be old one day." I've always remembered that, and now that I'm getting close to that senior citizen status I drive a lot slower, too. Unless I'm on a backroad on my bike......