Diesel Pickups in the snow and those front hooks

[Industrial Toys]

Maybe I should have gone to the Duramax Site, but I thought I would stay here.

I got stuck the other day in my lane with my 08 Duramax. Good, snow tires, but conditions just became too much. I will start with the front tow hooks. I got my tractor, had various chains and straps, and while struggling in bitter cold and wind, found that nothing I had would fit through those hooks! I found a cheap Nylon tow strap, which I wove through the hooks and had effectively four strands which the tractor snapped like nothing! Eventually, I managed to get a safety chain through the hook and pulled the truck free.

What should I have with me, to best go through those hooks? Something, small yet very strong and preferably, something that won't scratch the painted hooks so badly?

Next thing. I find my truck just terrible in slick, snowy or muddy conditions. It just feels like it is way too heavy. I rarely tow anything, partly on account of licensing, and really just drive a Diesel because I always wanted one. Oh, and because the Diesel and Allison were free when GM went broke and was clearing them out. But I only drive a 4x4 because I live alone out in the boonies, and getting stuck (alone) sucks!

So I am really thinking whether driving a diesel makes any sense.

I have had Dodge Diesel 4x4s and a Ford as a courtessy vehicle on occassion and I found them no good in these conditions either.

My GMC with the OEM (summer) tires is practically unuseable in slick conditions. If it weren't for the 4wd, often it wouldn't go anywhere!

Is it just me?

One more thing. It's a problem I also had with my 2K Dakota, extended cab V8. It was a very different beast, in that it had those wide fuel wasting tires, was much lighter and just kind of floated around on slick surfaces. But it did have one VERY annoying phonomena, that is shared with my current GMC.

Just about the time that you are truly stuck, and try and give it a little more power, the whole truck starts to shake very violently and you have no choice but to back off on the throttle. Is that the Posi? If so, what good is that?

I look forward to your feedback!

 

[diesel lover]

Hey there! I read through it a few times but could not tell if your truck has 4wd or not. I know I read that your other trucks had it. The engine in the front weighs down the front end a lot. Unfortunately even with your front end being so heavy you will need weight in the back of the truck. I'm on my third ford f-150 with 2wd. My 88 had snow tires on the rear and I still had trouble with getting stuck from having to stop at intersections and traffic. These three have had an open differential. My current truck a 97 f150, long bed v6 does not have snow tires but I have 240 pounds of Sand bags and a 50 pound plastic container of salt.

Just yesterday morning I had to return a trailer I rented to move my Matco tool box, of course the city plowed me in! I went to move on top of the ice and had to rock it back and forth. I was very easy on the throttle, took my time touching neutral for a second and then going to reverse. The best thing I have kept on me has been salt in a sealed plastic container but kitty litter works too! I got myself most of the way out and cleared the snow around my tires. I then shoved salt tightly around my drive tires and drove right out.

My advice:
Salt or kitty litter/ rain or other ice melting washer fluid

I am going to google what the tow hooks of a 08 gmc look like but I would think you could fit a D ring shackle through the hook, or a looped strap as you said a trailer safety chain fit right through there. This strap could be any stretchy recovery strap or a lifting sling even a tree/ winch strap. With a recovery strap you can yank with your tractor on your truck and it will add more force with a gentle pull!

You definately may need weight in your bed!! 3/4 ton and 1 ton require a lot more weight as they both have stiffer/stronger suspension.

I just found out studding tires is legal in Indiana! Till I lived here I lived in Michigan and in the country side. It's been tough with the slow traffic to get around here. See if studded tires are legal near you!

 

[diesel lover]

Also the shaking is related heavily between the stiff/ strong suspension and the limited slip differential. You may not have enough weight in the back of your pickup truck.

 

[Looking4new]

You need a clevis to go through the hooks, then attach your chain to that. You also need decent snow tires. As for the vibration, I don't think it is the posi, I have it in my Jeep and don't have any vibrations, in either 2/4wd. I would check out your 'U' joints thoroughly.

 

[diesel lover]

You need a clevis to go through the hooks, then attach your chain to that. You also need decent snow tires. As for the vibration, I don't think it is the posi, I have it in my Jeep and don't have any vibrations, in either 2/4wd. I would check out your 'U' joints thoroughly.

I agree with needing the clevis. I just looked and remembered the front hooks on the newer Gm trucks are in fact tough to get to, and get some sort of material through. If 3/4 and 1 inch d ring clevis are too large you could use maybe 1/2 inch or 5/8 clevis.

Looks to me you are battling fitting something through the hook due to the tight clearances. They have manufactured new vehicles with more "aerdynamic" front hooks. They are simply for looks and are not that useable.

Working for 2 years at a truck shop I found out all the new semi trucks have remove able tow hooks!! What a pain!! And I'm afraid if you went for the frame you could cause damage to your bumper

 

[Industrial Toys]

That tuna fish can of a hood on the Sierra was just flapping! lol

I have GREAT snow tires.

Diesel Lover. You have mentioned "open deff" before, what's that? BTW, yes I have 4x4.

They can keep their stupid computers, and traction control (which I don't have). What I would love is a manually operated def lock front AND rear. But the general puplic is too stupid to drive properly, never mind use something like that, or even understand it!

That's the other thing. I am trying to get in and out of the truck to see what's happening and the dam thing is locking me inside, or out! Then I can't rock it because the ABS isn't letting me jam on the brakes at the top of the swing! What a pile of $%$^$!

I can't get a clevis through those hooks, never mind a strap. They don't protrude out far enough, probably for appearance sakes, and all this stupid rubber around them probably for noise and wind resistance. Just thinking about this crap makes me angry!

As far as putting extra weight in the back of a truck or any vehicle for that matter. My Dad sold steel wire to GM in the 70s, mostly for steering wheels. He once told me, and it has stuck with me, how overjoyed their engineers were when they managed to save a couple of onces or weight on the components for the ventilation system. So adding weight intentionally is some kind of sacralidge (sp?) to me.
'

 

[Diamondpilot]

I have had 4 diesel trucks. They stink in the mud and snow. By far the best is my current 1/2 ton. Front and rear lockers and 34" tires.

I have had 6 F150 4x4's and they amazed me where they would go bone stock.

I have a 06 F350 SRW 4x4 diesel and a 07 Nissan Titan currently. The Titan will go through twice the stuff the F350 will and pull it out at the same time.

Chris

 

[Looking4new]

Open diff is NOT posi/locker. Basically open diff is one wheel drive.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Are front and rear lockers true deff lock or just the BS limited slip? If true lock, is that an OEM option?

Oh, and then I almost hit the concrete wall at the end of my drive shed, because after all that farting around in the snow, the disks were frozen and I didn't need the brakes it seems til I got parked inside!

Amazing, just how much garbage 70 grand (sticker price) will get ya! PATHETIC!

 

[diesel lover]

Are front and rear lockers true deff lock or just the BS limited slip? If true lock, is that an OEM option?

A locker is the same as a differential locker in your farm tractor. It locks both sides of the axle together so both wheels are mechanically "locked" together. Equal power is given to both wheels. My truck if I have one tire on slick ice and one on pavement, the one tire on ice will ALWAYS spin. If my truck had a locker, I could lock both rear wheels together and get out of that situation .

A truck as new as yours may have traction control which is causing part of your issue. Traction control will apply the brakes to the side of the axle that is spinning faster to equalize traction between both wheels. It works great to keep you going, but if you are stuck you need to "spin" your tires to get out. There is a button to turn the stupid traction control OFF as I find it a very large nuisance on newer vehicles when I am stuck.