Diesel Pickups in the snow and those front hooks

[JimRB]

Have you ever gone 4 wheeling with the Hummer club? H1s that is. You go off roading with them, someone will teach you have to drive off road using your ABS and no traction control. The later consumer retail models had traction control. With the H1 and no traction control, when you had wheels spinning you apply the brakes and the throttle. The ABS helps slow down the spinning wheels so the wheels with traction can work. Of course the H1 came with an automatic which makes that task easier.

My 2wd long bed Cummins weighs 6,000 pounds empty with probably 4,000 pounds on the front wheels. I get stuck fairly easy as most of the weight is on the front wheels. If you refuse to weigh the back end then you are on your own. It costs you a lot less to toss 500 pounds in the back end for the winter than it does to be smashing in to things or going no where because you are spinning.

 

[radioman]

first off - you can install diff lock. just google manual differential locker . second if you really hate the ABS, feel free to pull the wiring harness off the sensor. It will go into default old school brake mode. Yes , you will get the stupid abs light and stay on all the time while you drive. If you are really inclined, you could splice in a switch to "turn off" the sensor by breaking the circuit from completing so it will go in old school mode.
My malibu has an issue with ABS sensor and I got sick of replacing the wheel bearing every other year so I left it as is and it sure feels good to have old school braking back. I think I can stop better in certain conditions in fluffy snow or do certain tricks like you say to rock car without ABS kicking in.
Yup , Had a pickup before and they always feels light in the back after being spoiled with front wheel drive. I used to put bags of sand in back or concrete blocks for wieght during winter. sure, stuff in bed is a royal pain, but not as royal while driving in slick conditions.

 

[bandaidmd]

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!

If your truck wasn't ordered with limited slip differentals you only have a 2 wheel drive, one front and one rear. Do you have the window sticker from when it was new, it should be listed as a option or included in a package. If your 70 thousand dollar truck is not equipped with it have it installed. A couple drums of water in the bed is easy weight to add and remove (before it freezes and after it thaws)

 

[Egon]

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!

Was it you that was stuck or the General Public?

 

[LD1]

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

If your truck wasn't ordered with limited slip differentals you only have a 2 wheel drive, one front and one rear.

Both wrong. Open diffs apply EQUAL power/torque to EVERY wheel. Even though one may be spinning and one may not, they are both getting the same power applied. Lockers and posi's are equal speed but unequal torque.

I think the whole issue is weight. Not sure if the OP said he had a 2500 or 3500, but a diesel nonetheless is at least a 2500. 1500# in the bed would do it wonders and really wouldnt hurt fuel economy much at all unless you are traversing mountains daily.

I plow with 2000# of concrete in the bed of my 3500. Most of the time I leave it in 2wd as it turns better. And I can get around as good as if not better than my old plow truck which was a 03 z71. Only on snows like we just had (10" of wet and heavy), I leave it in 4wd. Cause most of the time, once you get a bladefull, the plow rides up over the snow and you are driving in 8" of the stuff while pushing a load.

You need weight if you dont like getting stuck. And I would leave ABS alone. Especially in snowy and icy conditions. As to the tow hooks, yea, they suck. My 05 dodge has hooks that are a PITA too. But I usually just hook to the plow mount.

 

[Looking4new]

IF you don't have the 'window sticker' aka 'line setting ticket' there should be one tucked under the springs of the front seat. This will list all the options and components of your truck including gear ratios.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I have heard this question asked before. It kinda surprises me. I would have thought it more stable with the extra weight. I have driven 2wd diesel trucks and always thought they were awesome in bad weather.

 

[dodge man]

I own a 4x4 2004 Dodge Diesel and always thought it did O.K. in the snow. Maybe as good as, or almost as good as any half ton I've owned. In the mud, it sucks.

There is a couple of ways to look at the weight issue. I've also had some physics in college, so some of that is talking also. The weight pushes down on your tires. The more weight, the more pressure on your tires, the more traction. On the other hand, its also more weight you have to get moving, turned and stopped. In other words its a toss up. When you get in mud, the extra weight just makes the truck sink in more.

As some one else said, wheel hop is what you feel when the truck starts to bog down and get stuck. I've even had it happen on other trucks I've owned on the front axle. Like someone else said, you can add things to make it go away but I wouldn't mess with it.

Tires? Like someone else said, tires can make a big difference. People often don't understand what a true snow tire looks like. They often think a big chunky open tread design works well in the snow. That's not true, that's more of a mud tire. A true snow tires has a lot of very small slits called sipes. All these little slits grab the snow and ice and are what work well. Snow tires also have a compound that is meant to grab better. This also makes them crappy when it warms up, but they work well in the snow.

 

[diesel lover]

I really think you just need weight added to your truck. It's the most cost effective option. Just make sure it's strapped down so it doesn't go flying in the case if an accident.

He did mention he has snow tires. He lives in Canada and it sounded like he has good snow tires not all season unless I read it wrong. If your truck is wheel hopping it can be limited with weight in the bed directly over the axle. But you need 800 to 1200 pounds I would imagine. Add a round bale of hay

 

[bandaidmd]

"Both wrong. Open diffs apply EQUAL power/torque to EVERY wheel. Even though one may be spinning and one may not, they are both getting the same power applied. Lockers and posi's are equal speed but unequal torque."

So i guess the wheel that sitting on the dry pavement just dosen't realise its getting the same amount of power as its partner on the other side of the axel that's spinning in the mud and not making the truck move. Wonder why they sell those fancy locker thingeys,just a gimmick i guess.