Drove through the Valley of Trucks

[Cacinok]

I agree w/ MossRoad. I have recovered from many a "4-wheel-skid" while offroading my little truck in the mountains. MR is also correct on the technique. One specific example comes to mind. I had just bought my truck and took a couple of girls up into the mountains after a rain storm. Coming down a rather steep incline, while in 4 wd, the backend lost traction and the truck started to go sideways. I stayed off of the brakes and gave it more gas. The front wheels literally pulled the truck back straight. The big mistake is hitting the brakes.

I believe that longer vehicles (e.g., an Excursion) in 2wd allow the driver to realize when the backend is beginning to fish tail and take correct action -- assuming he knows what to do. That's why I fear the smaller rear wheel drives such as jeeps, suzuki's etc. by the time the driver realizes the back end has broken lose they're already spinning.

Clint

 

[Boondox]

It must be a regional thing. Pretty much everybody in my area has one set of summer and another set of winter tires. But many of my friends in other parts of the country have never even heard of "snow" tires.

So is it a regional thing because of marketing, or are snows only used in places where the ground is simply not seen (because of snowfall) from November thru April?

Pete

 

[MossRoad]

<font color=blue>So is it a regional thing because of marketing, or are snows only used in places where the ground is simply not seen (because of snowfall) from November thru April?</font color=blue>

When I was a kid, we had snow all the time here in Indiana( even in summer, just kidding). My dad always had snow tires. When all seasons came out, along with front wheel drive, and the climate change of very little snow, there was no need to switch tires in winter. The all seasons do just fine here. For that matter, I asked about snow tires a few weeks ago at a tire store and the guy looked at me like I was nuts( I probably look nuts anyway). He wanted to sell me all seasons. I already had all seasons. He swears that I will see no noticable difference between snow tires and all seasons and they will just be another expense that aren't worth the price and bother in our area( an honest tire dealer ). And I haven't seen a set of tire chains or cables on a car or truck since the mid 60's.

 

[rozett]

I am not going to belabor the difference, but I will enter one post to provide a source confirming some of what I said. There are others out there. Agree or not, what I posted is supported by others.

The source is SUVone.com. "SUV One, Inc. is a California Corporation located near Sacramento, California. The company was started to create and deliver an extensive wealth of knowledge about how to properly drive sport utility vehicles and 4wd pickup trucks, both around town, and off the road."

"The owners of Sport Utility Vehicles and the new fancy 4 wheel drive pickup trucks are very rapidly getting a bad reputation and in the opinion of SUV One, it is well deserved. You, the driver of one of these vehicles, and we're now talking directly to YOU, need to understand that 4 wheel drive does you absolutely no good at all when your tires break away from the pavement (such as in a skid or when you have to hit the brakes hard)."

While they do say "And with 4wd, you have an advantage over 2 wheel drive vehicles. If you apply some gas as you steer to the right, the front wheels will actually help you to pull out of the skid." They also say "The most important thing to remember about using 4 wheel drive in the rain is that 4 wheel drive will not help you much if you lose control of your vehicle or in braking situations. If your wheels lose traction with the roadway, 4wd is not of much use unless you have <font color=red>significant race car or police car driving experience </font color=red>and know how to pull your vehicle out of a skid. If you have such expertise, then 4wd can help you regain control of your SUV."

The average soccer mom & pop do not have any experience even approaching this level.

Thanks....

 

[Egon]

Sure glad this company didn't teach me how to drive. Always turning your wheels to the right when you go into a skid will probably let you enjoy the thrill of a 360 about 50% of the time.

Egon

 

[MossRoad]

While I agree that 4 wheel drive does you absolutely no good at all when your tires break away from the pavement (such as in a skid or when you have to hit the brakes hard) that does not make it unrecoverable. All you have to do is take your foot off the gas, maybe tap the brakes to get the wheels to stop spinning, which usually regains traction instantly, then carefully use the gas to pull you out. This doesn't take race car driver or police training. What it does take is a responsible person to go out to a deserted road or parking lot and learn how to control their vehicle in emergency situations. I think it applies to any vehicle, 2 or 4 wheel drive. The truth of the matter is that just about nobody will do this, ever. My mom and pop made me do this when I was learning to drive. I still do it from time to time just to keep it an automatic reaction. And I always do it with a new vehicle, because no two vehicles drive alike.

 

[jwstewar]

I drive about 54 miles each way to work. Normally I take our Accord, but if it gets bad I'll take the '99 Silverado w/ the Autotrac 4WD - love that. Makes 4WD a no brainer. I remember back when I just had ordered the Silverado and I still had my '97 Chevy. I was on my way to work and we had a snow about 6-7" I guess. ODOT had the right lane of US 23 pretty clear, I was running about 35 - 40 in 2WD. I came up on a car doing only about 25. I decided to pass, as I did they sped up a little - not much but some maybe they didn't realize they were going that slow. But it made it harder for me to get around so put the truck in 4wd as the left lane was snow covered. We came up around a bend and the whole highway was blocked by cars sitting every which direction. I hit the brakes and the ABS went crazy - even in 4wd - there was no way either of us (me or the car I was passing) were stopping. He went to the right ditch and end up wrecked there w/ a smashed front end (he went into it straight). I went to the left ditch (median), immediately got off the brakes and got back on the gas, was slingin' mud and snow every where /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif, this immediately got the truck back under control I ended up passing the wreck and bounced it back up onto the highway. No damage done to anything that wouldn't regrow in the spring. That was a pretty good adrenalin rush. Sure did save me a lot of time that morning as I didn't have to wait for them to clean that wreck up/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif. Bottom line - Did 4wd get me into this mess probably not, but maybe, but did 4wd get me out of it? You had better believe it. I will still take my 4wd truck over a 2wd truck(or car) any day.

 

[timb]

Just to throw .02 in - in my circle of contacts most people have no clue as to how their vehicle actually works, 4wd or not. Most 4wd's aren't, and IMHO most "full-time" or "automatic 4wd" systems are pretty poorly set up. Most U.S. SUV's run in 2wd (sic - actually 1wd) until the sensors detect a wheel actually slipping. Then and only then do they kick in the front axle. Other systems apply the brakes to slow a wheel that has begun spinning - but again only once a wheel has already lost traction. That might work off-road in snow or mud, but in on-road "dicey" conditions, I prefer a system that is sending out power split constantly to the front and back. And that's the minority of the so-called "full-time" systems out there, especially in larger SUVs/trucks.

Also - while the brakes aren't any different in a 4wd, just like the CUT's don't forget the 4-wheel engine braking available in a correctly-designed 4wd.

 

[Egon]

Dunno but I sure like the four wheel drive on my 2500 series truck when it's required.

And it sure is nice to have a couple of extra tires pulling in the direction thier pointed.

Course I remember when we were kids and used to go out on frozen ponds and lakes with Dad's car/truck and do all kind of spins and circles.

And If I rember mud and gravel roads and no salt in the winter were the norm for driving. The tires sure wern't as good as the ones today either.

Egon

 

[Boondox]

<font color=blue>I prefer a system that is sending out power split constantly to the front and back.</font color=blue>

So which cars/trucks/SUVs qualify..?

Pete