Winter Driving Tips

[MossRoad]

I'm not saying a 2wd truck stops faster, I thought I made it clear enough that if your 4wd truck is in 2wd, it will stop faster than it would in 4wd

Here's to all you naysayers

4WD VS 2WD Braking Final Test - YouTube

Errr.... ???

First you claim a 4wd truck will stop faster when its in 2wd, then post a video proving you are wrong. :confused3:

Anyhow.... that video pretty much confirms my experiences with my rear wheels pushing my locked front brakes on ice in my 93 Suburban when in 2wd, and why I think I can stop better when its in 4wd, so thanks for that, at least.

 

[MossRoad]

I'm confused.

You have been claiming that a 4wd vehicle takes longer to stop when in 4wd.

Then you post a video showing that 4wd stops quicker.

I don't get it?

Sign me up for a ticket on the I'm also confused bus, please.

 

[mjarrels]

Never set your parking brake, the cable will freeze and not release.

mark

 

[MossRoad]

Never set your parking brake, the cable will freeze and not release.

mark

I think that applies mostly to vehicles where the parking brake is rarely used, and is due to rust, more than to frozen water.

 

[My Gym]

The you tube videos clearly show you can stop faster with 4 wheel drive than 2 wheel drive with the vehicle in drive.
But you can stop even faster if you shift to neutral and apply brakes, 2 wheel drive or 4 wheel drive. Then there is no force pushing on any wheel.
If you carefully watch the wheels in the video. In 2 wheel drive, both front tires lock up, one rear wheel locks up, and one keeps spinning.
In four wheel drive. One wheel on the front locks up and one wheel on the rear locks up, with one front and one rear still spinning.
A spinning tire with brakes applied stops better than a locked up tire on ice. That is the principle behind ABS.
Note: the video does not have ABS systems in use or you should not have locked up tires.

 

[cqaigy2]

I think that applies mostly to vehicles where the parking brake is rarely used, and is due to rust, more than to frozen water.

Not necessarily. If you're in driving up thru wet weather, to higher/colder conditions, i've seen a number of e-brakes freeze up. Probably not seen much where conditions are drier though.

 

[RSKY]

I am so thoroughly confused by this thread and some of the arguments that I think I will just stay home and off the roads when they are slick.

I AM retired after all.

RSKY

 

[MossRoad]

Not necessarily. If you're in driving up thru wet weather, to higher/colder conditions, i've seen a number of e-brakes freeze up. Probably not seen much where conditions are drier though.

Makes sense.

We were taught in drivers ed that if you never use the parking brake on a particular vehicle (they're not emergency brakes), don't use it because there's a good chance it'll lock up due to rust and dirt. If, however, you always use it, keep using it.

I've never had one freeze up on me due to ice. We have a lot of freeze/thaw here. However, I haven't used a parking brake in any car that I have an automatic in, so that would be mid 80's since I had a car with a stick that I used it on.

 

[Bingo9991]

Sorry my fault, I saw the video like a year ago and thought I remembered the opposite happening. Apologies

 

[RoyJackson]

As for all the new gadgets in vehicles now, no different than 4WD IMO. It's nice, but sometimes I believe it gets people into trouble because they figure they don't have to worry or actually know what do to, and sometimes, they get more careless because they figure the vehicle can handle it.

I was watching a video a friend posted on facebook with him driving in bad weather the other month. Guy is in his early 40's, prior military, pretty sharp guy in some aspects. That said, he was doing over 60MPH in snow covered roads, passing people (people had their flashers on driving slow as it was also snowing pretty bad) in the passing lane and right lane, and he seemed proud of of his driving skills. The only thing I could think of was what a freaking idiot. Sooner or later, driving fast in bad weather is going to bite you big time. Apparently he has never learned that.

Ain't that the truth!

I see a lot of drivers going too fast for conditions on these Vermont roads...most of them have New York, Connecticut or Massachusetts tags

 

[Sigarms]

Ain't that the truth!

I see a lot of drivers going too fast for conditions on these Vermont roads...most of them have New York, Connecticut or Massachusetts tags

Come on Roy, I have no doubt that are just as many idiot drivers living in Vermont as there are in NC, Connecticut or Massachusetts. Down here, ya'll be considered Yankee drivers anyways as we don't differentiate the states anyways

 

[turnkey4099]

As with most threads it has gotten off subject. We are now discussing the merits of ABS. not winter driving tips.

#1 winter driving tip. You can be sure the roads are bad if the cars upside down in the interstate median tires are still spinning.

The person recommended down shifting. I do not want to be on the road with you under slick conditions. Shifting is one of the most dangerous actions you can do on very slick roads. It creates uneven forces on the wheels that cannot be corrected by ABS. Even slight acceleration or deceleration can cause loss of control. You are better off to shift to neutral and let ABS do its job.

Question? Do you follow tracks or move to one side and drive on fresh snow.

On shifting to neudtral when stopping: Yes! If you apply the brakes and are still sliding a wheel, shifting to nuetrel will stop it sliding. I don't know why but I have proved it several times in 2wd cars.

 

[CobyRupert]

Ain't that the truth!

I see a lot of drivers going too fast for conditions on these Vermont roads...most of them have New York, Connecticut or Massachusetts tags

Funny you say that, cause over on this side of the line when we see some slow poke clogging up traffic: "Look, it's one of them green-platers* again !" :stirthepot:
Ya know, not every state has a 50mph speed limit! ...then again, we're the impatient sort, there's a reason why "a New York minute" means "right now!"

Of course, we LOVE it that's it's not illegal to pass on a double yellow in VT. :cool2:

(*: slang for green license plate, VT)

 

[LD48750]

And after 50 yrs making a living on the roads, I saw more accidents caused by scared drivers going slow and obstructing traffic then ones caused by overconfident 4WD drivers going too fast.

Slow down is the universal answer any LEO will give you but isn't always the right answer.

 

[Sigarms]

And after 50 yrs making a living on the roads, I saw more accidents caused by scared drivers going slow and obstructing traffic then ones caused by overconfident 4WD drivers going too fast.

Slow down is the universal answer any LEO will give you but isn't always the right answer.

I'd be willing to bet that the accidents you've seen were caused by impatient drivers trying to go around the slow ones.

More than 6 times I can distinctly I can remember the state and road where I was driving in my 4WD truck going about 45-50 in 4 wheel drive, only to be passed out in the passing lane by another truck or car doing at least 65, and low and behold, some time later finding those same vehicles in ditches. 3 of those times were driving on I-80 from western Pa to visit my parents on Christmas eve in a snow storm, where a normal 5 hour drive took me about 10 hours. Passed 3 idiots in the ditch, made sure they were alive and kept on driving.

I remember coming back from Greensboro in a snowstorm only to have a Toyota 4x4 pass me out doing about 65. I thought to myself as he passed me out that dang, I'm getting too old. Low and behold, down the ways, there he was stuck in a ditch, even with 4 wheel drive.

 

[JRobyn]

Maybe after over 100 posts on this thread, the ONE thing we can all learn and agree about is:

Brakes - the devices on vehicles intended to slow and/or stop the wheels from turning.

Breaks - Pauses in activity or physical damage to an item.

 

[Sigarms]

Maybe after over 100 posts on this thread, the ONE thing we can all learn and agree about is:

Brakes - the devices on vehicles intended to slow and/or stop the wheels from turning.

Breaks - Pauses in activity or physical damage to an item.

And when driving in bad weather, don't drive fast enough where you have to slam them on to stop

 

[MacLawn]

As already said, step 1, MOVE back south!! Brrrrr, my old bones cannot stand our cold here in Mississippi.

 

[otlski]

Wait for it to snow and go practice driving in an empty parking lot. Be smooth, then be aggressive and pay attention to the differences. Practice with the car you will be driving.

 

[otlski]

Ain't that the truth!

I see a lot of drivers going too fast for conditions on these Vermont roads...most of them have New York, Connecticut or Massachusetts tags

Yeah, I have to agree. I am from CT and couldn't tell you who was worse.