[jberger711]

I'm wondering if anyone has any good mods I can do to my truck for the upcoming winter. I have a 2012 king cab sv 4.0 automatic. Last winter I was sliding all over the place. If I stopped at a red light in slush, I would spin tire trying to go again. The only thing I've changed since then is the tires. Last year they were goodyear wrangler sra and this year I just threw on some Hankook dynapro atm. I have 18" wheels. Any tips?

average snow around hear is maybe 3 inches at most. I'm not getting stuck just sliding

 

[Zedbra]

Add 200lbs of weight in the box, preferably over the axle. Run dedicated snow tires with a lot of sipes, start off the line slowly so you don't cause tire spin. Run all weather tires in the snow, you will slip more. /thread

 

[The other Sean]

The tires you had were probably not good for winter traction.

Are you 2WD?

Make sure you leave the VDC on.

Sand bags or similar weight in the bed.

 

[drewbie]

Dedicated snow tires, chains and wight in the bed.

 

[Zedbra]

^ The only time you would need chains with 3" of snow is if the road was actually 3" of hardpack with no cement/asphalt exposed. Even then, good snow tires and a smart throttle foot will get you where you need to go safely.

 

[TruckIt]

90% of the reason they make you put snow chains on is not so that you can make it through the snow, it is to keep you from trying to drive 70MPH in the snow. Growing up in Ontario Canada, they do not allow snow chains or even tire studs. You learn how to drive through a foot or more of snow because that is just the way it is. Good snow tires and a soft throttle are your friend. And knowing the magic speed to go where your wipers are able to get the snow off the window and not have the vehicle plow snow under itself and high center itself is the key.

As an example I one drove a new beetle from SF over to Reno on Highway 40 when both 5 and 80 were closed. I did the whole thing without chains while I watched people stop or spin off the road with them. Only place that there was any issue was when I got behind someone with chains that was going too slow and he kept getting stuck and having to get out and clear his window as it was too heavy for the wipers.

I have used chains a few times since as I was forced to put them on or turn around. I find it much harder to control with the chains and they do not let you take them off until you are pretty much on clear pavement and metal on pavement is pretty much making it so that you slide all over the place if you hit your brakes. It is why I get 4WD vehicles and drive with snow rated tires if I need to go into snow now. They will usually let you not put chains on if you have that set up.

 

[drewbie]

Here along the I-70 corridor, snow chains are mandatory to be in your vehicle if you drive commercial vehicles over 10000lbs GVWR. September 1-May 31. We have 2 road conditions for passenger cars, code 15 requires 4x4/awd and all seasons. Code 16 requires ATD (alternative traction devices) such as chains, cables or tire socks. I plow snow early each day so I see code 16 quite often. It is more so for traction on ice and the steep grades (6% +). I agree, chains aren't fun but when I have needed them I am glad I keep a set in my toolbox.

 

[jberger711]

The tires you had were probably not good for winter traction.

Are you 2WD?

Make sure you leave the VDC on.

Sand bags or similar weight in the bed.

I am 4x4. and I don't believe my truck has vdc? I only have 4x4 knob and hill descent control switch

 

[Clint]

I had hankook ATM on my Pathfinder and was amazing in the snow once those tires were installed.
The vdc button is under the radio at the bottom of the stack just above the console, it's a black button.

Clint

 

[jstpsgthruyrwrld]

You said you had automatic. I start out in drive 2 when I think I might slip. I shift to D3 within seconds, as soon as I'm moving OK. I wonder if I'm doing something that will hurt the truck, since no one else has mentioned this?

 

[shift_RUSH]

Install plow. Problems solved. ::laugh::


Bedshells supply weight in the right places. Most begin at ~130 lbs...current ARE one is ~180 lbs. My '00 XE 5-sp manual w/ ATC bedshell got around quite well as long as I had fairly fresh A/S tires.

Bottom line: listen to the Northern boyz, cuz their Winters are l-o-n-g.

 

[The other Sean]

Not sure when and what trim levels VDC came on and became standard. My '11 Pro-4X has.

Also, it is fine to use 4WD to get moving. I do it quite frequently at red lights and stop signs in fresh snow. Flip the switch to 4wd as you are rolling to a stop, apply throttle, get moving enough to clear the intersection, flip switch to 2wd, let off the gas for a second, reapply throttle, continue on. I paid extra for 4wd, I'm not embarrassed to use it whenever I feel the need.

 

[OutFrontFrontier]

If you have 18s then you a Sport pkg or an LE either way just punch it till the snow melts under the tire. When the pavement is exposed you'll be on your way. That how I duz it! Seriously though, with the HK ATMs I usually just putt around in 2wd unless i'm nearing a hill or hard corner. With the traction control system and a soft foot it does ok. The canopy may help as well???

 

[bosfordjd]

 

[bhowdy]

I'm thinking maybe these?

 

[mtaylor]

You said you had automatic. I start out in drive 2 when I think I might slip. I shift to D3 within seconds, as soon as I'm moving OK. I wonder if I'm doing something that will hurt the truck, since no one else has mentioned this?

Starting in 2nd gear helps control spin by forcing throttle control. Nothing wrong with that, it's exactly what "winter mode" does in a volvo.

Zed got it right at the start of the thread. Good tires and weight in the bed and you're golden.

Tracks are awful on ice, by the way. This thing got gloriously stuck after it spun out on ice going down the ski out at work last week.

 

[Colo.Frontier]

Weight can make a difference, in the winter is the one time I miss my 2000 Dakota, full-time 4wd, V8 power, I loved to punch it from a light, usually could get wheel spin from 3 of 4 tires and still get a good launch. I didn't have any weight last winter except my topper, which isn't much, that 180 lbs is too widely distributed, the first real storm we had in Denver was on Thanksgiving, it was more an ice storm. I did what others said, shift to 4wd when starting off, then right back to 2wd. This winter I have my skids installed plus a tool box and some tools, I have a bit more weight, we'll play it by ear. We had our first, sort of snow on Friday, more ice than snow, I had no issues starting, but wanted to slide a lot.

 

[mtyler11]

You said you had automatic. I start out in drive 2 when I think I might slip. I shift to D3 within seconds, as soon as I'm moving OK. I wonder if I'm doing something that will hurt the truck, since no one else has mentioned this?

There's nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't do anything. All it does in these autos is limit you to 1st& 2nd gear, it does not 'lock' you into 2nd gear (I really wish it did, though). On other trucks (some) you can select THAT gear rather than that gear and below.

As for the OP, as was said in the first reply, tires & weight. Last year I had 200lbs of sand over the rear and the crappy BFG LongTrail and had only a little bit of slip. This weekend we just got snow and my new (5k miles on them) Goodyear duratrac did great even with an empty bed.

Chains/studs are only for ice, hardpack or deep snow. If your new tires are still sliding too much for you, consider a winter set of rims&snow tires. The other thing is to slow down & plan ahead. But slow down does NOT mean to crawl. That will cause even more problems for you & every other driver out there. The folks that crawl along, either because they're scared of the conditions or are on summer/bald tires, cause more accidents as frustrated drivers try to pass them as they go along at 15 in a 40. If you're so nervous that you can't travel at a reasonable speed, Pull over and let them pass And don't go out if it's not a NECESSITY. Pizza & beer is not a necessity if you can't be bothered to get snow or good AllSeason tires.

 

[teecro]

I had hankook ATM on my Pathfinder and was amazing in the snow once those tires were installed.
The vdc button is under the radio at the bottom of the stack just above the console, it's a black button.

Clint

Did you have any experience with ice and these ATM tires? My SV has the street Hankooks and I'd like to put something a little more aggressive but really need to maintain a truck able to cope with interstate use from TN to MI year round so something that handles ice as well as snow is going to be a must... For the price I like these ATM but I see that they are not severe snow rates so I was shifting my focus to the likes of the Wildpeak AT3W

 

[drewbie]

I have been looking at the fallen wild peak atw as well. I have had duratracs for quite some time, but the price is a bit bothersome considering I feel they aren't a great performer off road.

I had the original wild peaks on my old x and loved them. I am torn between these and the new bfg at ko2 for the snow designation plus the prices are well under 200/tire, unlike the duratracs at 230+/tire