The truth about fully locked in snow?

[greenamp]

I've heard that being fully locked in the snow can be dangerous, and is not recommended. Well, we got about 3" of snow this evening so I figured I'd drive around town and give it a go, as I have not had a chance to test my truck in the snow since being fully locked.

This was not an extensive test mind you, just some poking around, stop and go, hard turn test type things to get a feel for it. Basically, I didn't notice any ill effects at all. Turning hard while accelerating from a stop I barely even noticed the front locker. To me, my truck felt more stable in the snow fully locked, as opposed to 1/no locker(s).

For those of you with experience, can you tell me what I should be looking out for while driving fully locked on snow/ice?

[hytenor]

I've heard that being fully locked in the snow can be dangerous, and is not recommended. Well, we got about 3" of snow this evening so I figured I'd drive around town and give it a go, as I have not had a chance to test my truck in the snow since being fully locked.

This was not an extensive test mind you, just some poking around, stop and go, hard turn test type things to get a feel for it. Basically, I didn't notice any ill effects at all. Turning hard while accelerating from a stop I barely even noticed the front locker. To me, my truck felt more stable in the snow fully locked, as opposed to 1/no locker(s).

For those of you with experience, can you tell me what I should be looking out for while driving fully locked on snow/ice?

Yup, in the deep stuff it makes a world of difference. :D
the problems associated with being locked and snow have to do with off-camber stuff with little snow or going around corners at speed with just the rear locked, again with just a little snow or on icy stuff.

In deep powder, being locked front and rear will often make the difference in whether or not you get out of it ;) I've gotten in and out of areas that I wouldn't have even tried w/o the front ARB. but, on side-hills with shallow snow, keep the lockers disengaged to keep from sliding sideways.

Coming home from a snow trip last year I experimented with having the rear locked or unlocked (I had a Truetrac up front at the time) and found that locked was much more stable at speed on snowy roads. A couple of the other rigs in our group with ARBs front and rear were doing the same experimenting and the concensus was that fully locked f/r was more stable overall. being aired way down (10-12psi) made a huge difference as well.

plowing through a couple feet of new stuff is sure fun, weee!

http://www.norcalttora.com/~chris/wheelin%20trips/snow%20trip%2012-30-03/

[Mike]

For those of you with experience, can you tell me what I should be looking out for while driving fully locked on snow/ice?
I have lockrights front and rear. The way I see it, the more wheels with traction, the better. Air way down, and be way careful on ice.

Later,
....Mike

[KRYPTO(dale)]

i have lockrights front and rear. what ive noticed is,you got to keep a strong grip on the wheel in 4wheel drive.
and i would rather be locked than not.(except on high traction surface)

[BigBadBob0]

You should find that you break traction easier on turns. It's the same thing as driving up a steep, off-camber dirt hill. With the locker on once a tire slips you're more likely to have both tires spin. When that happens you have much less grip holding you side-to-side and you're more likely to have the whole ass (or front) of the truck slide out.

This is one of the many reasons I love having ARBs. I turn them off when doing off-camber hill climbs in most cases because the ARB does more harm than good.

[SteveO]

Like eveyone else said, keep it unlocked on slippery side hills or you'll be in the trees in no time. Lockers do make a world of difference in deep snow though.

[Puckett]

I've heard that being fully locked in the snow can be dangerous, and is not recommended. Well, we got about 3" of snow this evening so I figured I'd drive around town and give it a go, as I have not had a chance to test my truck in the snow since being fully locked.

This was not an extensive test mind you, just some poking around, stop and go, hard turn test type things to get a feel for it. Basically, I didn't notice any ill effects at all. Turning hard while accelerating from a stop I barely even noticed the front locker. To me, my truck felt more stable in the snow fully locked, as opposed to 1/no locker(s).

For those of you with experience, can you tell me what I should be looking out for while driving fully locked on snow/ice?


I have just the rear locked on my taco, and I have the same mud terrains as you and I can't beleive how much BETTER my truck is in the snow as compared to when it had stock diffs and all terrains. My little truck even pulled out an oldsmobile on the side of the road. With out the front diff engaged the rear would easily slide out when accelerating when turing a corner, and when the road is not level side to side (off camber). When the front diff engaged, the rear DOES NOT slide out, more like the front is pulling the rear around the corner. I can do some wicked power slides though, around corners and across parking lots.... ;)

I love the snow we got, but now there is an icy/rain thing going on and it is covering up the roads in a icy/snow mix. Not nearly as fun or stable as the fresh powder. People stuck in cars love my little 4x4 though.

[RENEGADE76254]

has anybody had experiance with an LSD in snow?? i have prerunner and LSD would be in rear only, i have michelin LTX M/S which perform great on our ford which has both front and rear lockers in 4 wheel low and open in 4 high and 2. just recently got the yota so my experiance in it is minimal. by the way i LOVE my new yota, best purchase i ever made.
RENEGADE76254

[hytenor]

has anybody had experiance with an LSD in snow?? i have prerunner and LSD would be in rear only, i have michelin LTX M/S which perform great on our ford which has both front and rear lockers in 4 wheel low and open in 4 high and 2. just recently got the yota so my experiance in it is minimal. by the way i LOVE my new yota, best purchase i ever made.
RENEGADE76254

I had a Truetrac up front for about a year and a half. it was awesome in the snow. The '87 Supra we used to have had an LSD but I still needed chains to go anywhere in snow. Check with Showstop; he has a rear LSD and is open up front.

[ShowStop]

I had a Truetrac up front for about a year and a half. it was awesome in the snow. The '87 Supra we used to have had an LSD but I still needed chains to go anywhere in snow. Check with Showstop; he has a rear LSD and is open up front.
I got a locker in the rear you nimrod. Powertrax No-Slip to be exact. Couldn't you tell on Strawberry Trail? :rolleyes:

[hytenor]

I got a locker in the rear you nimrod. Powertrax No-Slip to be exact. Couldn't you tell on Strawberry Trail? :rolleyes:
you're kidding! With all the trouble you had on Strawberry I thought you had the LSD, LOL. Besides, I coulda sworn you said you had one, o well. Are you sure it didn't 'slip' a little at paint rock? ;)

[tacd44]

One big problem is with Detroit lockers. They will sometimes surprise engauge, Especally on short wheel base. This can cause the rear to fishtail. I was in a Jeep w/ a Detroit when this happened on dry pavement. It would have been scary on a wet or icy surface. People will tell their experience, but you have to make the decision based on your situation at the time.

ARBs are cool because you don't have that issue. I have ARBs front & rear. Second best part of my Tacoma. Marlin Crawler/SAS is #1!

[redneck]

yeah, it snows where I go to school and the school's 4wd club has a lot of jeeps running detroits and they all said what tacd44 just said, that it will randomly pull you from one side to the other. They all run 3wd in the snow...and I guess I do too since I only have a rear locker, but they do it intentionally by leaving one of their hubs unlocked up front, citing what the original poster said about it being dangerous fully locked in the snow.
Ryan

[Hagan34]

The '87 Supra we used to have had an LSD but I still needed chains to go anywhere in snow.


Why would you even try to drive a Supra in the snow!? :confused:

[SteveO]

Why would you even try to drive a Supra in the snow!? :confused:

I had a Supra and it was a great winter car. Awesome heater and I always had good traction, even working at a ski hill and driving up every day.

[hytenor]

Why would you even try to drive a Supra in the snow!? :confused:

at the time it was our only 'traveling' car ;) Besides, it was great in the snow as long as it was chained up ;)

[RENEGADE76254]

it snowed today so i took the yota out for a lil spin and with an open rear end if i gave it enuf gas it would spin both rear tires purddy good. i still think the LSD would be good for the ice patches but am hesitant about a locker b/c i had a go-kart when i was younger with a rear axle and if u acclerated just a lil to past it would kick out and spin in ice and even in snow. so i think LSD would be better for me.

[Morouse]

see in texas we dont get a lot of that stuff oh well good thing I aint locked front and rear!

[hytenor]

see in texas we dont get a lot of that stuff oh well good thing I aint locked front and rear!

heck, from what we're seein' on the news all you Texans are buried in snow right now, LOL

[TQM3 (Last IFS in AZ)]

see in texas we dont get a lot of that stuff oh well good thing I aint locked front and rear!

We don't see much of that nasty stuff in Southern AZ either :D

[MtnM]

The usual advice is to use 4 wheel (locked or unlocked) to start then drive in 2 wheel.
This is just so when you find the limit of traction you can back off and gain control.
I find below 45 mph the truck is very stable in 2 wheel.
At 55 mph it can be hard to make evasive moves (like avoiding elk or deer).
At 65 mph it is usually stable, but think ahead.