Okay, I know, I got a 2WD and I want to go in snow.... wtf was I thinking. Simple, I've never been in a situation where I needed 4WD before... so all the extra costs, mileage loss, stuff breaking etc. just didn't seem worth it.

I have gone snowboarding a few times and would like to this winter too... everytime I have gone (in my old 2WD sedan) I never needed chains as the roads were plowed or it was simply not snowing.

Anyways.... the only thing working to my advantage right now is I have the sports/edge stock height. No limited slip... nothing. Yeah, snow season isn't for a while but I need time to save up $$$ and plan/research stuff.

This is my daily driver, and I would rather get stuck in snow than risk my highway commute....

I'm thinking some 32" BFG A/Ts & limited-slip ???

Oh yeah, snowboarding means my main contact with snow will be driving up and down a mountain.

 

that would work
or you can try an air locker if thay make one for your truck

 

sand bags in the back will help alot.

 

I had Cooper STT(M/T) and NO L/S for 1 winter after that i switched and bought BFG A/T and L/S and i can damn near get threw anything i want. i mean i cant go crawling up snow hills but you get the piont

acully it was better in my truck with NO weight but my spare in the bed during the winter then having weight...guess its my driving habits...plus having a manual is better because you can control more

 

Manual is nice as Zach said. When I had my 2wd in Erie for a winter I was fine with some decent all-terrains and a couple sand bags. I didn't have LS and had to becareful but I didn't let snow stop me from going out.

 

i have a manual also and i agree you have more control. i never did need sand bags. my cuzin told me that she needs them in her ranger.

 

sand bags are good, just as long as they are over the axel, and not after the axel...

other then that your on the right track...

 

Thank's for the replies, appreciate it.

I just called a local home depot, 50 lb bags for $3 - $4. I'll buy some sand bags too (why risk it?) ... hopefully there is one by the base of the mountain I can buy from.

Am I right in aiming for a limited slip as opposed to a locker?

Also, is there any different kind of limited slip gears or any differences I need to look at? If so what's preferred? If there's no real difference I may just play with the idea of having it done at the dealership so the warranty is 100% not an issue.

 

Despite being from snow country I also bought 2wd. Like yourself I also wanted the best gas mileage from a truck as I could get.
Get good snow tires - All season tires are not rated for heavy snow.
Throw 2 50 lb. bags of tube sand on the back(one on each side).Tube sand is just sand packed in heavy duty nylon sacks.The main thing however remains the same..always drive according to the conditions.

 

Sand Bags and BFGs and your set for what i assume is Big Bear

 

definatly new tires, those stock goodyears will get u stuck in wet grass. I have 31" cooper discover and i usualy throw some cement blocks in the rear, it helped alot. Im sure the locker will help a lot more once i get that in

 

All terrain tires are perfect in snow, my old Pro-Comp All terrains were GREAT in the snow.

 

I have a 2wd Edge with LS. The first winter I ran the stock Goodyears with some weight in the back and I never got stuck, but those Goodyears aren't that great in the snow so I had to be careful. The second winter I put on a set of BFG AT's and it made a big difference.

If you're just going to get the cheap sandbags from Home Depot, try and find something to put them in because the bags tend to rip easily and you'll end up with sand everywhere. Instead of sand, I got a couple of 50 lb bags of crushed stone, they're about the same price and much less messy if the bag rips. Also, try to set up something so that the bags don't move around while driving (even a 50 lb bag of sand will move if you hit the brakes hard enough).

 

FIrst off I have driven 2wd more than 4x4's in winter. They do just fine, and can handle it almost as well as a 4x4 contrary to popular beleif. Unless you are blasting through snowdrifts 4x4 doesn't help you that much in the snow, it just gives you false confidence, and then when you realize 4x4 doesn't help you stop on ice you end up in the ditch. Second Limited slip IMO is dangerous in the snow. My 04 Level II was in 4x4 on the highway during snow about twice as many times as my 01 with an open diff. The reason? With an open diff if the wheel starts losing grip one wheel spins and the other will hold the track and keep the rearend from trying to drive around the truck. Now with a limited slip truck both wheels will slip on ice and the truck is more likely to go sideways. I've never lost it in the snow but I can tell you the limited slip cars I've owned required more care driving. I know it goes against all your first thoughts, but I am just talking from experiance. I have owned 16 cars and trucks and three of them were 4x4 and one of them was Front wheel drive. I know how a RWD car handles the snow with and without limited slip.

Now, I was raised to drive on ice and get so aggravated in the winter when Minnesotans are all piled up in the ditches as if they were misplaced texans! You live in a snow climate it is your responsibility to learn how to manage it and not think you are safe because you have a 4x4 switch on your dash. 4WD is a tool not safety device.

My advice is one or two sandbags, a good set of tires, and some common sense.

Good luck!

~HJ

 

i agree! a limited slip or locker will put you in a ditch in snow if you dont know how to drive......in snow or on ice, an open diff is definately better.........get yourself some BFG All-Terrains, they are SUPER in snow! when i had my 33 BFG AT's on my ranger we got 22" of snow, i was one of 3 trucks in town that could go anywere!......we were running cops around, transporting medicine and emts everywere, and had multiple extinguishers in my truck as it was the city's fire truck for a few days.........

the BFG's will be a great addition to your truck.....

 

i agree completly, LS wont help with snowy roads. it might help if you were stuck but going up hill on a curvy mountain road with LS and no 4wd is asking for trouble.

Now LS and 4wd is pretty good in the snow becasue the front tires will pull you straight and the back end wont fish tail. if you get LS in the snow you will be all over the road.

perfect example is my dads F150 is a open diff 4wd, mine is a LS 4wd and i am in 4wd alot more then him when the snow is on the roads. i cant keep the truck going straight as the backend is all over the road.

i bought 4wd so i could play in the snow, not really to commute in the snow, it helps but isnt needed.

 

honistly Zach i highly beg to differ here being i have had my BFG A/T in both deep snow driving with out the L/S and WITH the L/S. you just have to watch what your doing more when you turn corners, you cant be a moron and floor it other then that i never have problems in the winter keeping it straight and driving normal.

 

2.3L power

vs

4.0L power

and you wouldnt have to watch your self with an open diff as much as a LS

 

Best 2WD I have ever drive in winter, was my first 92 roadmaster with a Open diff. Worst is a Tie between my 88 Ranger and my 83 Olds Custom cruiser station wagon. They were both limited slip rear ends and on a snowy day everytime it would hit a slippery patch it would fishtail to the right. I am pretty good at feeling it in the pedal when it is about to go so I just eased up on the gas and let it straighten it self out, but soemone who is not on there game would be in the ditch. Like I said it is my experiance and there is some logice behind it, but to each his own. I just counted and I have owned 12 RWD drive cars since I got my license and 8 of them were limited slip, posi, true trac, sure grip. Now that being said nothing is cooler than a L/S in the summer, but I just think they are dangerous in the winter. I also feel front wheel drives are dangerous too and when they slip you lose all steering and ability to handle the car. Plus they do the same thing as 4x4's do. They give you a false sense of security. "I have a Front wheel drive car so it won't lose control in snow, I can drive 70 when it is snowing 6 inches an hour, because I have been told my whole life they are safe." They are not any safer and IMO a little more dangerous. I will never let my family drive one in winter. That is why my girl drives a Expedition instead of a cavalier or some chick car. Plus I me and her Dad made darn sure she knew how to handle snow before she get's out there and ends up in the ditch.
~HJ

 

it doesnt matter what you drive they all stop the same in the snow, now well at all.

but id still much rather use a 4wd then a 2wd in the snow.

 

this will be the first time i have had a normaly rwd (i got 4wd now) mode of transportation since when i first got my licenes when i was 16. well i did drive my parent e-250 the winter i got my licenes and that had no weight in the rear end, let me tell you that was a steap learning curve.

 

I totally agree, 4x4 is the best, second is Rear wheel drive with an open diff, and last is a Front wheel drive car. My big deal has always been if someone has a 4x4 or a Front Wheel Drive, they think they are safe so they can drive faster than common sense will allow. Porbably not most people on this forum, but most people in general.

~HJ

 

I would agree with much of what is said. On the other hand trying to get an
open diff ranger up a side street can be a challenge.

One thing not to be underestimated is how much better a dedicated snow tire is over ANY all season tire.

I had a 94 tbird with the 4.6 and a Eaton M90(supercharger) that would get stuck on a flat yard with the all season touring tires and I got up 10 degree+ hills with 4+ inches of snow on the ground.
What I would do is pick up a second set of stock rims cheap and buy 4 dedicated
snow tires. Get 2-3 sandbags whatever will fit good and make a frame out of some
2x4 or 2x6 to keep them in place over the rear axle

 

also a winch can help