Jeep Enthusiast Forums banner

Jeeps in snow?

7K views 68 replies 26 participants last post by  John Strenk 
#1 ·
#33 ·
I found, MOST of the people that have problems with snow and other weather related driving experiences, DON'T know how to drive in it.. I'm sure this will piss some off, but think about it.. you go out and screw with incremental weather, and you'll get tossed in the ditch or over the cliff.. you have to respect what your driving, where your going, how your getting there and what your driving through.. Snow is not tough to drive in, thin, thick, deep, dry, wet or not... I see people all over the country that live in snow belts, each year driving like total idiots.. "OH, I have 4WD, that will keep me on the road".. BS.. YOU and your driving habits will either keep you safe on the road, or KILL you.. Learn to drive, or stay home basically.. ICE, that's another story, there is no learning to drive in black ice, its DON'T.. and if you have to, its "extreme caution, slow, NO curves".. I used to drive from Denver to SF every month, I70 is one huge set of curves.. and bridges are the worst.. can't for the life of me understand building a bridge curved in snow/ice country.. BRIDGES freeze first. if you make one false move, jerk a little, turn a little fast, you'll do loopy do's down that road.. and bounce off any and everything.. NO FUN.. slow and cautious.. ICE DEMANDS 100% RESPECT and ATTENTION...
 
#35 ·
Yes, definitely. Well Said. I saw some guy last year try to turn into a driveway off of a 50 mph road. His car didn't turn as sharp as he thought it could in snow, and he plowed into a snowbank. Snow flew everywhere! I must say though, since he was okay, it was pretty crazy to watch. I live right off of an awful road with a 50 mph speed limit and hills and sharp turns...They need to do something about it. A few years ago, on this particular turn, a girl went off the road and into the deep ditch and wasn't found for days, as she was trapped in her car...There was a fatal crash there a few weeks ago when someone crossed the line...Then not 1/8th of a mile away, same road, a few days later, there was another fatal crash due to crossing the line. People often try to pass me on that road, too, and I've seen some near misses with head-on collisions because there simply isn't a straight enough, flat enough section of road to pass on safely. They shouldn't have put a dotted yellow line there. It should be solid. I should clarify though that one of the fatalities was due to sleeping at the wheel, and the other was drunk driving I think. We had to detour twice in a week, but our house was so close to the accidents that both times we came down the road from the other end after the detour and still had to ignore the detour signs to get home...Then in the same week, on a road off of the dangerous one, there was another fatal accident involving unlicensed teenagers and speeds over 100 mph...Sad, really. Some accidents couldn't be helped, but some could have been avoided by having slower speeds through corners that are on hills, and maybe adding more guardrails...

RenoF250: I love that episode haha, the flamethrower is the best!
 
#36 ·
We had snow here the other day. I had to laugh as a guy tried to beat the yellow light on a turn lane. He flew thru the intersection, wheels turned all the way to the lock, and went strait into the metal light pole.:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

What is funny, is watching just about every video on Youtube with people crashing in the snow. The one thing that stands out in all of them is people with the brakes locked up. Just let it roll, and throttle has saved me more times than brakes.
 
#37 ·
AMEN.. gets back to the "don't know how to drive in weather conditions". I remember standing out front of my home in the San Juan Islands, watching for my sister to arrive for Christmas.. Cattle Point Rd at that point is nice and straight, and at that time of the year, its nice and solid ice.. well, she's from Las Vegas.. HOT Nevada.. here she comes, she sees the driveway, waves with a look of bewilderment on her face, as she slides on past the house and finally stops about 500' down the road.. kind of like "what the heck" look.. ha ha..
 
#39 ·
Around here it seems everyone has bought an SUV for their wife. The problem is when they think they are invincible as noted above. They don't realize that stopping isn't improved, so now they can get up to speed more easily, and can't slow down, stop or turn. Their having 4wd has actually made their problems worse.
 
#40 ·
The first thing to remember is everything is relative. Given wet snow, dry snow, crusty snow, packed snow, as well as ice as varying mediums depending on locale, Terrain, as well as rigs set up as general purpose wheelers, mud runners, sand runners, rock crawlers, or even mall crawlers, you are going to get varying responses to a Jeeps ability to go well in the snow.
In my world, my CJ is an average snow wheeler at best. I used to own a 71 Wagoneer and it went much better in the snow than the CJ. Heck, I've wheeled with my daughter and her bone stock 91 Bronco with Wranglers and it does as well or better depending on terrain.
A lot of the issue for me is weight. My Cj is light and is set up for general purpose wheeling. This means a mix of traction diffs, low gears, and aggressive mud style tires. Since I don't run chains or studs, I find the front bouncing a lot on packed uphills. It doesn't cut through the snow well, so it is unable to get to the hardpan underneath, and the mud tires simply don't have the biting edges needed to get into the snow as it packs under the tires.
Now don't misunderstand me, I can get where I want to go, but I have found that heaver, well balanced vehicles with more appropriate tires can keep up with me in the snow.
Is the CJ the best rig in the snow??? In my humble opinion, given the medium and terrain I wheel in, a comparably equipped Bronco, Scout, (FS) Blazer, or Land Cruiser will have a better go at it.....





Let the bashing begin...:fish:
 
#43 ·
the blower motor is terrific, I did that to mine.. WORKS GREAT!!! also, you can add another vent in the middle of the top of the dash.. that way you have three defrost ducts.. just get another duct and cut it to fit, super glue it together carefully, sand, spray flat black, and it looks great... also, if your really in the ice and snow, you can add the defrost electric strip around your windshield.. like what goes on the back window.. then put in a switch to turn it on.. that also works great.. if you keep that snow off, you wipers don't crud up.. I like the idea about the yj wipers.. going to look into that one.. for the snow goer above, I ran 31" armstrong tru-tracs on 10" wide wheels, with trucker chains that we made up in the shop.. they had cleats on the cross chains.. there was nothing that ever stopped us with those.. I was one of one that was permitted to leave Truckee after an avalance and super snow storm had covered the hiway toward Sacramento.. the guy asked me to call and report when I got to the other side.. pissed a lot of 4wheelers off, but I had all four chained and was rigged for serious snow.. and I was driving my '78 CJ-5 401" with that compound low first geared 4speed.. warn 8000 on the front, so weight I guess was right.. I plowed right through, couldn't see a road most of the trip, just tops of light posts, tops of trees, and finally town.. what a beautiful trip.. would loved to take pictures but was totally afraid to stop.. figured I sink 15' down..
 
#45 ·
Never did serious snow playing in a jeep, but I have plowed with a 1942 CJ2A, 1946 CJ2A(?), 1965 CJ5 and a 1983 CJ7 and they would all push some serious snow. Never got stuck in any but the CJ7, and managed to push it out using the angle on the plow after shoveling some wheel tracks out. I live in NH and have plowed honest to goodness 3 foot snowstorms. I think my Jeeps all pushed more snow, better, than the current rig. My girlfriend has a 2000 3/4 ton Chevy long bed with the 6.0 liter. Thing would get stuck on a good sized dog turd. Tires make a ton of difference, as does actual ground difference. As an old timer, I tend to like tall, kind of narrow tires so they bite through the snow instead of floating on top
 
#46 ·
Well there are a lot of different types of snow so saying one is the same to drive in as another is not right.

My Prius can get thought 10" of fluffy snow with no problem but put some hard frozen slush were the track is wider than your jeeps and you end up bouncing back and forth in a light CJ. Even with a 800# snowplow on the front.

In fact, if there is fresh snow, Id rather drive through it than a clear icy tarmac.

To me, Tires make all the difference in the winter.
Now, if I could convert my CJ to be FWD in the winter, that would be awesome.
 
#47 ·
Loved my YJ in the snow when it was together, drift busting was a favorite past time.

My CJ is what goes with me to the annual snow run these days though. It has done better than TJ's on 40's.

One of the first Snofari's in Michigan before my winches and top. I was open/open that run too and I think it handled better than it does now locked.



 
#48 ·
Loved my YJ in the snow when it was together, drift busting was a favorite past time.

My CJ is what goes with me to the annual snow run these days though. It has done better than TJ's on 40's.

One of the first Snofari's in Michigan before my winches and top. I was open/open that run too and I think it handled better than it does now locked.
That's sweet! When and where are these....Snofari's? I too am in Michigan. Hoping to go some year.

Dave in Muskegon
 
#50 ·
John Strenk is correct, different kinds of snow. I have driven in snow for 48 years and tires make more of a difference than some folks think. Back in the early to mid 70's I used to buy these retreads with a kind of square block tread, alternating. My boss plowed driveways while I was running the mechanic shop. He got the brand new truck and thought it was the best of the best. I got a call from him in the first storm, he was stuck and wondered if anyone was there at the shop with a 4x4. I fired up my 1972 Olds Delta 88 and headed out with those retreads on back. Pulled that truck out of the ditches 10-12 times that winter. I think the tread design and the softness of the rubber gave it much more gripping power.
 
#52 ·
I cannot multi quote on mobile, so this post reflects the last few posts...

John, do that twin stick and modify the shift rails to give FWD in high range!

In that second pic of the Snofari, is that a '6 with a steel hardtop?

As for snow tread design, I have always wondered about the old block-tread "snow tire" design vs. the new modern designs. I know my BFG A/Ts are great in the snow, but most snow tires these days are smaller lugged tread designs. Look at the Blizzaks - very capable, would love to be able to afford a set for winter use for the wife and a decent set of all-season for other times. A lot of sipes to grip snow and ice, and also funnel away slush. Yet they used a more solid mud tire design back in the day with big solid lugs and open areas between them, a totally opposite direction!
 
#53 ·
I cannot multi quote on mobile, so this post reflects the last few posts...

John, do that twin stick and modify the shift rails to give FWD in high range!

In that second pic of the Snofari, is that a '6 with a steel hardtop?
No that is my 2A wearing a M38 Aluminum Arctic top. I damaged that top pretty bad last year and now have a MB hardtop on it.
 
#54 ·
X3 on John Strenks' mentioning different kinds of snow. I understand the Sami (Lapplanders of Finland) have over 100 ways to describe snow.
Back when I was in the service I went to CWT at Brideport, Ca. and on motor marches the M151's and the bobtailed prime movers (M50 series) did the best on the that crusty snow as their contact patch was light enough to scurry on top without braking through to the soft stuff. The cargos, dumps and especially the truck wrecker would almost always break through and get stuck. Luckily the truck wrecker (M543A2C if I remember correctly) could always pull itself out.
 
#55 ·
Another type of playing :D

 
#57 ·
My cj has a detroit rear and welded front. I think I would much rather have an open set of diffs for highway driving. This is just my second year driving it locked up. Ive been driving it with one hub locked(figured it would help with turning), I dont like that at all. I locked both hubs last night about a mile from home and it seemed to do ok. Gonna see how it works today.
 
#59 ·
Matt1981CJ7 said:
Tom, That's the reason I've decided to either go with selectable lockers, or keep mine open. I don't care for the way a locked CJ handles on pavement, at all. :thumbdown: Matt
On the pavement in the snow? Or on the pavement all the time?

My cummins in certain snow conditions is not agreeable with me when turning in 4wd with open diff's.

In 4-6" at a stop light where I need to turn left or right immediately is a pain. The front end will bind and shake the truck.

More snow than that in the same condition it will not turn. The front pushes strait.

Its another reason I drive it in 2wd with weight in the bed and use 4wd only when needed

If I'm already moving the above problems are pretty much a non issue. But my commute to work involves 36 stoplights in 25 miles for one way I chose to go. Or its 31 miles with around 15 stop lights and stop signs but you are zig-zagging back country roads.
 
#62 ·
In 2wd I really have watch for patches of ice, because if Im accelerating the wrong way when both back tires contact ice its an immediate spin out, 4wd isnt that bad. When theres bad spots in the road every few hundred yards and curves and hills you kinda gotta keep it in 4wd. A lot of time though Ill put it in and out of 4wd kinda of like shift on the fly! And aside from making it real hard to turn, Its really not that hard to drive with both hubs locked in.
 
#64 ·
You can only do FWD Hi if you have removed the shift rail pills or modified the shift rails. Otherwise you have every combination but Fwd Hi...

I think when I pull mine to do the 5.0 swap, I'll be modifying the rail to have that option. It needs new seals and gaskets anyway.
 
#65 ·
You can only do FWD Hi if you have removed the shift rail pills or modified the shift rails. Otherwise you have every combination but Fwd Hi...

I think when I pull mine to do the 5.0 swap, I'll be modifying the rail to have that option. It needs new seals and gaskets anyway.
can you modify it to only have that option.
I don't really want to worry about my kids putting it into 4Hi front 4 low back.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top