So today we got 7 inches of snow. I was moving vehicles around to clear snow. Backing out of the drive way the Fusion spun a little but backed out just fine. I tried the same in the F150 and ended up holding up traffic untill i got it in to 4x4. Never thought i would say it but the eifes fwd is a better in yown vehicle than my F150
2 wheel drive truck vs fwd car
- Thread starter leeaspell
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I think you can get away with snowies and some weight in the bed in the city, but not where you will regularly be driving through deep snow.
It also helps if you can park it on a hill.
It also helps if you can park it on a hill.
Originally Posted by dishdude
An empty 2wd pick up is the worst vehicle to drive in snow. Weight and snow tires would help, but 4wd or FWD is the way to go.
Even in 4x4. It just seems to sit on top and spin/slid. In the same conditions today my F250 just puts around in 2x4. Drop in to 3rd at i intersections so I didnt spin
An empty 2wd pick up is the worst vehicle to drive in snow. Weight and snow tires would help, but 4wd or FWD is the way to go.
Even in 4x4. It just seems to sit on top and spin/slid. In the same conditions today my F250 just puts around in 2x4. Drop in to 3rd at i intersections so I didnt spin
I used to use a 2wd l 2004 Silverado 1500 extended cab with no traction control as my "it snowed a ton!" Vehicle. I much preferred that to FWD. Though we did put ~750lbs in the bed of it.
I get over 200 inches of snow annually where I live...and I drive for a living.
NOTHING is better in typical snowy and icy conditions than a FWD car with the exception of AWD in something like a Subaru or the modern fake SUV unibodies.
I drive a true 4x4 as does my wife and we have for years...their advantage is in the truly deep snow. Ive always jokingly said..4x4 is better for getting you out of the ditch...FWD is better for keeping you out of the ditch. TRUTH IMHO.
Ask me about tires LOL
NOTHING is better in typical snowy and icy conditions than a FWD car with the exception of AWD in something like a Subaru or the modern fake SUV unibodies.
I drive a true 4x4 as does my wife and we have for years...their advantage is in the truly deep snow. Ive always jokingly said..4x4 is better for getting you out of the ditch...FWD is better for keeping you out of the ditch. TRUTH IMHO.
Ask me about tires LOL
Skippys post is 100% correct
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The advantage to AWD over 4x4 is AWD is always on. When you're going from snow and ice on side roads to dry asphalt on the highway you are either going to forget to put it in 4x4 or forget to put it in 2x4.
The advantage to FWD in snow is the handling is more intuitive for the average driver, there's no lift-off oversteer that can make an AWD vehicle spin out if you chicken out at the wrong time and you get a better feeling of how little traction you have.
The advantage to FWD in snow is the handling is more intuitive for the average driver, there's no lift-off oversteer that can make an AWD vehicle spin out if you chicken out at the wrong time and you get a better feeling of how little traction you have.
sure...but not all AWD systems are created equal. Many...dare I say most are nothing other than a "rear assist" feature on a FWD unibody. These systems work fine in the snow that most folks drive through...but they are not the equal of a true 4x4 by any stretch.
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Originally Posted by leeaspell
Originally Posted by dishdude
An empty 2wd pick up is the worst vehicle to drive in snow. Weight and snow tires would help, but 4wd or FWD is the way to go.
Even in 4x4. It just seems to sit on top and spin/slid. In the same conditions today my F250 just puts around in 2x4. Drop in to 3rd at i intersections so I didnt spin
What tires are you running, and what condition are they in?
As dishdude and maxdustington said, weight in the bed will really help.
Originally Posted by dishdude
An empty 2wd pick up is the worst vehicle to drive in snow. Weight and snow tires would help, but 4wd or FWD is the way to go.
Even in 4x4. It just seems to sit on top and spin/slid. In the same conditions today my F250 just puts around in 2x4. Drop in to 3rd at i intersections so I didnt spin
What tires are you running, and what condition are they in?
As dishdude and maxdustington said, weight in the bed will really help.
Can confirm the OP's situation. I literally got stuck in my driveway in 8" of snow in the S10, and it has a locker and had 400lbs of sand in the back, although I didn't have 4wd to back me up. I was aggravated, but the neighbor thought it was funny... The thing is the General Grabber AT2 tires are more of a mud terrain and getting a little hard from age, so that is one big factor...
A 2wd truck is better than a 4x4 in 2wd mode, thanks to having less transfer cases and junk up front to haul around.
I got my 2wd f150 up my driveway with it looking like this so I could load it for the transfer station.
Makes you wonder how we got by up to 1980-ish.
I got my 2wd f150 up my driveway with it looking like this so I could load it for the transfer station.
Makes you wonder how we got by up to 1980-ish.
Originally Posted by dishdude
An empty 2wd pick up is the worst vehicle to drive in snow. Weight and snow tires would help, but 4wd or FWD is the way to go.
It's all in the rubber on the ground-my '93, without posi, does just fine with 1000 lbs. of weight pressing down on it's studded BFG Traction T/A LRE snows!
An empty 2wd pick up is the worst vehicle to drive in snow. Weight and snow tires would help, but 4wd or FWD is the way to go.
It's all in the rubber on the ground-my '93, without posi, does just fine with 1000 lbs. of weight pressing down on it's studded BFG Traction T/A LRE snows!
Unloaded, my F-350 4x4 is worthless in the snow in 2 or 4 wheel drive and with or without snow tires. If it has 8,000 pounds of trailer hanging off the back, it does great in 2wd.
Even though I live in the "snowiest" city in the country, I still don't see AWD/4x4 as a necessity. Front wheel drive and snow tires never let me down!
Even though I live in the "snowiest" city in the country, I still don't see AWD/4x4 as a necessity. Front wheel drive and snow tires never let me down!
East Coast Gear rebuilt the rear in my truck, I don't remember what they replaced the G-80 center with but it does well in the snow in 2wd, i tried it a few times out of 4wd and it did well.
Edit: I think it was a Lock Right locker.
Edit: I think it was a Lock Right locker.
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Originally Posted by dishdude
An empty 2wd pick up is the worst vehicle to drive in snow. Weight and snow tires would help, but 4wd or FWD is the way to go.
The 85% use case of pickup driving about with a bed full of air.
An empty 2wd pick up is the worst vehicle to drive in snow. Weight and snow tires would help, but 4wd or FWD is the way to go.
The 85% use case of pickup driving about with a bed full of air.
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
Originally Posted by madRiver
Originally Posted by dishdude
An empty 2wd pick up is the worst vehicle to drive in snow. Weight and snow tires would help, but 4wd or FWD is the way to go.
The 85% use case of pickup driving about with a bed full of air.
When I started shopping a 4WD truck recently … sure found an incredible number that did not have a locker in the rear … and last I heard … a locker is not standard on all 2WD trucks. I owned one of those just once in my life … it could not get across a wet intersection in town … never mind trying to get off the pavement …
Originally Posted by dishdude
An empty 2wd pick up is the worst vehicle to drive in snow. Weight and snow tires would help, but 4wd or FWD is the way to go.
The 85% use case of pickup driving about with a bed full of air.
When I started shopping a 4WD truck recently … sure found an incredible number that did not have a locker in the rear … and last I heard … a locker is not standard on all 2WD trucks. I owned one of those just once in my life … it could not get across a wet intersection in town … never mind trying to get off the pavement …
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Originally Posted by Doublehaul
sure...but not all AWD systems are created equal. Many...dare I say most are nothing other than a "rear assist" feature on a FWD unibody. These systems work fine in the snow that most folks drive through...but they are not the equal of a true 4x4 by any stretch.
That's true, They probably have less handling quirks but then they aren't as good in the snow...
I guess modern stability control systems make a big difference too (I hadn't considered that). My Subaru just has ABS, the Jetta's stability control doesn't seem to do much.
Probably the worst vehicle I've driven in snow is a RWD Tahoe. The traction control wouldn't let the bloody thing get itself off the edge of the road because the camber was too much. They're terrible in deep mud too.
sure...but not all AWD systems are created equal. Many...dare I say most are nothing other than a "rear assist" feature on a FWD unibody. These systems work fine in the snow that most folks drive through...but they are not the equal of a true 4x4 by any stretch.
That's true, They probably have less handling quirks but then they aren't as good in the snow...
I guess modern stability control systems make a big difference too (I hadn't considered that). My Subaru just has ABS, the Jetta's stability control doesn't seem to do much.
Probably the worst vehicle I've driven in snow is a RWD Tahoe. The traction control wouldn't let the bloody thing get itself off the edge of the road because the camber was too much. They're terrible in deep mud too.
I've done my fair share of driving on all seasons in New England, never thought too much of it--although once I got a set of snow tires I didn't go back.
My first winter with my Tundra on new LTX's convinced me it was the absolute worst vehicle I had ever driven in snow. Snow tires fixed a lot of the problems but it still ranks as worst. Although I did have a 2WD mini pickup back in the 90's, not sure how I managed, probably because I was a teen and invincible. Anyhow, the truck really needs snow tires period, if only to avoid using 4WD--the part time system binds like nothing else, and really has to be used as a last ditch sort of thing. Thankfully it goes in and out of 4WD at the flip of a switch.
My FWD's have done good with decent tires. Arguably, when a FWD with snows can't manage, it might very well be time to just stay home, barring those who actually need to be at work (doctors, nurses, plow truck drivers, etc).
My first winter with my Tundra on new LTX's convinced me it was the absolute worst vehicle I had ever driven in snow. Snow tires fixed a lot of the problems but it still ranks as worst. Although I did have a 2WD mini pickup back in the 90's, not sure how I managed, probably because I was a teen and invincible. Anyhow, the truck really needs snow tires period, if only to avoid using 4WD--the part time system binds like nothing else, and really has to be used as a last ditch sort of thing. Thankfully it goes in and out of 4WD at the flip of a switch.
My FWD's have done good with decent tires. Arguably, when a FWD with snows can't manage, it might very well be time to just stay home, barring those who actually need to be at work (doctors, nurses, plow truck drivers, etc).
In find this discussion interesting, with meaningful anecdotes of personal experience. But, the question in the title is answered by "depends" more than one or the other.
My anecdote-
My previous truck, a 2WD open diff Dakota with OEM Goodyear tires, was simply awful in the snow and ice. It would spin one rear wheel or the other, and that was it. So I got chains, but it was a while before I used them.
Then we got a triple layer cake snowstorm, with a finishing touch of glaze ice over everything. I shoveled the truck out the only way I could, by shoveling it into the bed and packing it down. Then I put chains on the rear. Then I was invincible, it was me and lifted 4WD Jeeps on the road going anywhere we wanted, and everyone else going back inside after shoveling out. Even if they had clearance to get over the snow, they didn't have traction on the glaze ice.
So with two changes (weight and rear chains) I went from the absolute bottom of the winter mobility hierarchy, to near the top. I imagine different tire options, FWD and limited slip, all fall somewhere in between. Thus I say the answer to the thread title question is "depends".
PS supton, "new LTX's" ... there are a LOT of different Michelins that start with LTX.
My anecdote-
My previous truck, a 2WD open diff Dakota with OEM Goodyear tires, was simply awful in the snow and ice. It would spin one rear wheel or the other, and that was it. So I got chains, but it was a while before I used them.
Then we got a triple layer cake snowstorm, with a finishing touch of glaze ice over everything. I shoveled the truck out the only way I could, by shoveling it into the bed and packing it down. Then I put chains on the rear. Then I was invincible, it was me and lifted 4WD Jeeps on the road going anywhere we wanted, and everyone else going back inside after shoveling out. Even if they had clearance to get over the snow, they didn't have traction on the glaze ice.
So with two changes (weight and rear chains) I went from the absolute bottom of the winter mobility hierarchy, to near the top. I imagine different tire options, FWD and limited slip, all fall somewhere in between. Thus I say the answer to the thread title question is "depends".
PS supton, "new LTX's" ... there are a LOT of different Michelins that start with LTX.
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