2 wheel drive in the snow
11-13-2013, 05:40 PM
#1
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Model: Grand Cherokee
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2 wheel drive in the snow
I have a 94 zj inline 6 2wd, searching threw alot of post i didn't find to many 2 wd zj's on here, i just need some tips for this winter, yes i know how to drive. But my jeep spins out on wet grass, not fun at all on icy roads, if it was your jeep and it was a 2 wd, how would you prepare you and your jeep this winter, any advice would be better than none.
11-13-2013, 06:18 PM
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Year: 1998
Model: Grand Cherokee
Engine: 5.9 V8
If you're only driving around town you don't need much. A ****** strap to pull or be pulled. If you're going to more remote areas take something to help your Zj get traction if stuck, gravel or a tube of sand perhaps and a small shovel.
You could put studded (maybe siped) snow tires on your Jeep and/or tire chains for when you really need them.
To keep from sliding out, accelerate slowly. Whether you have ABS or not, keep extra distance between your car and the one in front of you.
There's a whole plethora of things you can do to prepare.
You could put studded (maybe siped) snow tires on your Jeep and/or tire chains for when you really need them.
To keep from sliding out, accelerate slowly. Whether you have ABS or not, keep extra distance between your car and the one in front of you.
There's a whole plethora of things you can do to prepare.
11-14-2013, 07:45 AM
#4
Old fart with a wrench
Yeah, you can add weight, but make sure it's secured well. I had a friend with a Chevy Vega (remember them? small hatchback). He rolled it over in a ditch with a couple of sandbags in the back. They broke and he was spitting out sand for days afterward. I also had a friend with a Ford pick-up who had a 200# steel plate banded to a pallet in the back. He slid off the road and into a tree. The steel plate punched thru the front of the box.
The best case with a rear wheel two wheel drive is an LSD and studded tires. All four studded helps on cornering, however they can get hairy in heavy braking on dry pavement. Just use your head, go slow, and give the guy ahead of you some room. I would recommend a bag of kitty-litter and an entrenching tool as well as a tow strap. Also add a couple of road flares to your tool kit.
Oh! and a blanket to stay warm. My Dad always said "Dress like you had to walk, you may have to!"
The best case with a rear wheel two wheel drive is an LSD and studded tires. All four studded helps on cornering, however they can get hairy in heavy braking on dry pavement. Just use your head, go slow, and give the guy ahead of you some room. I would recommend a bag of kitty-litter and an entrenching tool as well as a tow strap. Also add a couple of road flares to your tool kit.
Oh! and a blanket to stay warm. My Dad always said "Dress like you had to walk, you may have to!"
Last edited by dave1123; 11-14-2013 at 07:48 AM.
11-14-2013, 11:05 AM
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Thank you guys for the tips, especially bringing a blanket, i learned all about something breaking down and having to walk home, courtesy of my old ford contour, my jeep has the dana 35, is there any other rear end thats better for snow and ice than the 35?, my jeeps rarely spins both tires just one, i will admit that i am in the learning stages when it comes to how the rear end works, thank you guys for being nice.
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11-14-2013, 10:36 PM
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if ice is your major concern, invest in 4 good snow tires on an set of extra wheels and only run them in winter. dry pavement wears them down fast
for deep snow, chains and weight
for deep snow, chains and weight
11-15-2013, 12:49 AM
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Just depends how you drive and what kinda tires you are running.Street tires once the snow is deeper then the tread your screwed for traction,A good all terrain tire will do good tell the snow gets deeper then your ground clearance is.What part of kentucky you from btw?
11-15-2013, 07:23 AM
#12
Old fart with a wrench
A little lesson about snow tires. I grew up with 2WD rear drive vehicles. They are inherently light in the rear for obvious reasons. My Dad was one to not rotate tires because his thought was you only buy 2 at a time, putting the new ones on the front for best steering control. He bought 2 snow tires and rims for winter only, but I was the one who had to change them most of the time. This was in the era of bias ply tires with deep open lugs for snow.
When I got my own car, I used his plan until I learned about front drive vehicles. They tend to give you a false sense of good traction until the *** end comes around. That's why most tire companies suggest winter tires on both axles. All season tires are worthless because they really don't work well at ANY time.
When I bought a 4WD vehicle, I found out about the necessity of having all 4 tires the same size and wear pattern and the need to rotate them to maintain the wear rate.
When it got nearly impossible to buy bias ply snows, I started getting interested in radial snows. They don't make open block pattern street snows and you have to go to all-terrain tires. Most of these are noisy on the street and a little expensive. They are, however, very good about wear. I had Goodyear AT 33X12.5X15s on my 4X4 Chevy truck for 3 years without changing them for the summer. I also didn't have to watch out for deer because the tires were LOUD on the road.
My ZJ had Wintermark 225/75R15s on it when I bought it. These were Canadian made Firestones with the open block bias tread pattern on a radial carcass. They are no longer available. They were excellent.
When I bought my WJ, I did a lot of research and finally bought General Grabber AT2 245/70R16s. They are rated by General as an all-season tire so I figured they would wear well on dry pavement as well. They are tiger claws in snow, but are about 1/2 worn after about 15K miles. I deliver newspapers and all of my driving is on pavement before the plows come out, and a little bit of dirt roads in the summer. The tread tends to pack up in mud, but just spin them to clean them out.
To wrap this up, snow tires use a soft rubber compound and should be changed for summer. I can't afford to buy 2 sets of tires and rims so I just buy whatever lasts the longest.
When I got my own car, I used his plan until I learned about front drive vehicles. They tend to give you a false sense of good traction until the *** end comes around. That's why most tire companies suggest winter tires on both axles. All season tires are worthless because they really don't work well at ANY time.
When I bought a 4WD vehicle, I found out about the necessity of having all 4 tires the same size and wear pattern and the need to rotate them to maintain the wear rate.
When it got nearly impossible to buy bias ply snows, I started getting interested in radial snows. They don't make open block pattern street snows and you have to go to all-terrain tires. Most of these are noisy on the street and a little expensive. They are, however, very good about wear. I had Goodyear AT 33X12.5X15s on my 4X4 Chevy truck for 3 years without changing them for the summer. I also didn't have to watch out for deer because the tires were LOUD on the road.
My ZJ had Wintermark 225/75R15s on it when I bought it. These were Canadian made Firestones with the open block bias tread pattern on a radial carcass. They are no longer available. They were excellent.
When I bought my WJ, I did a lot of research and finally bought General Grabber AT2 245/70R16s. They are rated by General as an all-season tire so I figured they would wear well on dry pavement as well. They are tiger claws in snow, but are about 1/2 worn after about 15K miles. I deliver newspapers and all of my driving is on pavement before the plows come out, and a little bit of dirt roads in the summer. The tread tends to pack up in mud, but just spin them to clean them out.
To wrap this up, snow tires use a soft rubber compound and should be changed for summer. I can't afford to buy 2 sets of tires and rims so I just buy whatever lasts the longest.
Last edited by dave1123; 11-15-2013 at 07:35 AM.
11-15-2013, 08:58 AM
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I'm in louisville,Snow here is odd some years its nothing some years its bad.And it depends if he live in town or in the sticks.In town the roads are taken care of,But out in the sticks they never plow or salt the country roads.
11-15-2013, 09:17 PM
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A little lesson about snow tires. I grew up with 2WD rear drive vehicles. They are inherently light in the rear for obvious reasons. My Dad was one to not rotate tires because his thought was you only buy 2 at a time, putting the new ones on the front for best steering control. He bought 2 snow tires and rims for winter only, but I was the one who had to change them most of the time. This was in the era of bias ply tires with deep open lugs for snow.
When I got my own car, I used his plan until I learned about front drive vehicles. They tend to give you a false sense of good traction until the *** end comes around. That's why most tire companies suggest winter tires on both axles. All season tires are worthless because they really don't work well at ANY time.
When I bought a 4WD vehicle, I found out about the necessity of having all 4 tires the same size and wear pattern and the need to rotate them to maintain the wear rate.
When it got nearly impossible to buy bias ply snows, I started getting interested in radial snows. They don't make open block pattern street snows and you have to go to all-terrain tires. Most of these are noisy on the street and a little expensive. They are, however, very good about wear. I had Goodyear AT 33X12.5X15s on my 4X4 Chevy truck for 3 years without changing them for the summer. I also didn't have to watch out for deer because the tires were LOUD on the road.
My ZJ had Wintermark 225/75R15s on it when I bought it. These were Canadian made Firestones with the open block bias tread pattern on a radial carcass. They are no longer available. They were excellent.
When I bought my WJ, I did a lot of research and finally bought General Grabber AT2 245/70R16s. They are rated by General as an all-season tire so I figured they would wear well on dry pavement as well. They are tiger claws in snow, but are about 1/2 worn after about 15K miles. I deliver newspapers and all of my driving is on pavement before the plows come out, and a little bit of dirt roads in the summer. The tread tends to pack up in mud, but just spin them to clean them out.
To wrap this up, snow tires use a soft rubber compound and should be changed for summer. I can't afford to buy 2 sets of tires and rims so I just buy whatever lasts the longest.
When I got my own car, I used his plan until I learned about front drive vehicles. They tend to give you a false sense of good traction until the *** end comes around. That's why most tire companies suggest winter tires on both axles. All season tires are worthless because they really don't work well at ANY time.
When I bought a 4WD vehicle, I found out about the necessity of having all 4 tires the same size and wear pattern and the need to rotate them to maintain the wear rate.
When it got nearly impossible to buy bias ply snows, I started getting interested in radial snows. They don't make open block pattern street snows and you have to go to all-terrain tires. Most of these are noisy on the street and a little expensive. They are, however, very good about wear. I had Goodyear AT 33X12.5X15s on my 4X4 Chevy truck for 3 years without changing them for the summer. I also didn't have to watch out for deer because the tires were LOUD on the road.
My ZJ had Wintermark 225/75R15s on it when I bought it. These were Canadian made Firestones with the open block bias tread pattern on a radial carcass. They are no longer available. They were excellent.
When I bought my WJ, I did a lot of research and finally bought General Grabber AT2 245/70R16s. They are rated by General as an all-season tire so I figured they would wear well on dry pavement as well. They are tiger claws in snow, but are about 1/2 worn after about 15K miles. I deliver newspapers and all of my driving is on pavement before the plows come out, and a little bit of dirt roads in the summer. The tread tends to pack up in mud, but just spin them to clean them out.
To wrap this up, snow tires use a soft rubber compound and should be changed for summer. I can't afford to buy 2 sets of tires and rims so I just buy whatever lasts the longest.
11-16-2013, 06:56 AM
#15
Old fart with a wrench
I tend to run on at times, but my reasons are pure. I feel I should relate my life experiences so that some people don't make the same mistakes I did. I've also seem what "stupid" can do to an otherwise intelligent person.
Please listen to this. Word has it that employers are reviewing your Facebook and Twitter accounts for research into what you are really like before hiring you. Don't do or say anything in social media that will come back to bite you later. Call it paranoia if you like, just be warned.
Please listen to this. Word has it that employers are reviewing your Facebook and Twitter accounts for research into what you are really like before hiring you. Don't do or say anything in social media that will come back to bite you later. Call it paranoia if you like, just be warned.