Hi guys, just picked up my 01 Sport yesterday, dropped a line in intro, but man...I know I need to pick up one, possibly two tires, but I am not used to driving in snow with it yet!

Buffalo is getting rocked with some lake effect snow today (probably have 3 all day but in the last 2 hours we're getting a hell of a lot more) and I'm not used to having the Jeep out, let alone in the snow. Not used to having rear wheel 2, I was wondering why I was sliding all over the damn place. I didn't think my old Chrysler Cirrus was THAT great in the snow but it definitely made me feel like it was better until I found out the RWD situation. (Be kind, I know I'm a newbie to the Jeep world.)

Beside the obvious (use 4, you moron!) what else do you guys have for winter driving? Good tires? Weight in the back? Wider tires? Pretty much the only thing I'm going to do at the moment is snag me a recovery strap and a come-along...

 

ok so driving in the snow,,, i live in estes park, CO and we get lots of that white fluffy stuff. so for tires narrower the better. with wider tires they float on top of the snow and u dont get the traction u need. narrower tires cut threw the snow and grip the road. you can throw sandbags in the back for more weight... if u use 4wd u wont have to worry i have a 2" lift and stock tires and put it in 4wd and made it threw a 3ft blizzard.. jeeps are amazing in the snow. if u wanna know anything else lemme know

 

Tires do help in the snow. Depending on what you get like the BFG AT's are one of the best in snow. Mud Tires not so much, mainly because most of them aren't siped. In snow you cant have a heavy foot unless your doing a donut or drifting. It is a little harder for people with open dif XJ's to take off then people with Trac Loc and lockers but its not that much harder. Just take it easy with the jeep until you get the hang of bit because that 4.0 has alot of torque and likes to spin tires when theres snow.

 

go light on the pedals and steering wheel. I like bigger tires because they dont lock the breaks as easily as the stock tires. I run 31s and they work great in the snow but you gotta have a lift if you dont want to rub. really any good snow tire at any size(stock or larger) will do great on a cherokee in the snow in 4wd. good luck and just take it slow till you know your jeep.

 

No no no, heavy stabbing motions on the gas and brake pedals, and quick jerky steering inputs will make the driving in snow more fun.

 

Amen to that.

 

Drive slow.

Biggest tip anyone can give you...

4 wheel drive only helps you start from a complete stop.

4 wheel drive DOES NOT help you steer or stop.

From there, be patient, don't expect to race anyone, and be cautious.

 

have good tires with decent to excellent tread that have plenty of siping... the little lines in the tread block. also a good way to learn is find an open, snow filled parking lot with no light poles or and major pot holes in the pavement and start stuffing the throttle down and learning that way... would recommend the last one be done slowly and carefully until you learn when and how it will kick out. just my 2 cents.

 

Tires! Tires! Tires! The BFG AT's have a sever snow rating, and perform amazing in wintery conditions.

X2 on the parking lot idea. Go out there without your 4 wheel on and practice starting, stopping, swerving, and especially spining out! Learn how the vehicle is going to respond in these conditions so you aren't supprised jout on the road and can react accordingly. Then put the 4 Wheel on and practice again. You'll be a pro before you know it.

The XJ is a very good snow vehicle, I drove a TJ before my XJ and I'm really impressed how well my XJ does in wintery weather.

Congrats on your new Jeep!

 

and remember if something goes south, don;t jump on the brakes..... and your best bet if you start sliding when stopping is to release the brakes to regain traction.... important to remember in the curves

 

Also... with a rear wheel drive you turn into the spin and slide... don't know if anyone ever mentioned that to you. If you are seeing your rear end on your left then turn to you left and etc.

 

Same things happening here. Some of the things I do when I drive is soft with the pedals, If you have a 5-speed dont jerk the clutch, DO NOT lock up the brakes for one long slide, you'll end up in a ditch in no time, when you do start to slide take your foot off the gas and dont even think about the brakes, counter steer enough until you straiten back out agian then lightly apply the gas until your out of it. I dont use my 4WD unless im on a hill or theres alot of snow. Hope this helped, from one NY'er to another.

 

this is also what i did b/c before i bought my 93 cherokee in sept, i had a 05 ranger 2wd for 2 1/2 yaers and a 95 5-speed escort for 2 years before my ranger so when i bought this jeep i had no idea of what to exspect so i found a big parking lot and just got to know my jeep better while my cousin was in his jeep playin in the snow banks. Let mee tell u I LOVE MY JEEP now!! especially living just north of buffalo, ny u never know when the snow will come or how much at any giving time

 

The basic winter driving stuff like turning into a skid and just forgetting you have brakes I definitely know...when I was test driving I was going up a hill in Chautauqua county and had it slipping and siding on the way down. I definitely need to learn the jeep's specific handling properties though; going from such a low down sedan to having the jeep's bouncy floaty feeling even on good roads is such a culture shock. Even the 93 Silverado I got my learners on felt heavy; the jeep just doesn't have a feel yet.

I'll be parking lotting it up once I figure out if its my IAC that's causing me to stall at low idle for sure.

1993JeepCherokee, lemme know where you're at, maybe we can meet up and you can toss me some pointers (or trails we could tackle later...)

 

ok np, but i probably wont be doin any/much trail riding or muddin for a few years the floor in my jeep is pretty. but i live 15 miles north of buffalo in lockport..my bro has a 99 cherokee, my cuz has a '95 3'' lift cherokee and another '95 cherokee with a 6'' lift.. my screenname here is the same one for youtube i uploaded a video of my jeep if u or anyone else wants to check it out