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Wal
Dodge Dakota
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2/08/2004
18:58:04
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 Subject: Driving through deeep snow - Q's
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Hi -
I just returned from a weekend at a buddy's cabin and got the Dak a little stuck in the snow - I did get her out with the help of a shovel though. I'm looking for some tips for next time.
I have a stock 99 dak xtended cab 4x4 with 3.55 posi and the 318. $hitty PepBoys tires (came with the truck and were brand new) are on in size 31x10.5.
I had a bunch of rifles, clothes, and gear as well as a 600#+ 25 ton log splitter in the bed. I was in a field with 2.5' of snow. I was mostly ok except I slid off into some deeper drifts of about 3' where there were some sloping drops.
I thought keeping it in 4-hi was best so I didn't get too much power to the wheels and break traction, no? Later, I switched to 4-low when I wasn't stuck and I seemed to be making out a lot better :-( Was the weight of the splitter helping or hindering? This was really heavy snow, the kind that packs into an iceball with one hand, and it was like the truck was sinking to the frame and floating. If I unloaded the slpitter and aired down, would I have stood a better chance to "float" over it? My buddy brought tire chains but they were too small for the 31's. Would using a set help a lot in this kind of condx? Front? Rear? Both?
Some tips would be GREATLY appreaciated :-)
Thank you!
Wal
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.boB
Dodge Dakota
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2/08/2004
19:07:58
| RE: Driving through deeep snow - Q's
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Chains and lower air pressure are always helpfull in the snow. You want good traction for foreward momentum, but you don't want to sink too far into the snow. If you have a somewhat agressive tread, they will bite in fairly well. Too much weight cause the struck to sink down to the frame rails, effectivly high centering the truck. Once the suspension is unloaded, you have a tough time getting traction, no matter what's on the ends of the axles.
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bowhunter
Dodge Dakota
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2/09/2004
07:58:10
|  RE: Driving through deeep snow - Q's
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Wal: As a person who lives in an area with lots of snow, my
advice to you is to get a set of tires! Preferably a mudder
such as BFG, Goodyear, etc. I have a set of MT/R's, and they
work not too bad in deep snow. I would also advise you to
use 4 lo, so you can get wheel spin and clean out your tires.
Try turning your steering wheel side to side as you drive.
Hope this helps!
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Wal
Dodge Dakota
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2/09/2004
16:15:11
| RE: Driving through deeep snow - Q's
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Thanks guys. I also did more reading online last night. I suppose I can assume that 4h was a poor choice and 4l would have been better but to try and limit wheelspin with the available power through reduced gearing.
I'm not going to go with a really agressive tread since it's a rarity for me to go through this kind of snow. Airing down would be good if I could float over it, but with that log splitter I sure wasn't floating over anything, hehe. So, I have to assume that staying aired up, using chains, and 4L would be the best way to get through that kinda snow and worse?
Wal
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will
Dodge Dakota
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2/10/2004
13:21:42
| RE: Driving through deeep snow - Q's
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buy two sets of mat tracks you wont need chains or to air down you wont even need tires! other then that chain and low pressure (not too low youll lose your chains) 4 hi works fine for me a smooth full length skid plate will almost make your truck into a sled and keep up momentum and the turning side to side trick works well too if none of that works either hit it with all cylinders or go home and buy a snow cat
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draugluin
Dodge Dakota
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2/10/2004
16:45:35
| RE: Driving through deeep snow - Q's
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lower air pressure, and a set of Mickey Thompson Baja Claws. (The snow fears them)
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Kowalski
Dodge Dakota
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2/12/2004
18:17:26
| RE: Driving through deeep snow - Q's
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Unless you're using chains, you should go with max air pressure for better bite in snow.
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Timberwolf
GenIII
2/13/2004
16:30:48
| RE: Driving through deeep snow - Q's
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I don't think some of the people who have given you advice actually live where it snows. There are two ways to get through snow. First you can stay on top of it as you do with a snowmobile or snow shoes when you are walking. Your truck is obviously too heavy to do this, even without the splitter. The second way is to get to the bottom of it and get traction on the ground, and for this more weight will help. Airing your tires down will cause you to float on the snow, but that will reduce your traction. That trick will work on ice, but not deep snow. Tall skinny tires at max pressure are best in snow. Snow will compress underneath your axle, but only so far. If there is too much snow, you will not be able to compress it enough and you will lose contact with the ground and you'll get stuck. If it's above the bumper, forget about it. Also, be careful about stopping. Just because your forward momentum gets you to a certain point, that doesn't necessarily mean you will be able to get going again once you stop. Throughout my life, I've spent many hours digging a snowmobile out of a 4 ft deep hole in the snow that will prove that theory.
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Wal
Dodge Dakota
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2/13/2004
16:47:12
| RE: Driving through deeep snow - Q's
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TNX T-Wolf. The leave it aired up and dig through seems to be the best approach for someone like me that visits these areas, but doesn't live there. Where I live, my biggest obstacle is sand and clay/mud/water holes. I think I'll buy some chains and throw em on when I hit the snowy areas. It doesn't make much sense for me to buy aggressive snow rubber just to wear the lugs off on the pavement 99.99999% of the time :-(
Thanks :-)
Wal
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Danny
Dodge Dakota
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2/14/2004
01:39:04
| RE: Driving through deeep snow - Q's
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About a week before I traded off my 94 2.5L 2wd i was out house sitting for someone. It had snowed about 6 inches and their driveway was a slope to get out of. I got in alright, just cuz of forward momentum, but when i stopped to open the garage door, i got stuck. I was by myself, so I ended up pushin it back and forth and then over the slight bump that was in my way. Then when i went to try to get out of it, it was almost a no go. I got a pretty good hole shot out of the garage, and then hit the snow and slowed to a stop about 20 feet later. I then backed up and did it again. Then the driveway turned and went up hill, so I had to kind of slide sideways for a few feet and just ride on the gas hard. This went on for about 30 minutes and i finally made it out. The trick was to not let off of the gas when I got some good forward momentum going. I was running on some 235/75s at the time with no wait in the back and only had 2wd with an open diff.....
ahhh fun times
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Brians_DAK
Dodge Dakota
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2/14/2004
04:49:45
| RE: Driving through deeep snow - Q's
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Forward momentum works best, I have passed people up in my old 2wd S-10 when they were had 4x4's. Keep em spinning and follow the path of hardest packed snow, if none of thats available, then keep her movin.
~Brian
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Piston
Gen II
2/16/2004
12:59:44
| RE: Driving through deeep snow - Q's
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tall skinny tires work best. Mud tires are not good in snow. The big gaps in the tread fill with snow and become slicks. Go with something about like a BFG A/T its a good all around tire.
Keep The Shiny Side Up
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Warwagon
Dodge Dakota
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2/16/2004
19:39:25
|  RE: Driving through deeep snow - Q's
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Rodger That! The tall skinnies do the trick all right. I've got a set of 9.50x33 BFG A/T's mounted on the stock rims on my rig. With around 5-1/2" of lift amd a locked rear it does FINE until I get to over 30 or so inches of the powdery stuff. The lift keeps it from getting sand-bagged (high centered) and the skinnies chiesel right down through to where there is bite. Traction is a function of tread design and down PRESSURE. P=F/A, F=vehicle weight and A=tread contact patch area. If you go skinnier, the contact patch is narrower, thus lowering the A variable. That then causes a consumite raise in the P. Here's a look at a real snowdawg.
http://www.dakotausa.com/vBulletin/attachment.php?s=&postid=74161
Later
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