Snow Driving.. Prevent the slippies

[boblonben]

..Of course, that brings up the question of... Does 4WD AUTO only work when you hit the gas? No clear answer. Several people have asked in here in the past. Some say the truck senses when 4WD is needed and others say it only goes into 4WD when you hit the gas slightly.

have fiddled with this auto mode and here is what I have. auto engages when it feels rear wheel slip starting of happen and e4ngages the front drive train. Hitting the gas can bring it on, but really has no other direct bearing on when, or if, the auto is engaged. It is just there when you need it to be. Drive my 2017 in 4WD auto all the time, and it seems to make NO difference in gas mileage, performance or anything else and sure is great to be there when you need it. It responds in like around 200 milliseconds, much faster than you can blink you eye or anything. Those of us with it have one great mode to use and be safe with for sure.

 

[hardcharger77]

Snow tires are definitely key if you've got months of winter weather to get through.

I've had '04, '10 and '17 Rams. The 04' would spin like a top if you touched the gas on a corner in 2wd. Traction control in the '10 calmed that down a bit. The '17 only slides a little before traction control is cutting power all over the place. (Also works at 65 mph on the highway, ask me how I know).

In my opinion, both of the 4wd modes have the best benefit when you're on the gas. The front end is going to pull you where it's pointing. Sometimes feels odd to put your foot into it when you start getting pulled in weird directions, but sure does the trick.

 

[BigWhiteSnake]

..Of course, that brings up the question of... Does 4WD AUTO only work when you hit the gas? No clear answer. Several people have asked in here in the past. Some say the truck senses when 4WD is needed and others say it only goes into 4WD when you hit the gas slightly.

So, maybe closer to AWD. That's what it sounds like.

 

[hotrod45]

I have only started to investigate what the truck does/will do in 4-Auto. My sense of it so far is that my preference is to use it in situations where traction might possibly get "iffy" and not to use it when the roads really call for 4WD. I have a very specific reason for that. I learned to drive in the winter in New England. All vehicles I drove were 2WD and front wheel drive cars were unheard of. It was the winter of 1960-61. I learned to drive well in the snow and I learned how to use power in turns to maneuver a vehicle, almost like a boat. One thing I want to avoid is having the vehicle make a decision "for me" in the middle of my manipulating what I know a 2WD vehicle is going to do. I know enough to drive slowly in slippery conditions and I'm not talking about pushing the envelope, so to speak, in poor conditions. For that, I just put it in 4WD (lock). But if I get surprised and the front end breaks traction in 2WD, the proper response is to steer in the direction of the skid; throttle at your own discretion (and let's hope you have some experience). What I don't want at that point is the vehicle deciding to "help" by putting the front axle in gear. The maneuver of steering in the direction of the skid is only to regain control of steering. It is not a brute force solution.

 

[dstryr]

hotrod, you're a few years older but we're in the same boat as far as what we learned to drive (rwd) and what we learned to drive in(snow and icy roads).

So.. a few general comments, not towards you specifically but some refer to your comments.. I always turn off traction control. When you NEED to put some power to the wheels having them slowing down can get you more stuck than not having TC. Drive into deep snow or some real mud and see what happens.. sometimes you gotta put the hammer down. Been there. Done that.

I virtually always drive in 4wd in icy conditions. A front wheel drive car can spin out pretty easily when you jump off the gas and the engine wants to slow the front wheels down. Been there, done that. 4wd will decelerate all wheels and lessen the chance of the rear end wanting to come around and visit the front end.

And use 4wd to get moving at a slick intersection or in the deep powdery crap that holds everyone back. Get the heck out of the way so the 16 cars behind you have a chance to get through the intersection too.

Its painful to keep hearing that 4wd doesn't help to stop.. okay, we know. But in a pickup, among other types of vehicles, 4wd definitely helps keep the truck straight and keep the rear from breaking loose on uphill grades. I can't count the dozens of times the rear tires have spun at higher highway speeds.. 40-70mph with the rear end loose will get your attention. Slow down? Sure. Not.

You also mentioned getting to know how your truck reacts in ice, in snow, etc. I constantly test the road so to speak so my driving does not exceed my or my vehicle's limitations. That doesn't mean I'm going so slow that I'll never lose traction. It means that given a clear path I'll be flying right along and given traffic I won't be compromised by someone else's mistakes, unless the other driver literally drives into me while we're sharing a roadway.

So.. learn the vehicle you're driving and its limitations, know your own limitations, learn the road and keep on top of conditions.

And lastly, there an No Absolutes. Use what works for you. Or just keep it in 4wd and TC engaged and rock on!

Oh, and don't let the air out of your tires. It absolutely does not work.

 

[hotrod45]

Dstryr - we seem to be on the same page. Some of the things you describe are not what I was talking about, so the differences seem to be in the conditions described. I tend to drive right along if I'm "alone" or leading, but if it's slippery, I take the edge of the speed. I see people all the time going 37 in a 50 zone because there is snow beside the travel lane, but the travel lane is clear and dry. These days, I don't go very far on most occasions, so even behind a twit like that, it doesn't last long.

 

[16RamHemi]

knowing how your vehicle acts and behaves is very important. if you are in 2wd and the truck downshifts, anticipate the rear end possibly losing traction and coming around. get out and go somewhere safe and make the rear end come out in you. learn what that feels like and what needs to be done to correct it. do not hit the brakes. if you have never experienced it, when it happens panicking will put you in the ditch or head on with the other lane. you need to drive cautious and aggressive at the same time. you NEED to be the ine controlling the vehicle, not the other way around.
quick example of tires making the difference...just this week i realized i had a bad front wheel bearing. it disabled the sensor which disabled traction control and abs. crawling around my driveway 4wd worked. it wasnt until i was on my way to work at 530am with 4" of snow on the ground and no weight in the back that i found out once i got going the sensor disabled my 4wd. well i drive all backroads and up over a mountain to work. i live on a hill and turning around wasnt going to work. i had one chance to get up over the mountain. thanfully at the bottom was a straightaway and i was able to get going 50 to 55 and stayed in it. if i let off i was done. we fishtailed our way up over that mountain. i have 35x12.5 duratracs . they saved me that morning. all seasons would have never made it to the base of that hill. these tires sold me on their snow capabilities. they would be even better in stock size. they do float at times due to their size but the traction in snow slush etc is great. anyone who says all seasons are just as good are fools. ive used all seasons for 5 years on my previous 2 rams. they did the job in 4wd. thankfully i didnt have any issues with 4wd. i know for a fact any all season would not have gotten me up that mountain.

 

[zogg]

A big issue is the crappy Goodyear tires that came on my truck....hate them. I have to use 4wd to get in and out of my flat driveway even with the smallest amount of snow. My last truck was 2wd but I invested in a set of Toyo A/T tires and never had any issues in any snow that we have over three or four years....Can't wait to wear out the Goodyears so I can put some real tires on the truck!!