Driving in the snow
Pack this. Use this. Drive this way. Just google search snow driving tips and your page will be flooded with various tips and suggestions on what to bring along on your snowy, 4x4 adventure. With all these snow driving tips available on the internet and magazine write ups, Off Road Consulting decided to take a different approach to snow driving tips and hit on topics that are not talked about very much. Instead of focusing on how to prepare your vehicle for snow, lets instead look at the snow and decide how to prep your vehicle.....confused? Your probably thinking snow is snow, what difference does it make. Its cold and wet and you want to go play in it!
Lets breakdown various snow situations and things to consider for how to prepare your vehicle for on and off road snow driving.
First things first, put some gloves on and grab a handfull of the snow that has blanketed your backyard.
Ask yourself a few questions about the snow you will be spending time with.... Does the snow pack? Can you make a snow ball in your hand easily? This means it is a dense, heavy, wet snow. If it doesn’t pack,
Next, determine approximately how many inches of snow you will be driving through on the trails. Is there drifting? Is it less than 4 inches or more of a significant snowfall with 10 plus inches?
Now what does all this mean when it comes to snow driving?
Here are a four scenarios to consider for snow driving on and off road.
Your snowfall is 4 inches and its light/fluffy:
Snow falls with small accumilations such as 8 inches or less with light/fluffy snow is the easiest snow to pass through. For the most part whether you are going to work or playing on some easy snow covered dirt roads, it usually doesn't matter if you air down or not.
However If you are going to be off road for an extended period of time, airing down wouldn’t hurt.
What about 4low vs 4high?
On Road (Going to work, school, etc) Less than 8 inches consider driving on road in 4 hi, this allows the vehicle to move faster all while keeping traction.
Off Road (Off Road Parks, legal dirt roads, etc) If you are going to be off road driving 4 low is a good option as it will keep your vehicle at lower speed with better power and control for off road conditions.
Your snowfall is 10 inches and its light/fluffy:
Accumilations of the light/fluffy snow consisting of 8 inches or higher you have to consider a slightly different approach to exploring those trails or driving to work.
The light/fluffy snow is the easiest snow to pass through and keep in mind....the taller and skinnier the tires, the better they cut through the snow.
With light/fluffy snow and more than 8 inches of accumilation your tires are best used aired up a little more than your normal off roading air pressure. For example, if you use 40 psi for regular, on road pressure and 15 psi for off road pressure, consider using 25-28 psi for this snow driving scenario off road and normal pressure on road.
Think of it this way, you wont have the heavy push in front of the tires that you would if aired down very low. If you do decide to air down to lower pressures this will keep a wider base of tire pushing the full load of the snow. Basically the tire will bulge and push the snow instead of cutting through it with aired up tires. Keep in mind!!
What about 4low vs 4high?
On Road (Going to work, school, etc) Begin driving on road in 4 hi, this allows the vehicle to moves faster all while keeping traction. Feel the vehicle out....does it feel like the vehicle is struggling to push through when you give it gas? If so consider putting the vehicle in 4low, this will allow the extra power to push through.
Off Road (Off Road Parks, legal dirt roads, etc) If you are going to be off road driving 4 low is a good option as it will keep your vehicle at lower speed with better power and control for off road conditions.
Conditions can change quickly with the weather and temperature changes.....You may need to air down more as your day progresses. Stay aware of your surroundings whether on or off road and how your vehicle is performing.
We have gone over light/fluffy snow....but what about the heavier snows?
Your snowfall is 3 inches and its heavy/wet:
Snowfalls with small accumilations snow such as 8 inches or less with heavy/wet is the easiest snow to pass through. For the most part whether you are going to work or playing on some easy snow covered dirt roads, it usually doesn't matter if you air down or not.
However If you are going to be off road snow driving for an extended period of time, airing down wouldn’t hurt.
What about 4low vs 4high?
On Road (Work, school, etc) Less than 8 inches consider driving on road in 4 hi, this allows the vehicle to movesfaster all while keeping traction.
Off Road (Off Road Park, legal dirt roads, etc) If you are going to be off road driving 4 low is a good option as it will keep your vehicle at lower speed with better power and control for off road conditions.
Your snowfall is 12 inches and its heavy/wet:
Heavy, deep, packable snow or good snowman making snow, causes your tires to respond very differently.
The density of the snow can acutally be used in your favor if you air down lower and let the tires pack the snow under the tires off road. This will raise the vehicle to "Float" on the top portion of the snow. This also works well with ice layers as well due to the ability to disperse the weight with aired down tires.
For on road snow driving you may air down a little but as it gets plowed or gets to be less snow you may need to go back to your regular street pressure. Keep in mind if your out in the deep stuff on or off road, go for the bigger foot print with less air pressure.
What about 4low vs 4high?
On Road (Going to work, school, etc) Begin driving on road in 4 hi, this allows the vehicle to move faster all while keeping traction. Feel the vehicle out....does it feel like the vehicle is struggling to push through when you give it gas? If so consider putting the vehicle in 4low, this will allow the power needed to push through.
Off Road (Off Road Parks, legal dirt roads, etc) If you are going to be off road driving 4 low is a good option as it will keep your vehicle at lower speed with better power and control for off road conditions.
Conditions can change quickly with the weather and temperature changes.....You may need to air down more as your day progresses. Stay aware of your surroundings whether on or off road and how your vehicle is performing.
As you can see, if you to read the snow, you may want to have just below street pressure in certain snow conditions such as light/fluffy snow and lower pressure in other situations such as heavy wet snow. Start high and work lower till it makes it easier to push through.
Reading the snow also plays a factor with 4 low verus 4 high, do you need to maintain speed but yet keep traction for on road driving or are you in need of lower speed and more power for off road conditions?
No matter what type of snow falls, an important factor to be cautious of is the amount of force it takes to get your vehicle moving. To push through snow with your vehicle may seem easy depending on your set up but it takes a lot of work for the vehicle.
How much work does it take? Do this test on or off road....let off the gas when driving in freshly fallen, unpacked snow.
The faster the vehicle stops, the more load on the vehicle it is causing. It is especially taxing on your transmission and you could potentially see your transmission temps rise quickly from the extra load. Keep in mind that this could also cause your engine temps to rise. This is why in heavy snow storms you will see a rise in vehicle fires from people playing or pushing their vehicle to hard.
Ways to solve this problem is to regear (if you put larger tires on your vehicle) but even with this upgrade you still have to be careful and watchful to avoid damage to your vehicle. Be cautious of your tire pressures and the amount of push the snow is causing.
There are many variables like tire tread, weight of vehicle, engine size, transmission, ect, that can change how the vehicle handles snow. Feel the snow situation first before playing hard! Keep in mind, tire chains and locking differentials can also help in certain situations.
While it is fun to play on and off road in the snow, there are risks with snow driving and educating yourself is key. Learn how to properly prepare your vehicle and yourself for off road snow driving before hitting the trails so that you keep you and your vehicle safe.
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