How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

Living in iowa i would like to have a 4x4 but my truck is only a 2wd. I haven't drove it in snow yet and was wondering how well they get around. I know with winter tires and weight it should be okay:smoke:

*how well does your 2wd get around in the winter*

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

Mine drives as well as a non-ABS, wide-tired, big motor truck, with no real weight in the back should. My dad used to tell me "If you need 4WD, you probably shouldn't be out driving around." Throw some bags of sand or salt in the back and you should be OK.

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

I drive an 89 Silverado, regular cab longbed, 2wd and I get around fine. We just had 17 inches of snow over the weekend and I did not have too much trouble. The only weight I have in the back is a fiberglass topper. I need some sandbags and it would be better, but it's not too bad. You just have to pay attention.

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

I was planning on putting in weight and better tires. Living in Iowa i know not to drive like a dumbass in the winter even if you have a 4x4 when you hit a patch of ice just right your not going anywhere

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i"m rocking a king cab dually and i'm doing alright so far only slid once and it was my own fault lol missed the road i wanted.

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

mine is parked in the winter. those terrible winters down here in AL just kill the vehicle lol.

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I have never had a problem. With any of my trucks(all 2WD). The s10 I had, just threw two 60lbs bags in. I only drove my 87 K15 for a couple days when i first bought it in the snow. Now, it goes into storage every year. My 2010 F**d Ranger I have no weight in it. And if you watched the news... southwestern ontario(london, sarnia) got dumped on. We got close to 3 feet of snow. Never got stuck. You should be fine my friend. :)
I don't drive my square in the snow. Salt and crap would destroy it.

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

I dont like salt and crap but i didn't just by my truck to look pretty i bought to use as a truck! Im also not one of those people that would just let there truck rust once i see surface rust i would sanded it off never let it get to rust holes. Someday when i have the money i want to get it undercoated/por 15

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

I use all season tires on front and all terrain on back and load in like six bags of sand and im good all winter

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

I understand that, and agree. But why would i destroy something like this if i didn't have too, and have a f**d to take the brunt of it, lol. Just my 2 cents and don't mean to offend anyone buy sayin it. Just my choice i guess. :)

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

Mine was great in the snow with no sand and just all season tires, never got stuck either. It will hold up in the salt and crap just fine too cause I have it Krown oilsprayed every year. We have a 99 minivan (yuck) and there is not a speck of rust on it and there is 280 k on it (in km cause im canadian eh ?).

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my dd (M**da beater) wither winter does great with a 5 speed, fun in open parking lots too. Just get weight in the box, I have 3 80lbs pallets in my bed.

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You've already figured out what 80% of people in Iowa can't. You should be proud of yourself. I laughed at everyone I ever saw in the ditches, because you just can't drive like and idiot and expect to get anywhere.

Anyway, I drove my 75 2wd around all the time, and with 2 bags of sand (one next to each wheel well) I did just fine, even on my regular tires. I never changed them out just because of winter. Only time I ever slipped around was on a hill when I didn't have the sand bags. 4wd is for mud. ;)

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

I was raised in southeast Iowa. first big snowfall, shovel as much as you can from your driveway into the bed of the truck. your set until spring. it also doubles as a beer cooler

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

Lol. We never could do that; we had to keep using our trucks as "farm trucks" so the bed space was necessary. Love the idea of the beer cooler though. Genius!!

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

Drove my 07 RCSB silverado last winter and it sucked, even with weight and brand new AT tires. It was a useless truck. Way too squirrely, but it was squirrely even on dry pavement. This year i'll put the mustang to bed and drive either the 79 or the 73.

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When I lived in Michigan I drove a 1995 caprice station wagon on regular all season tires from pepboys. it was such a heavy beast, I never had any trouble. I also had a POS mazda protege that i put firestone winterforce winter tires on...The winter tires are the best thing you can possibly do.

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Here everybody drives awd and 4wd vehicles because of the "New England Winters". They also seem to think that because they have awd they don't have to slow down, that's only for wimps with 2wds. Therefore, the idiots who drive too fast in their awd suvs are the first ones in the ditch. I drove wrecker for about 15 years, in addition to many years in emergency services, and I bet I could prove -statistically- that Jeep Grand Cherokees are the worst vehicle for winter driving, because I've pulled more of them back onto their wheels and out of the ditches than anything else. People just WONT slow down and use common sense, and they always think their driving ability is far above what it actually is.

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

Like you figured, a little weight and good tires you should be fine. Don't spin the tires.
My first 20 years in Maine were with 2wd vehicles, Personal preference was studded snow tires on all 4 corners and cement "pavers" for weight (sand was a pain to clean up when the bags broke and it was still partially frozen).

Wise man once told me 2wd was for getting you there, 4wd was to make sure you got back.

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Drove my 76-2wd dr for years here in MO with snow tires and RR ties. Not saying I never been stuck but it was usually from me doing something stupid. I drive a 4wd now (the 76 is getting a frame off) but I very rarely use it. I think everyone needs to learn how to winter drive in a camaro. Front wheel, all wheel gives the stupid a false sense. I guess the body shops don't mind

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

Mine gets around GREATTTT!!! seeing as how I live in BEAUTIFUL so cal =D

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

Just don't drive like a d**B A** . The only problem I've had on our Dallas black ice is when other people cut me off or start to slide while trying to go around me sine I'm the one going at a safe speed and they want to go 65 on the overpass.

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

We get mostly ice here... with some snow and when I had my 82 Chevy (2wd) loaded down with some weight I had no problem. Just ease on/off the gas and brakes. No sudden changes in motion/direction. Really the only time I got stuck was when I parked in a parking spot that way a bit nose down and I couldn't back out, but luckily a couple guys near by gave a shove and I was going again.

One year it snowed and I did not have sand bags in my truck yet so I just shoveled a bunch of snow into the bed. Worked great.

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

if you have posi ,great,I don,t and it sucks so I bought a jeep

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Yeah you'll be ok if you have tread in the tires and can avoid the other drivers. If it ices up around here ever, I love going out cuz it's like a big cartoon. People try to drive like its dry and sunny out and it doesn't work for them. I got out one year with the tractor charging $50 a car to drag em back up onto the road. A couple of em got stuck twice. Good for me. The calm careful drivers don't have near the problems.

I used to put 5-600lbs in the back of my half ton to drive it, but my 3/4 ton is a lot heavier so I tried it with nothing in the back and havent had any problems yet. I just drive slow and easy.

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

Like the old timers always say-

"Back then we didn't have 4wd's and we didn't need them. Just a good set of snow tires out back and weight in the bed"...

Words to live by... :)

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

:lol:wow really u really went there?:lol:

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

my 78 hits the shed and the 4x4 trailblazer hits the road. I baby my 78 and dd my 02 trailblazer. I would think you would be fine i drove an 84 in highschool and it handled just fine. Had all terrain tires though. But personally I would just be afraid of all the salt and the other drivers.

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mines a 1/2 ton one wheel peal and it sux in the snow cant put weight in bed have no c notch yet on the bad days i take the trailblazer

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If i had a rare truck in that good of shape i wouldn't drive it in rain lol but im just a kid in high school so i can only have 1 truck :smoke:

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

Where did you live in Iowa? Thanks everyone answers were what i thought squares can handle pretty much anything you throw at them if you know what your doing. I really didn't think i would get this many replies so thanks

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

I have a 2wd GMC 3500 pickup. Its automatic n I have bridgestone dueler at tires on all 4 tires. Tire size is 235/85. 16 inch rim. Is it ok if I put snow tires- bridgestone blizzacks just on the rear tires? What size snow tires should I buy? I have
e read that its better to go a size smaller so the tire has less snow to go through. Thanks
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Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

Got stuck a couple of times in the red 4X2 burb
(no posi)i'd put the weight on the pass side rear
green garbage bags of dry gravel
never stuck in the black 4X4
no paver stones or big rocks or frozen bags of sand for me
remember when you do go off the road,or hit something
what ever is behind you is still moving at the same speed and is comin your way
I'll take a bag of gravel to the head
over a paver stone or a 20lbs bag of sand
think like bird shot to a shotgun slug..........

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

Out where I live there are a lot of steep hills. I tried driving mine in the ice with no weight in the back in 2wd and the first time I stopped I couldn't get started back up the hill. Just sat and spun. Back up a little, let off the brake, spin spin spin. Didn't even give any gas. Put back in 4wd and it cruises right up no problem. I agree that you shouldn't have any trouble if you take it easy but sometimes there's just nothing you can do with 2wd. Specially if you have to go up and down icy hills.

Maybe I should re-phrase that. There's some times there's nothing I can do. I'm sure there's some guy out there coulda done better, but I just use the tools I've got when I need 'em and 4x4 is a tool for when you need it.

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

wisconsin salts like no other place so we never drive anny of our 5 collecter vehicles in the snow,,,EVER

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i have all mix matched tires one completly balled and i seem to do okay even living in the snow belt in ontario!! its a 3/4 ton so its got some weight to it.. i cant even slide around if i wanted to.. unless i lock up the brakes.. ( only front work right now anyways)

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I dont have to many issues. Just take it slow and steady let the other people run around and speed like idiots. I have a set of tire chains that is sitting under my seat un open. My parents got them for my brothers when they were driving the truck to college back in 86. There still brand new never been used. I figure better to have them just in case. Usually its not the forward traction that gets you in the snow and ice its the stopping. Now when i was driving my Impreza that was another story that car took ice and snow like it was dry pavement and still would stop with out issues. If you dont want to wreck your truck find a cheap mid 90's Subaru awd and call it good.

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my 86swb is horrible! I have 275/60r15s aon all corners and she just slides. Weight or no weight it doesnt matter. If i'm sitting on snow and just put it in gear it starts spinning the right rear tire before I even hit the gas. Last year I was coasting down the highway at 40 and came to a section under trees that still had snow and the back tried to pass me. I saved it but it scared me. My 78 Caprice 2 door did just fine in the snow and never got stuck till the stronger motor and high stall conv. If I have a choice I will take fwd or 4x4 anyday.

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Let's just put it this way It snowed on Monday and My truck hasn't moved since then. Could be because I have no brakes or that I live on a wicked hill bit I make little to no traction my self.

Re: How well do your 2wd do in winter?
 

Last winter was bad with no weight in the back, but that was only a problem starting on ice or snow, no matter how I'd manipulate the gas and clutch the tires would spin, and yes I have snows on all 4. Got a couple of sand bags, I'll see how she does now.

Oh today was the first real snow storm here, it was just a dusting but everyone on the winter was doing 50 and slamming on the brakes, that was freaking me out, not the snow!