DRIVING IN SNOW TIPS ANYONE?

Quote from Tonka

I just ask for one thing from all drivers (not jeepers). If you cant do the speed limit or for example yesterday, if you can only go 25 on the highway, please stay to the right and allow drivers that are equiped and experienced pass.
It took me 2 hours to get home last night, not because of the conditions but because of 2wd cars plugging up the left lane for what reason I have no idea. O and also 2wd cars attempting to go up large hills, for example the bridge on 95 in philly past the stadiums. If you dont have a 4x4 then you should have a flat route home mapped out, it may be out of the way but it beats sitting in one place because your stuck.
That being said, Jeeps may be one of the best vehicles to drive in snow. Good luck to the new snow goers! I hope you are now impressed with your vehicle for being so capable in the elements.

I totally disagree, jeeps are probably the worst 4wd vehicle in the snow.. they are tall and have wide tires which is a no-no for snow.. the ideal vehicle is AWD like a subaru with snow tires... When i had my WRX I would not even start my jeep in a snow storm..

Quote from turtle

I totally disagree, jeeps are probably the worst 4wd vehicle in the snow.. they are tall and have wide tires which is a no-no for snow.. the ideal vehicle is AWD like a subaru with snow tires... When i had my WRX I would not even start my jeep in a snow storm..

Automatic 4wd is only as good as the system. I'm sure Subaru has it nailed down pretty well but I had a Ford Explorer that would wait several rotations to kick into 4WD. It sucked in sand and snow. My Explorer sport track with dedicated 4WD however was the best vehicle I've ever driven.

I disagree on the tall thing too. Having ground clearance in some of this deep snow we just had made all the difference.

The sensitivity around here is higher than I thought. A simple joke was all it was

My BMW station wagon is 1000% better in the snow then my YJ (at least as it sits with 31's, 3.07s open/open, lol)

Snow tires really are amazing and only cost me 1-1.5 mpg.

-Brad

Quote from KnoxRents

Automatic 4wd is only as good as the system. I'm sure Subaru has it nailed down pretty well but I had a Ford Explorer that would wait several rotations to kick into 4WD. It sucked in sand and snow. My Explorer sport track with dedicated 4WD however was the best vehicle I've ever driven.

I disagree on the tall thing too. Having ground clearance in some of this deep snow we just had made all the difference.

Having driven many jeeps and 2 subarus, I would 100% take the subaru for any on the road snow driving.. Lets face it unless you live in one of the developments in delaware where they never plow most roads are plowed with enough regularity that you do not need the excessive ground clearance of a jeep.. Stability is a huge + when driving in the snow/ice and having a top heavy tall vehicle does not lend to stability..

Quote from rerunhaley

The two of you had a first time driving in snow in your Jeep too. I was welcomed here as a new member and told "there are no dumb questions". Thank you to the rest of you for your nice replies and suggestions.

May the fleas from a thousand camels infest your armpits to you Mr. Turtle and Mr. Jaytj01!

Haha, funny just saw this.. yes everyone has their first time driving in the snow.. The "no dumb questions" thing is probably the worst thing that has ever been said as there are alot of really dumb questions.. Yours was not exactly a dumb question but was answered very well in the first couple posts so adding on and saying the exact same thing over and over again is pretty pointless.

My point of view with snow storms is staying off the road is the best bet, it was not a comment specifically directed at you or the question you asked...

As for your question about advice? the best thing to do is go to a parking lot and get comfortable with your vehicle. That is the absolute only way you will ever get to know how you and your vehicle reacts to snowy conditions.. People can tell you 1000 ways to drive safely in the snow but actually being in the vehicle getting wheel time and experiencing all the things that happen in snow/ice is the only way you will ever get better at drivng in it

Quote from JeepChris

I think Subaru's depend on the tires.
WRX's with summer tires in the snow = loser.
WRX's with all-season = can do ok. I've yet to see an Impreza go up a hill on all-seasons from a stop.
WRX with snow tires = pretty good.

I drove everywhere in the 2 20"+ storms we had a few years ago in my WRX with all seasons. only place I got stopped was an unplowed driveway that had a 3' drift in it .. My jeep on 37" tires stayed parked on the street

Quote from turtle

Stability is a huge + when driving in the snow/ice and having a top heavy tall vehicle does not lend to stability..

You lost me at stability. I have no idea what that has to do with driving through the snow.
My Jeep is plenty stable anyway but my driveway was plowed in this morning and I know there was no way I was driving over that in a car. Just sayin'.

Honestly doesn't matter 'what' vehicle but typically 4wd/AWD>2wd, long wheelbase>short wheelbase, and narrow tires w/ lots of sipes > typical mud tires. Drove both Jen's WJ and TJ yesterday and IMHO the WJ kicked the TJ's ass...OE JK all-seasons and a little more wheelbase made a world of difference. However, I would much rather drive my crewcab, longbed F350 than one of them any day of the week. With its weight, relatively narrow 19.5's, and loooooong wheelbase it cruises through the snow no problem and even if the back gets loose it takes what seems like hours to kick out substantially.

My wifes old All Wheel Drive WJ was the best vehicle I've ever owned in the snow. With that said, I've driven my Dodge Ram 2500 with BFG All Terrains through 3 ft drifts and never worried about it. Took it out today in my yard with 2ft + snow and never had a problem.

Is definitely take my 3/4 ton truck or the wife's wk over the jk in the snow. The weight and wheelbase of the truck make is extremely stable.

Make sure you brush all the snow off your vehicle especially the top. I've had to dodge 2' chucks of ice flying off tractor trailers before. Its dangerous even on a jeep.

Quote from rerunhaley

The two of you had a first time driving in snow in your Jeep too. I was welcomed here as a new member and told "there are no dumb questions". Thank you to the rest of you for your nice replies and suggestions.

May the fleas from a thousand camels infest your armpits to you Mr. Turtle and Mr. Jaytj01!

Wow! A subaru over a jeep on a jeep forum Call me when you get stuck in a drift next time and need a tug

Quote from Stafford

Make sure you brush all the snow off your vehicle especially the top. I've had to dodge 2' chucks of ice flying off tractor trailers before. Its dangerous even on a jeep.

X1,000!!!!!

I took a hit from sizable chunk that flew off of a minivan. It hit the front grill with enough force to dislodge 5 of the 7 aluminum grill inserts. They're pretty well pressed into the grill slots too! I didn't know until a couple days after and had to walk Rt. 40 from 72 to Troop 2 to find 4 of them. The last one turned up in front of my brothers house.