4HI or 4x4Part Time on icy roads

[hyde]

Don't you think it actually makes is less stable to ride on 4x4 part time because it locks all four wheels and if you need to, for example, change lanes, or make a slight turn, rears will slide?
Since rears will have no way of adjusting to different spin of wheels on either side, won't it just slide sideways?

I never feel stable on icy roads with my jeep, but of course it is because of my tires, but again I always felt in locked 4x4 it feels funny.

 

[JeepJeepster]

I think you meant "4HI or 4x4full-time.

Anyway, I know exactly what you are talking about. I prefer 4hi when the roads are covered in snow. Im usually sliding anyway when Im making a turn, even with my A/T's. If the roads are covered in snow/ice, you shouldnt really be able to tell that the tires are slipping. I usually cannot unless Im going really slow, such as pulling into a parking place or the driveway. O

 

[Dave]

That's actually a difficult question since there's actually different snow and ice. I mean there's ice, slushy ice, powdery snow, heavy wet snow, and mixtures of each. Try both and use whatever feels right I guess and slow down.

You said you need tires, and since they're the only thing connecting you to the road, they are important. The better the tread, sipping, etc, the better off you will be. A good A/T should be ok. Even the POS stock Goodyears with a lot of tread would be better than 40,000 mile ones though. I took mine off at 15,000 miles. Are you interested in them? You're probably better off with an A/T though.

Dave

 

[hyde]

blake, no. What I meant is what I wrote for the crowd who had command-trac.

I just wanted to get some opinion on 4HI or 4part time from folks who has either selec/command.

We all know about 4x4FT and I wanted to see what command trac users thought since they have no other way of driving in snow.

Hey, even with sliding on your A/Ts they gotta be much better than my good years.


Dave, you are right, I am at about 35 now, and I am seriously looking into changing them (as I have been always) but I kept putting it off, because I kept thinking there should be no more storms.. because to be honest, they do well on dry surface, and I got some tread left in them.
I can see sedans pass by faster, not that I envy them, but I really feel unstable with these tires in 4x4PT (4HI)

So, back to the topic.
Since wheels are locked, if they cannot turn at different speed they will slide, won't day. And if it is all ICE instead of driving through or ON ice, it will move to the side. And turns, forget about it, it will throw the back to the side because it cannot catch up to fronts. As I said it feels BEST when you are going on deep snow OR on a straight line, since there is no loss of traction.

We don't get too much ice in NYC, but this year has been crazy. I never thought about looking at tires that had good ice traction, but I guess I will have to, even if there is no such a thing as "good on ice".

 

[K Dje Ryu]

I know you can't use chains 'cause of the ABS and what-not but, they make those highway cables that are safe to use with ABS and TCM systems. Have you considered a set of those, just to throw on for the ice?

 

[thecause17]

I've done quite a bit of driving on snow/ice covered roads this year, a few times I've spent as much as 15 straight miles in 4x4 on the road. I have command-trac, and I agree with Jeepjeepster, you only really notice that when turning really slow. Otherwise I don't feel any slipping while changing lanes or turning at higher speeds on places like bends in the roadway...only moving slow, and parking.

And when I do feel that slip at the lower speeds, it's always the fronts I feel slip, not the rear...

 

[JeepJeepster]

Hey, even with sliding on your A/Ts they gotta be much better than my good years.

haha, theres no comparison between my HP's and the A/T's. O

I just put the HP's back on and Im praying that it doesnt rain on the way back to school. ](*,)

 

[hyde]

Hey, even with sliding on your A/Ts they gotta be much better than my good years.

haha, theres no comparison between my HP's and the A/T's. O

I just put the HP's back on and Im praying that it doesnt rain on the way back to school. ](*,)

hmph! [-(

 

[Marty]

In deep snow (1 ft or more) I prefer the part-time 4WD, but when things are slippery I prefer the full-time. I find I can use the throttle to control the rear end around corners on icy stuff. In part-time 4WD, the whole vehicle just moves sideways. Giving it the gas and lifting off may cause a sudden understeer in either part-time or full-time, but that is very dependent on tractdion conditions and speed. Experimenting and figuring this out has been a gas!