Traction, not getting Stuck!

[Ballenxj]

   I don't like AWD or whatever fancy schmancy name they want to give it.  locking diffs are the way to go,  

Not to be contrary, but my little Subaru has what they call AWD, and I'd put it against anything else I've seen out there in the snow. I've driven it through some interesting storms, while watching a Jeep slip off the road, and semi jack knifed after trying to stop.
The disclaimer being I didn't see what kind of tires the Jeep had, and after much research I have a set of General Altimax mud and snow tires on the Subie.

 

[steamjam1]

There are some good AWD systems out there. Subaru has one of the best. Chevy and Dodge both had full time 4wd in the '70's and '80s, which essentially is AWD using the love it/hate it NP203 that used a center differential. I think jeep had one too in the 80's and '90s using the much made fun of NP242.

Personally I'm a part-time 4x4 guy, but can see where one may want AWD with a center diff. Namely ice and snow. I am also a fan of twin stick NP205 where I can independently select front/rear drive.... As long as it has a lo-range..

 

[Ballenxj]

Personally I'm a part-time 4x4 guy, but can see where one may want AWD with a center diff. Namely ice and snow. I am also a fan of twin stick NP205 where I can independently select front/rear drive.... As long as it has a lo-range..

Personally, I have never had the pleasure of having a twin stick, but I can see the advantage of being able to select front, rear, or both diffs. You would never be stuck because the front or rear were inoperable. You could always limp home.

 

[highdesertranger]

a twin stick doesn't allow you to choose front drive or rear drive. one stick allows you to select 2wd or 4wd and the other allows you to select hi or low. if you want to drive front wheel drive only you would have to pull your rear drive shaft. having that option is a good thing if you were to have problems from the transfer case back. however you would also need fixed yokes on your transfer case, slip yokes don't cut it. highdesertranger

 

[jimindenver]

Even just having the rear end locked up makes it hard to turn on the trail. I followed a lifted 70's Blazer down a pretty hairy trail in the Expedition. He could go up and over things with ease that I had to negotiate but the hair pins were killing him.

 

[Ballenxj]

Thought I'd give an update on my impressions thus far with what I've done.
First of all, the weather right now is sucking like a 40 hp bilge pump. Snow, ice, and a high that hovers around 20 degrees,with the lows going down as low as 1.
The van does OK in snow, but when there is a lot of ice on the roads it stays parked.

 

[Woltz]

Evenly balance the rear weight. But I know that isn't always going to work, especially in snow. I'll be adding a winch to my van that I can attach to the back or the front of the van. That will be a way to get unstuck in snow or mud for me. I'll also be adding some tools. A saw and a good axe to cut down thin tree's. I'll be using those length wise along the back tires for traction. Anything that helps, I'll do.

 

[steamjam1]

Gotta agree there. The close you can get to 50/50 weight bias from to reat the better off your gonna be in 2wd...

 

[Ballenxj]

Merry Christmas all you van dwellers! Wishing I was in Quartzsite right about now.
Here's a sample of the average winter conditions here.

 

[VanGrrl57]

Merry Christmas all you van dwellers! Wishing I was in Quartzsite right about now.
Here's a sample of the average winter conditions here.

Yep! Me too! SIGH!

 

[hepcat]

Not to be contrary, but my little Subaru has what they call AWD, and I'd put it against anything else I've seen out there in the snow. I've driven it through some interesting storms, while watching a Jeep slip off the road, and semi  jack knifed after trying to stop.
The disclaimer being I didn't see what kind of tires the Jeep had, and after much research I have a set of General Altimax mud and snow tires on the Subie.

I've had a parade of 4WD pickups, Jeeps and Toyota Land Cruisers over the years and two AWD vehicles that were absolutely stunning performers in the snow; a '98 Chevy Astro AWD and an '03 Honda Element.  Both of those were as sure-footed as anything I've ever owned.

I have a '16 Jeep Rubicon JKU right now with whatever grave-digger tires come stock on it, and it wouldn't go up the small hill I live on with a street surface of sanded packed snow in 2WD.  I had engage the front axle before I could move on the street.  Both the Astro and the Element never had a problem just plowing right on through.  I suspect that the weight distribution on both the Astro and Element were close to 50-50 on the axles, and my JKU is probably 70-30 or something like that though. 

That said, knowing how to drive in the snow has as much or greater impact than the vehicle you're trying to drive, but some vehicle and tire combinations are obviously more competent than others.

 

[Ballenxj]

I've had a parade of 4WD pickups, Jeeps and Toyota Land Cruisers over the years and two AWD vehicles that were absolutely stunning performers in the snow; a '98 Chevy Astro AWD and an '03 Honda Element.  Both of those were as sure-footed as anything I've ever owned.

I had a 93 (I think) GMC Safari AWD that I sold before I knew life was taking me to cold country. I wish I still had it now.  
Much research was done before I bought the tires I have now on the Subie. They lived up to the hype, thank goodness.

 

[Ballenxj]

Latest update, I took the van out yesterday for a while, and aside from a little slippage in the fresh snow, I really had no trouble with it.
BTW, Happy 2017 everybody!  

 

[user 13531]

Tire type, ground clearance, tire inflation pressure, vehicle weight, incline, momentum all come into play with regard to terrain traction issues. I'm currently in a 2014 Subaru Crosstrek with an awesome symmetrical all wheel drive system. I've added a set of cooper mud/snow all terrain tires and now this little mobile will climb a tree! Just in case, I always carry a pair of recovery trax. https://us.maxtrax.com.au/

 

[Almost There]

Deal Breaker, please check that link. I get an Avast malware warning even just moving the cursor over top of it.

 

[Ballenxj]

Tire type, ground clearance, tire inflation pressure, vehicle weight, incline, momentum all come into play with regard to terrain traction issues. I'm currently in a 2014 Subaru Crosstrek with an awesome symmetrical all wheel drive system. I've added a set of cooper mud/snow all terrain tires and now this little mobile will climb a tree! Just in case, I always carry a pair of recovery trax.    https://us.maxtrax.com.au/

Hmm, those may be good, but are a bit pricey for me.
You don't have to try and convince me about Subaru's, I own an older one with AWD and a set of Altimax tires, it just keeps going like the energizer bunny.  
Almost there, I got no warnings about that link from either Malware Bytes, or Comodo?

 

[Ballenxj]

Was going to use the van to get propane today, but it was stuck in ice, and couldn't get it to budge.  
After I got back from a friend taking me to get the propane, I shoveled the snow out from around the tires, and put Ice Melt around the drive wheels, and finally got it out. Whew! Took it for a spin through the slushy, nasty streets to Lowes looking to buy a snow shovel, but they were out.
The van seemed to handle the journey just fine. Hope I'm not expecting too much from it?