EcoBooster71

4WD is just like any tool in bad weather conditions. Snow tires, sandbags in the back, 4WD, etc. They can't fix stupid. If you are the dude who throws on 4WD and then drives like he is in Baja "winter edition" then its gonna get ugly. I see guys in rice rockets driving like they are rally racers when it snows out.

The original question was from a guy who is driving in slippery conditions straight down a highway and he is asking if its safe to run 4WD. The answer is yes.

Now, if he drives like an idiot, thats a totally different discussion and I imagine he will crash whether he is in 2WD or 4WD.

johnday in BFE

iTrader: (1)

^^^^Exactly!

LoneWolfTrucker

Good comments on 4WD in snow. However, I am amazed at my trucks handling with ALBs and 4WD. However, the limiting factor in my speed during inclement weather is other drivers. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

TexasRedfish

IIRC, the limit was 55mph then 4H would disengage itself. I have a 16 if that matters.

Montuckyf150

Studs, and sand tubes would help eliminate the need for 4H on a lot of stuff, but I would use 4H on he highway if I had to. In fact I had to switch on the fly on the highway going over lookout pass in ID on my way home from purchasing my truck and it only had like 200 miles on it.

bound4doom

As others have said, your question is really 2 fold.

Part 1
Can you run 4wd on the highway. Sure can. I do it every year. However, if the highway is dry you shouldn't. Your just going to eat your tires up and cause a little more wear. Snow covered highway, knock your socks off. Drive at reasonable speeds for the road conditions. You are going to find it more useful for in town driving though.

Part 2
Will 4wd help with icy roads. Nope. I mean it can help you accelerate from a dead stop. You can get traction to get going rather than spinning your rear tires. However if you hit ice at speed, not going to help you one bit, except maybe to get out of the ditch or median if you didn't hit anything going in. 4wd is really just going to help you accelerate and get unstuck if your stuck. It takes some experience to work with this too. Sometimes in 4wd it is better to hit the gas on ice, this can straighten the truck out if your in a slow skid. However nothing beat experience when it comes to this. Generally just be careful on ice.

Ryan_2020

Maybe our roads are different than yours (more crown maybe?) but we can be going at speed, dead straight and have our back ends kick out on ice......so yes 4x4 can absolutely help keep you straight on icy roads.

tcp2

Yup. Icy roads and 2WD, the rear end starts to go sideways. 4WD and a sane speed keeps things straight. (driving in Canada since I was 14...too long to mention)

bound4doom

Nope same roads, just well different techniques. Again no I think you are drastically overthinking what 4wd does. 4wd or not you hit ice incorrectly and you will skid. When driving down the road if you can see ice, or know your going on ice, or like over a bridge you should maintain a constant speed or let off the accelerator slightly. This will keep the back in line.

If your rear end kicks out on you and your in 2 wheel drive. Simply let off the gas, continue to steer in the direction of the skid, Your engine will slow rear tires hence bringing your back end back in line. In turn you can also hit the tow haul button and use engine braking to bring the rear back under control. This will bring you right back under control quickly simply letting off the gas. Puts more drag on the rear end.

If you have Front wheel drive then you do the opposite. gently accelerate the gas. Steer straight down the road. This will force the front end to straighten out.

If your in 4wd and you start to skid, you want to get it in 2wd as fast as you can to try to stop the skid, unfortunately it doesn't go that fast. If your skidding in 4wd, all you can do is steer straight as you can down the road. Hope you hit dry pavement soon so you get some traction. If you accelerate, well you have rear tires and front tires both trying to accelerate and both slipping and changing tired trying to get a hold. Just really making the situation worse. If you try decelerating, again your deceleration on both front and rear tires. Not ideal but will work, 2wd would work a lot better.

Again I am not stating stuff out of my opinion. This is stuff your taught in drivers education, at least in the northern states. It is also information in well at least the Michigan drivers manuals. If you think your too manly to read up on it from State manuals and drivers education then. How about from the Art of Manliness. Point being, driving down the road in ice conditions in 4wd is bad. You can have your opinion but years or science and experience from much better drivers than you and me.

https://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/...ypes-of-skids/
or a better explanation
http://www.4x4abc.com/jeep101/safe.html

tcp2

This is October to April in Calgary(with a few chinook breaks in between). Been driving here for 32 years. Please tell me again how I should turn off my 4wd and how it causes instability. Full range of FWD, RWD, AWD and 4WD vehicles were in my stable over those years. Drove from Calgary to Heavy oil sites in, and north of, Fort MacMurray through the winter months. Crossing the Athabasca river on an ice road to get to sites on the other side, etc. 4WD works very well in low traction conditions. While you can still get in trouble on slick roads, the "rear end kickout" just doesn't happen in 4WD.

https://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/...ypes-of-skids/ >>> New Hampshire!, an amusing fluff piece, no more.

Every employee of my company had to take winter driving training and skid truck training:
http://www.fleetsafetyinternational....r-driving.html

http://vagabondexpedition.com/driving-in-alberta/