Ok so i have driven on ice before, but here in the DEEP dirrrty south we donty see it a whole lot. Tomorrows forecast says ice all day long. I have a 30 mile trip to work all on a highway. Is it ok to use 4wd for that distance and what is "safe speed" for iced highways. to make things worse, my rear tires are streets and fronts are all terrains.

thanks for any help!

 

you can leave it in 4x4 as long as you want, it wont hurt anything unless you do it on dry pavement. as far as speed on the highway on ice its hard to say what the safe speed is. i try not to go too much slower than traffic but also dont drive too fast just to keep up. leave plenty of room to stop and avoid lane changes, heavy braking or accelerating and you will be fine. you say you have different tires on the front and back, are they the same size?

 

yes they are the same size. when i bought the truck one was smaller and i had to replace it. but now they are same size

 

If the road is covered in ice, 4 wheel drive wont help, 4 wheels on slick ice spin just as easy as 2 do, if 2 dont have any traction than the the other 2 wont either

but seriously if it is icy than your best bet is to just drive real slow, trust me moms car is at the shop now from hitting black ice

 

add some weight to your bed (ex. a fourwheeler, a layer of cement blocks, sand bags, salt bags; some sheets of metal or plywood, particle board)....better distribution can make a difference