Gladiator in snow - disappointment?

[levesqueonline]

Was the traction control still on?

Yes, traction control doesnt turn off when you engage 4 but i was thinking that later

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[levesqueonline]

did you get any wheel hop? I have in deep snow.. havent aired down though...

Thanks all I think i will try turning off traction control next time to see, certainly cant air down my tires in my own driveway but I do have winter tires (factory installed so nothing fancy im sure)

 

[Oil_Burner]

I can relate to the OP, but I'm not being negative.

I have a side loading garage. I can't drive up my driveway and turn into my garage without backing up. With my previous truck, an F-150, I had the same problem. If the driveway was snow covered, I would just start the turn with the F-150, hit the gas, and the back end would slide around, and I would just pull in.

So I tried that with my JTRD this week, and the traction control said NO, YOU CAN'T DO THAT!

Next time I'll try without the traction control on!

 

[Wicknalter]

Interesting, I always thought MTs would give you more traction than ATs in snow, but it looks like the BFG MTs aren't severe snow service rated.

I had ridge grapplers and they were excellent in the snow. Switched to Geolander M/T’s and they’re a bit dicey some times. It’s not the best thing I’ve driven in the snow but I’m pretty confident with it though even with these tires. It chomps through the snow. No weight in the bed.

 

[KurtP]

This little piggy went to market...
This little piggy went...

front wheel is looking for traction

my instructor hat is a little rusty, but these are some of my thoughts. What we want to accomplish on a road is different than what we want to accomplish on a trail because of our base surfaces. When i say “spinning” i dont mean “rotating” i mean the tire spinning over a traction surface...from a physics point of view, its the same as a skid from a traction point of view; but calling that a “rotational skid” gets confusing Imo

left foot braking can apply a degree of diff lock effect to all wheels in any low traction environment- mud. Snow. Slick rock. Its extremely effective.

 

[Conrad101st]

I have the falkens and with a load I thought snow was nothing at all. My brother got his 4Runner stuck in a ditch with a heavy trailer with a foot of snow. I put snow chains on the front tires, locked all the differentials and pulled the whole load right out in reverse. I was quite pleased.

 

[KurtP]

I disagree with this. I run 35" BFG KM3 and have no issue with snow and reasonable performance in ice.

The trick, and its not a trick, is to lower the tire pressure. Today I was running 23 psi in front and 20 psi in the rear. Had no issues on snow and ice all day. The bed was not loaded down with any weight at all.

As for traction control, I don't care for it. The reason, when I needed power to spin the tires it would cut the power. This is to prevent wheel spin, but I need the wheels to spin. Nope. Have to push the button and then I can get out of drifts or push past slick spots.

Traction control works great on a road for regular driving, off road- IT SUCKS. To add to this, so does the anti-lock braking on the JTR. Tried to stop on a plowed road and it is so sensitive that I cannot stop. I had to use the manual transmission mode and shift to lower gears to slow down and stop.

Also, stuck in a snow bank and give it gas and the wheels spin (traction control off) and then let off gas and try to hit the brake and stop the wheels from spinning- NOPE! Anti-lock brakes prevent that from happening.

If anyone would like to meet up to experience this, please let me know. I'm up for a of four-wheeling trip.

I also instruct in off-road, been doing this for a very long time. Traction control has it's place, it is not off-road. Driveways.... maybe.

Kurt, I am not too far north of you. What group were you in?

ive spent time a couple different places, and Im still doing it. Bragg and DC predominately. Where/what do you instruct? Where/what were you racing before hand?

a km3 is siped, so its not as bad as the old km2’s, but its still worse than a good AT for a snowy road. Im seeing a bunch pics and a lot of talk about being buried near the frame rails on a snowy trail off road; which is not the sense i get from the OP on what he is trying to accomplish. If he is trying to get up a paved driveway that got slick, turning off the TC with an empty bed is the absolute worst advice to give him, especially if his driveway is adjacent to a ditch or a highway. Im not saying that to be a dick; rather trying to make sure the OP’s question gets answered. Beating down the trail wasnt how i interpreted his question.

But maybe one of us is mis-interpreting what the OP is actually asking, and it could be me. Down a big snow drifty trail; yeah. Air down and turn the tc off and try to get some spin and buoyancy. That would not be my advice for pavement/public roads, as what we are trying to do is different.

 

[Gvsukids]

I disagree with this. I run 35" BFG KM3 and have no issue with snow and reasonable performance in ice.

The trick, and its not a trick, is to lower the tire pressure. Today I was running 23 psi in front and 20 psi in the rear. Had no issues on snow and ice all day. The bed was not loaded down with any weight at all.

As for traction control, I don't care for it. The reason, when I needed power to spin the tires it would cut the power. This is to prevent wheel spin, but I need the wheels to spin. Nope. Have to push the button and then I can get out of drifts or push past slick spots.

Traction control works great on a road for regular driving, off road- IT SUCKS. To add to this, so does the anti-lock braking on the JTR. Tried to stop on a plowed road and it is so sensitive that I cannot stop. I had to use the manual transmission mode and shift to lower gears to slow down and stop.

Also, stuck in a snow bank and give it gas and the wheels spin (traction control off) and then let off gas and try to hit the brake and stop the wheels from spinning- NOPE! Anti-lock brakes prevent that from happening.

If anyone would like to meet up to experience this, please let me know. I'm up for a of four-wheeling trip.

I also instruct in off-road, been doing this for a very long time. Traction control has it's place, it is not off-road. Driveways.... maybe.

Kurt, I am not too far north of you. What group were you in?
]

Tazer has a traction control kill option that turns off traction control, stability control, and antilock brakes.

Does anyone want to save me the time of looking through the manual and tell me how to turn off traction control? ( I’m on the couch not near my truck so if it’s an obvious button my apologies in advance)
-I’m lazy right now

It's left of the hazards

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/question-about-traction-control.25038/

 

[KurtP]

To add to this, so does the anti-lock braking on the JTR. Tried to stop on a plowed road and it is so sensitive that I cannot stop. I had to use the manual transmission mode and shift to lower gears to slow down and stop.

that isnt an abs problem. Thats a tire problem. Abs activates when a wheel locks. A wheel locks when the pressure of the brake pads against the rotor exceeds what friction the tire can sustain against the traction surface; and a skid starts. The abs is trying to stop the skid......

 

[Terry]

I cant wait until we get all the Michael Schumaker‘s and Rhys Millen’s here talking about how they disable TC and ABS in the winter time because they, quote, “know how to drive” and quote “been doing this a long time”

the suspects:
- cars didnt have it when i learned how to drive, so i dont need that black magic shit and the laws of physics dont exist

- im such a good driver from all the fucking around I did in the desert/snow/trail, i know what a car is going to do and how to defy the laws of physics

- you have to know what to do if tc/abs fail, so just turn it off all the time and pray the laws of physics dont proper fuck you

- just because you have 200+ hrs of pro driver training from baja 500 winners, formula 1 drivers, Nurburgring circuit racers and testers, and a formula 4 racing license doesnt mean shit, my dad and the highschool parking lot taught me what i need to know

this thread is gonna get GOOD. Grab a beer. I promise in just a few pages you’ll see all those things.

From an old Combat Engineer 67-70 to a Jumper... Thank you Sir for your service.

 

[KurtP]

From an old Combat Engineer 67-70 to a Jumper... Thank you Sir for your service.

nah. Thank you. guys like you paved the way for guys like me.

 

[TheSolarWizard]

Does anyone want to save me the time of looking through the manual and tell me how to turn off traction control? ( I’m on the couch not near my truck so if it’s an obvious button my apologies in advance)
-I’m lazy right now

There’s a button on the center of the dash

 

[Wbrook24]

I have 35 inch Duratracs and love them on snow and ice compared to MTs. Driving in the mostly icy conditions, on steep roads, we get from time to time in north Georgia mountains they have been great. I did see another rubicon on MTs left on the side of the road where I went up just fine.
(edit) My family has a house on the peak of a mountain and it is pretty common to get ice and snow up there while halfway down the mountain they just get cold rain unless its a big storm. Not as exciting as what you guys up north get.

 

[CerOf]

I have 35 inch Duratracs and love them on snow and ice compared to MTs. Driving in the mostly icy conditions, on steep roads, we get from time to time in north Georgia mountains they have been great. I did see another rubicon on MTs left on the side of the road where I went up just fine.
(edit) My family has a house on the peak of a mountain and it is pretty common to get ice and snow up there while halfway down the mountain they just get cold rain unless its a big storm. Not as exciting as what you guys up north get.

I’m on 35” Duratracs, too.
Have then on the wife’s QX also.

they have performed very well in wet, dry, snow, slush, and ice.

they don’t seem to be a full on MT but are more aggressive than an AT. They are mountain snowflake rated.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I can relate to the OP, but I'm not being negative.

I have a side loading garage. I can't drive up my driveway and turn into my garage without backing up. With my previous truck, an F-150, I had the same problem. If the driveway was snow covered, I would just start the turn with the F-150, hit the gas, and the back end would slide around, and I would just pull in.

So I tried that with my JTRD this week, and the traction control said NO, YOU CAN'T DO THAT!

Next time I'll try without the traction control on!

I backed into our driveway's little turn-around area - a small pad of concrete we can back onto and turn around. It was snow-packed from my snow removal, blading.
I put it in D and gave a bit of gas as I would normally, to drive out and the truck spun- literally sat and spun, I let up a bit and it gradually pulled out of that area.
This truck - I can actually spin the tires when taking off from a stop if there's any gravel or sand. Traction control my butt.
I could never do with my Chevy what this allows me to do.

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