Gladiator snow performance - what problems?

[brianinca]

I saw the long thread about poor snow performance with the JT, so instead of posting in the "where did you go" I'll throw it on here. I'm absolutely impressed as can be with performance in 2Hi on PLENTY of snow. All I can think is that there must be some edge conditions exacerbated by tire selection causing issues. We've driven a bit on plowed roads or new snow in the mountains and our JTR drives like a pickup in my view. My wife has a lot more snow driving experience than I since Southern Illinois and Flagstaff both get varying amounts of snow, and she lived in those areas for years. Me, I think snow is wonderful to visit and play in, and then go home where we don't allow such things.

We decided to take the long way to go pick up our wine club subscription, going through a Sequoia forest via an unmaintained road. This is a well known path for "snow trips" for the whole region. I've been on runs with my Jeep buds where we've passed hundreds of vehicles. We saw not one vehicle, just two pairs of hikers inside the Park boundary.

The whole trip up to the trailhead was in 2Hi, and I wouldn't have done it with my YJ that way, COULDN'T have done it. I kept wondering when I'd have to resort to 4Hi, but the truck just steamrolled through the accumulated drifts. The results were very pleasantly surprising. We took a little potty break and you can see where I had to go ahead and shift to 4Hi - turning left around this parking lot, making the corner was too much for too little traction. We continued up the hill and drove out to our winery destination on 180. Lots of beautiful views across clear skies and sunshine, great way to start our day.

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[bgenlvtex]

Like it had tracks. 4H, traction control off, super impressed

 

[Dakota Kid]

I simply swapped out the OEM BFG M/T KM2’s I’m my Willys eco diesel for Falken Wildpeak AT3’s and I have now blown thru 2 different blizzards with wild abandon and glee.

In 4HI the Gladiator is a mountain goat on the crappiest roads I can find.

If thru actual snow and not compacted snow/ice I rarely take out of 2HI.

I can leave my wife in her AWD Volvo XC60 at a stop light like she’s standing still (and she’s rocking excellent Continental Extreme Contact DWS 06 tires, so I’m not cheating her at all).

i did run into an issue last weekend with the DEF system service required at dealer warning, but that apparently was from getting snow into the air intake/filtration system and packing it into where the electrical connections for the DEF tank/line heaters run. They cleaned out area, reapplied new grease to connectors, whipped codes and sent me on my way after a 4 day wait.

But that run Was 250+ miles through 11” of snow/blowing snow with -0 windchills and the Gladiator ate it up and was never anything but planted at all times. I passed many a full size 4x4 in the ditch the last 90 miles on interstate (which was closed for 36 hours shortly after we got home).

Just avoid the yellow snow and you’ll be fine.?

 

[dcmdon]

The answer to great or poor snow performance can be summed up in one word.

TIRES!!

The all season tires on some of the lower models aren't going to be very good and the optional mud tires on the Rubicon and Mojave also aren't going to be very good.

The AT tires seem to be the best (especially the Falkens) but they of course are garbage in the snow compared to real snow tires. And garbage may be an overstatement. They will seem great. Until you drive on real snows.

I've owned an AWD Subaru STi that was a ball to drive on snows and terrifying to drive on summer tires in the snow.

My wife's Miata went from frightening to more fun than you could imagine with a set of real snows.
Its all about the tires.

 

[dcmdon]

I simply swapped out the OEM BFG M/T KM2’s I’m my Willys eco diesel for Falken Wildpeak AT3’s and I have now blown thru 2 different blizzards with wild abandon and glee.

In 4HI the Gladiator is a mountain goat on the crappiest roads I can find.

If thru actual snow and not compacted snow/ice I rarely take out of 2HI.

I can leave my wife in her AWD Volvo XC60 at a stop light like she’s standing still (and she’s rocking excellent Continental Extreme Contact DWS 06 tires, so I’m not cheating her at all).

i did run into an issue last weekend with the DEF system service required at dealer warning, but that apparently was from getting snow into the air intake/filtration system and packing it into where the electrical connections for the DEF tank/line heaters run. They cleaned out area, reapplied new grease to connectors, whipped codes and sent me on my way after a 4 day wait.

But that run Was 250+ miles through 11” of snow/blowing snow with -0 windchills and the Gladiator ate it up and was never anything but planted at all times. I passed many a full size 4x4 in the ditch the last 90 miles on interstate (which was closed for 36 hours shortly after we got home).

Just avoid the yellow snow and you’ll be fine.?

Just a reminder that your wife's Conti's are great tires. But as ultra high performance all seasons, are biased towards dry and wet weather and not terribly good in the snow. They are only 1 step down from pure summer tires.

As someone who lives in the Dakota's I'm sure you know the value of snow tires. With a set of Blizzaks on her Volvo she would have left you in the dust.

Of course if you had a set of Nokians on your jeep you would probably do better. (If you can find them. They are apparently sold out everywhere in Jeep sizes)

 

[khockey02]

I’ve been super impressed on our ski trips through the Sierras with KO2s. The defroster is terrible in snow storms though.

 

[arosen1997]

I’ve been super impressed on our ski trips through the Sierras with KO2s. The defroster is terrible in snow storms though.

Yeah the defroster is weak, I was driving in some snow back in the beginning of December and my wipers were slowly freezing to my windshield with ice encroaching from all sides of the glass and it was only in the 20s.

That being said I've had no issues in the snow with my JT. The set of Yokohama X-ATs I've got only lose traction when I want them to (and I do be wanting to lose traction in some places around here).

 

[Gvsukids]

The all season tires on some of the lower models aren't going to be very good and the optional mud tires on the Rubicon and Mojave also aren't going to be very good.

Yes. The A/T's that came with my Max Tow, perform better than the Wildpeak M/T.

 

[ReverendZ]

I am in the great frozen Tundra of Minnesota where actual air temperature last weekend was -30F and can concur that the Defrost leaves much to be desired. I did do the mod referenced on other threads of blocking the center venting portions with little square tubing endcaps to force more air to the sides and that has improved it a TON. I found the stock tires on the Max-Toe to be so so in winter travels, in snow that isn't packed on ice they are great, on icy roads.... well, I almost ate a curb LOL.

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