Winter Driving - Fishtailing

[red/green hawk]

Trac-Lok rear dif should help with sliding all over the place also. Do all JTs come with that?

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[Wheelin98TJ]

Trac-Lok rear dif should help with sliding all over the place also. Do all JTs come with that?

Trac Lok is optional and usually makes you fishtail easier.

 

[40x40]

In order of cost - Get used to using switching in and out of 4WD high more frequently, add more weight over the rear tires, or buy dedicated snow tires. I love shutting off traction control and stepping the rear end out, but I don't call it fishtailing, I call it oversteer or when I'm really having fun, power sliding. Here are some donuts to remind us why winter driving is so fun.

you have awaken my inner 16 year old!

 

[Chestnut]

I'll just echo tires. With winter driving traction poor performance is almost always tires. There isn't a whole lot the car can do to improve on snow/ice period. 4wd or AWD helps you get going but doesn't help you stop or steer.

The Falken AT3s on tire rack have an 85 foot stopping distance on snow from 25 mph to 0 with a Ford Explorer ST

A good winter tire will be in the 45-50 foot stopping distance for the same vehicle. E.G. Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 is 52 feet on a Porsche Cayenne.

I run General Altimax Arctic on my JT and with out weight it's amazing on snow. With 4HI and the LSD you can basically do what ever you want on snowy roads. The awesome part about these jeeps is the less desirable stock wheels are DIRT cheap so having a 2nd set of wheels and tires is really affordable. I picked up a set of OE wheels for $100 for a set. Bought them off some mall crawler wrangler that wanted to play angry birds or something at the arcade.

 

[OffAxis2021]

According to TFL, those Falkens are horrible in the snow....significantly so.

The ones tested in the video are the AT4Ws and are more “heavy duty” oriented (for towing and such). Trailbuilt Off-Road (Wisconsin based) preferred the 3s, if I remember correctly.

I personally do not run the stock AT3W myself (took them off day 2 of Mojave ownership), but have seen a lot of great wet/cold weather mentions and a friend of mine loves them. They are wet weather oriented, but just a tad too wide (285s) for a lack of vehicle weight and my liking.

 

[Janster]

There is an optional Selec Trac transfer case that gives you 4H auto.

4Auto is 2WD that’ll send power to the front wheels if the rear wheels slip.

Won’t prevent you from fishtailing… in fact, a fishtail would already be started by the time it sent power to the front wheels. By that time, it’s useless to help you get out of it.

I had 4Auto in my previous 2016 Canyon. It was best (for me) in wet conditions….
I have an intersection (on a slight hill) near my house that you have to thread the needle sometimes. If you don’t have 4WD auto - your tires would be going 40mph while your truck would creep across the road and you can’t make it go any faster.

THat’s one of the features why I bought the Mojave X.

 

[jac04]

4Auto is 2WD that’ll send power to the front wheels if the rear wheels slip.

Won’t prevent you from fishtailing… in fact, a fishtail would already be started by the time it sent power to the front wheels. By that time, it’s useless to help you get out of it.

That's not an accurate statement for all conditions.

If you search, you'll find info on clutch torque transmission % in different scenarios. The system will be sending significant torque to the front from a stop or at lower speeds. Once traveling faster, the system backs off on torque being sent to the front, but never completely, keeping the system ready to send more power to the front if slippage is detected.

 

[KantFish2Much]

I have a 2021 80th Anniv. Here in Alaska, we get lots of snow and ice. I find the truck will fishtail some but normally when its icy. I used to live in MN, so I am also used to the midwest weather.

I have the factory bridgestones on it, which I do not like. I used Toyo MTs on my last truck and they were awesome. I had them Sipped, and that helps in snow and Ice. I plan to switch to Toyo tires when I can swing it, be it the At3, MT or the RT. My last SUV had the AT3, The one I replaced with my JT, and they were awesome in the snow and on the highway. SO I would suggest any of the Toyo's.

I also have 8 bags of sand, at 60 pounds each in the bed of my JT. This helps a lot. When I had 3 I noticed it liked to slide a bit, but now its much better, and behaves much better, except on the ice. Consider adding more weight to the bed. at Lowes the sand bags were pretty cheap, and a lot less than a fraction of my insurance deductible.

Weight, and tires make a big difference.

 

[Redfour5]

I feel your pain. We have a lot of curvy roads running through the forest. Miles of bare pavement, then a curve with evergreens on the south side shading the sun. Even in 4WD I have slipped and slid on icy roads.

Full time AWD is easier than 4WD. My wife has a Subaru and I love driving it in the winter. I actually prefer it as it has seat heater (my Glad doesn't).

My comment to OP may have been a bit snarky. It's winter and the JT is very light in the rear end, like every other 4WD pickup I have owned (Tacos and Frontiers).

Best advice, slow down!

Was in Bozeman yesterday 12/30 and back roads in the city were ice with like three inches of fresh falling snow on them. The Selec Trac/LSD was...doing better than anyone else. You mostly were aiming not really driving. The main difference between me and the other cars was that I wasn't hitting cars parked on the streets like I saw at least three people do with a couple other close calls. They'd hit their brakes and go one way or the other simply because of the crown in the road sliding, clunk into the nearest street parked car or curbs. All types of cars. I screwed up and missed my exit off the main road and had to go through a neighborhood. Should have stayed on the main roads which were fine. Was like 33 degrees.

I at least had enough control to power through then getting off the throttle with taps until a bite to stay centered but zero brakes. All under 5 mph. I'm convinced the Selec Trac/LSD earned its keep. n the Main roads and Interstate fine wet/normal. And west five miles down the road, nothing, nada, no snow, easy driving even sunny in a few places. So, about a half mile of the nasty.

 

[red/green hawk]

Headed north on 95 between Lewiston and Moscow this morning. Just put 300 lbs of weight in the back yesterday.

Made it to Moscow, no problems.

 

[Zachanadandy]

26-28psi in the rear tires will completely change the traction scenario in the winter.

 

[ScottBeach]

Really no issues with winter driving here. Really wouldn't notice the difference from summer driving.

 

[montechie]

Was in Bozeman yesterday 12/30 and back roads in the city were ice with like three inches of fresh falling snow on them. The Selec Trac/LSD was...doing better than anyone else. You mostly were aiming not really driving. The main difference between me and the other cars was that I wasn't hitting cars parked on the streets like I saw at least three people do with a couple other close calls. They'd hit their brakes and go one way or the other simply because of the crown in the road sliding, clunk into the nearest street parked car or curbs. All types of cars. I screwed up and missed my exit off the main road and had to go through a neighborhood. Should have stayed on the main roads which were fine. Was like 33 degrees.

I at least had enough control to power through then getting off the throttle with taps until a bite to stay centered but zero brakes. All under 5 mph. I'm convinced the Selec Trac/LSD earned its keep. n the Main roads and Interstate fine wet/normal. And west five miles down the road, nothing, nada, no snow, easy driving even sunny in a few places. So, about a half mile of the nasty.

Haha, yeah that was a fun day driving around Bozeman. Appreciated my 4auto and Grabber ATx, but that cream cheese on ice is always interesting. Turning especially was like trying to steer a carpet on glass.

 

[rr11]

While I have been watching this topic with interest, today was 75. While I don't normally deal with winter driving. I am watching to get tips for my February trip to Tn.

 

[Sigz]

26-28psi in the rear tires will completely change the traction scenario in the winter.

With what size tires?

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