Hey guys,
Not really liking the feel & driveabilty of my new 16' F350 SD.
With all this electronic controls it seems Im sitting at a stop sign spinning 1 wheel all the time then rear locker kicks in & Im going sideways.

Ive tried driving with the traction control off seem to help with take off from slippery sections. Tried the locked rear diff but that cuts out at 30km/hr.

What the best way to run these rigs???

 

Try putting some weight in the bed or just put it in 4wd. I usually just accelerate slowly and leave the traction control on.

 

What kind of tires on? I'm using studded nokian tires on mine for winter and i can take off like a bat out of hell. It did take some getting used to though compared to my half ton. I leave fifth wheel hitch in and the weight seems to help. A used to use some old sidewalk blocks to lay flat in the bed which doesn't interfere with anything then.

 

I have a cap on the back & running TOYO CT winter tires. I just dont like all this Elec control of the truck. My old 06 SD I could drive like a Truck.. This new one does everything possible to not spin a tire but makes it a dog to go anywhere up here in Northern Alberta with an 1" of ice on the ground at all times.

 

Try driving with tow/haul on. It'll help slow you down at intersections using engine compression and it will hold the gear shifts longer when starting. The problem is 1st gets too much power and will spin on you when you try to accelerate on ice even with studs. I found that by using the manual shifting and starting in second gear really helps when the road is super slick like we get up here.

 

Thanks for the info guys. Its like being a new driver all over again when the Truck wants to do everything for you!! You think it will pull away from a stop sign & spin a little or slide around corners so I compensate & the Dam truck locks up brakes & kills motor to not allow it so now Im going wrong direction!! All F'd up.

 

What tires do you have? I have 800lbs of tools in my truck all the time and it makes a difference in ride quality and the extra weight helps in snow. Definitely shut traction control off. That helps too.

 

Traction control is annoying to me, would be nice if you could have it to default off and then come on when you push the button.

Air down the back tires at least, the recommended PSI on the fuel door is way off and usually for when the truck is loaded near max weight. Good tires, weight in the back and air down will usually get you where you need to go. If you are where winters on long and the snow gets deep it doesn't hurt to have a set of chains or at least studded tires.

 

What pressure are you guys running in the F350 with 6.2L? I had my pressure good for the old F350 6L but lighter motor now so wondering what to set them at? Dealer had all 4 at 70lbs.

 

Depends on which tires you have

 

My tires are rated at 80psi and I usually run around 60-65 in the fronts in the winter and drop to around 45-48psi in the rears. If the roads are real crappy and I'm driving slower speeds I'll go down to 40. Kinda depends on your confirguration, crew cabs with a truck cap will have more weight on the front and especially rear than say a reg cab or super cab. You kinda have to do your own experimentation.

 

The part I enjoy is having to put it in 4x4 just to move in the snow once on any grade. It holds the front brakes on the slightest grade such as my driveway. The stability control blows. Even if I hold the button mine won't disable. Slip a wheel and the truck twiches at all to the side it kills the engine. When I need the truck to be a truck I pull the fuses to the traction control system. No something to do for daily driving being you lose the abs pump too.

 

Put 600 to800 pounds in the bed. Push and hold the TC button for 3 to 5 seconds and that will turn off the traction control and advance trac. You have to do that every time you start the truck.

 

I hold the button and get the message both traction control and advance trac disabled. Thing still is held back by some sort of traction control.

 

Actually Ford doesn't recommend using tow/haul when the roads are slippery. From the '15 Owners Manual