need some advice from all you snow birds. we get very little snow or ice in this part of nc, but i recently sold our 4wd and will be depending on my 2wd f100 this winter. i'm debating on the snow tires, chains or some deal the parts man suggested some sort of cable deal. i suspect its similar to chains. i plan to mount a dedicated set of wheels. any and all advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

how much snow? if you get alot of snow and ice get the tires and chains, some times you can get away with just snow tires if there isnt alot of snow

 

less than a foot a year. most of the time snow will only hang around for 3 or 4 days.

 

just get the snow tires, if you still have problems with traction get the chains

 

Well, way back, when I had a 2wd.......had to travel a bit, so, I ran a good set of A/S tires which worked well enough in the ice and lighter snow. On my winter or dedicated set of tires (used snowies with about 1/2 the tread left), I mounted the chains and would just keep 'em in the back with a floor jack and 4-way lug wrench when they called for heavier snow. When things got to be to much for the A/S's, just pulled over in any mini-mart, gas station or parking lot of any kind and could have them changed in 10 mins. or so. Worked well for me for several years and always made it home.
I've used the cables, little smoother (and easier to install-if putting anything on a tire in the snow is easy!) but get chains if they clear, I think they work much better everywhere except wet/cleared roads.

 

Maybe just the tires. If you're just gonna use em in the winter, see about getting them studded. If I remember right, most of NC is more about ice than snow. Studs being on 24 hours makes the suprise of black ice less painful.. If you just gotta have chains or cables, I prefered the cables when lived in the midwest.

 

thanks for the replies.

 

If you lived farther north, I would say studded snow tires.

Otherwise, buy a pair of Blizzak tires and swap them off as soon as May hits. Then store them properly.

Make sure before the storm to deflate all 4 tires to flatten the tread. On my trucks I have found about 20 psi the golden area for ice/snow and I would not go below that for extended slow speed (35 mph) driving.

Most radial tires give pretty good traction on ice as long as they are not a big round hard ball.

 

Several tires come threaded for studs.

 

I love these people who can't drive in a little bit of snow.

First, when you get snow. Go out and play in a parking lot! for cripes sake. learn how to drive in bad weather.

you should see southern people here in michigan who never seen snow, and never went muddin. They drive about 10 miles an hour.
Then there are the moron ones who drive 80 like the roads are fine, and yoru following and watch them slide right off the road. and i laugh as i drive by. lol.

 

Driving in snow is easy for you flat land lizards. Slip off the Blue Ridge in NC and its The Farm for you. Southerners never been mudd'in? Damn dude, ever here of swamps? If you don't like the weather in the south, wait 10 minutes and it will change. May be 70 one day and -10 the next in NC and TN. Then there is FL and LA where its warm with swamps and rivers galore. Then there's AL with Gulf Coast on the south and remnants of the Appalacians on the North. Then theres the Mississippi Delta. I pulled more midwestern yahoos out of the ditches in KS and NE when I was there than I ever did in TN or AL. Here in southern CA they can' drive in rain. Just say rain and there is a 40 car pile up.

The point is every southern state is kinda different so don't get to stereotype happy. The only southerner that hasn't seen snow is from Miami or New Orleans.

P.S. Go USC.

 

I was trying to be really general in my analogy.
=D

 

I have a couple of things. First, just slow down. Add a little weight in the back. It sounds like your winters are about the same as we get here. Nobody runs chains or cables, except in the mountains. As far as snow tires, most regular tires (a/s or a/t tires) are already mud and snow rated, and have plenty of sipes built in to the tread. If you are slow, and have 100-200 lbs in the back of the bed, you will be fine. I have had several 4x4s, different brands, and have rarely run 4wd in the snow or ice. Just taking it easy will get you everywhere you need to go. If you are bent on buying something, get chains. They are phoenominal in bad weather, but ride horrible.