Wet white stuff has been falling from the sky all day. Most of it melts right away but they say that we might have an inch my morning.
To my friends up north - can you still drive in such adverse conditions?

 

Heck yes .. just put it in 4X4 and go .....

 

I've been doing it for years. But my new 2X4(to me 2001)Ranger wasn't too good untill I dropped 4 60lb. bags of sand in the back. now it's great. I still think it will be better when I get a PowerTrax Lock-Right installed instead of the open diff that's there now. By the way the wet white stuff is also cold:-X12

 

I would highly discourage a locked rear end on slippery roads/streets. It's OK for mud, dirt or sand but not for slippery surfaces. It will put you in a ditch or into a curb faster than you can blink an eye. I've lived in Minnesota all my life (66-years) and the only time I have had traction problems is when I owned a Pontiac with a positraction rear end. Both rear wheels spinning on slippery "crowned" city streets would put me right into a curb, or narrowly missing parked vehicles.

Bob P.

 

 

Hi Bob,
I might have agreed with you 20 years ago but after more than 30 years in the mud and snow. I have come to the conclusion that it's the nut holding the wheel that's the biggest problem with slipping and sliding. I have been researching this for some time and I would really rather use a PowerTrax No-Slip as it is somewhat smoother in operation, but alas it's not made for the 7.5" so I'm reduced to the Lock-Right. I have used limited slips before and they are a definate asset even on the open road. In this area we get high winds and black ice on the main highways. When you run over a patch of ice with only the wheels on one side the wind often pushes your rear end over with the open diff but the locker tracks straighter. I talked to some of the mud and snow 4X4 racers and the Lock-Right is very popular with them for all sizes of truck or jeep. Because they arn't as "violent" as the Detroit type units they work well on the street, and if you use 80/140 gear lube it doesn't even make any noise when you turn. They tell me they even work ok in the pickup (F-Series size) for the front axles. Don't think I'd like to test that one except off road. The last time I drove a friends 4X4 with a locker in the front it scared the heck out of me.


Frank