open diff changing to posi?
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open diff changing to posi?
I have a 1989 f-250 460 3 speed auto with 3.55 open diff 8.8 2-wheel drive.
Here in Reno we've gotten a little snow and if I put a snow ball in front of any tire all i get is wheel spin. Can I switch to a posi for under $500 or are you trying to clear your eyes from laughing.
I'm sick of hearing my wife laugh at me with getting this thing stuck leaving the driveway while her caravan just goes. Please Help Me
Here in Reno we've gotten a little snow and if I put a snow ball in front of any tire all i get is wheel spin. Can I switch to a posi for under $500 or are you trying to clear your eyes from laughing.
I'm sick of hearing my wife laugh at me with getting this thing stuck leaving the driveway while her caravan just goes. Please Help Me
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: SE, Michigan
To help get some more traction, without spending money, try putting some weight in your bed. I live in michigan we get plenty of snow each year. Both my dad and I drive our F150's in the winter with extra weight in the bed. Next how are your tires? Last resort would be the differentail change.
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I have 4 sandbags over each tire. Tires are new even lowered air pressure to 16 psi for a bigger footprint and it just doesn't help. We are allowed chains here in NV I grew up in Wi and had a f-150 that went thru snow easily but that was with 6cyl I think my 460 just has too nuch power Thought I'd never say that.
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Joined: Mar 2003
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From: nova scotia, canada
weight
first put the air back in your tires. a larger footprint will only let the trcuk stay ontop of the snow and get no traction. second 8 sandbags in a 3/4 ton isn't enough weight. a diff change won't solve your problem and could make things worse (turning when slippery). get the weight up around at least 800 pounds. my 96 f250 7.3l had to have 1000 lbs to work good in the snow. you have to counter the big block of steel up front. lastly go easy on the throttle and make sure that your tires are good.
you'll know that you have enough weight in the truck when you pull the wife out when she gets stuck.
hope this can ease the stress
ps you can use your park brake sometimes to get out of a stuck by gently (one click at a time) applying it. the brake will overcome the loss of traction to one wheel and use both to spin. if you can get both spining and your not moving, then your stuck...
you'll know that you have enough weight in the truck when you pull the wife out when she gets stuck.
hope this can ease the stress
ps you can use your park brake sometimes to get out of a stuck by gently (one click at a time) applying it. the brake will overcome the loss of traction to one wheel and use both to spin. if you can get both spining and your not moving, then your stuck...
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A single rear wheel 3/4 ton should go pretty good in the snow you want the weight behind the rear axle so it takes some weight off the front end. You should have a good set of A/Ts or a set of traction tires like BFG Commercial Traction T/A or Uniroyal HD/T or Goodyear Workhorse Xtra Grip.
If you have not enough weight and tires not designed for snow a limited slip differential won't help you much.
If you have not enough weight and tires not designed for snow a limited slip differential won't help you much.
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Thanks Beer Boy I had heard that lowering air pressure helps but that makes sense. I'll also move the sandbags and put some more weight in behind the axle. Sure hope sometime I'll be able to pull her out ( just to stop the laughing). I do have snow tires brand new from les schwab that have less than 3000 miles on them so I don't think thats the problem.
Also when I was stuck I could look at rear right thru mirror and when I was out of car and my wife was behind the wheel the right rear tire would spin in forward and reverse with no throttle. Now I may have misinformed you by saying a snowball but I was down 6 inches in a rut with front tires in other rut in road so no matter what it was Stuck. I had had a peice of snow blocking my front tire that was no bigger that 4 inches across hence snowball that got me stuck in my driveway.
Now that the snow has stopped and my road has been plowed (they only plow 6-8 from road surface on res streets) hopefully I'll do better Thanks again everyone.
Also when I was stuck I could look at rear right thru mirror and when I was out of car and my wife was behind the wheel the right rear tire would spin in forward and reverse with no throttle. Now I may have misinformed you by saying a snowball but I was down 6 inches in a rut with front tires in other rut in road so no matter what it was Stuck. I had had a peice of snow blocking my front tire that was no bigger that 4 inches across hence snowball that got me stuck in my driveway.
Now that the snow has stopped and my road has been plowed (they only plow 6-8 from road surface on res streets) hopefully I'll do better Thanks again everyone.
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