I was curious to see the different type of habbits, and horror stories you all have of bad weather driving.

I just watched a 3 car accident because they entered a commonly frozen valley, but most other places weren't frozen. they nevered prepaired for it, no one injured, but still.

I know that if i have to use 4wd for the weather i drive slower than i do with 2wd, because i'm afraid of locking up.

i also load up more weight in the rear.(plastic Bins filled with sand bags.)

 

I try to drive slower, anticipate stops sooner, and keep an extra close eye on the traffic around me. As for the horror story part, I was in St. Joseph MO about 7 or 8 years ago during a snow storm. There was probably 6 or 7 inches of snow on the ground as it had been snowing for about 8 hours and there had not been a plow on the road yet. I topped a hill doing about 25mph (in a 40mph zone) and there was a 4 way intersection at the bottom. As I topped the hill, the light on my side turned yellow and I applied the brakes( 93 F250 XL 2wd diesel truck that belonged to my boss) which evoked immediate wheel lock up. As I attempted to slow or turn the vehicle the light turned red and traffic from the other side started to move. Try as I might I couldn't get the truck to slow or change directions and actually picked up about 10mph in speed. When I got to the bottom a young college girl pulled out without checking to see if traffic was stopping and I hit her square in the drivers door, went over the curb, and almost hit a light pole. Almost five years after the accident, she slaps me with a law-suit and gets $100,000 out of my insurance company.

 

It doesn't really snow here...when it ices the roads are usually clear and not many people get out. In heavy rain or ice (about as bad as weather gets around North Texas), I drive slower, probably about five under, and carefully watch the road ahead, plus watch what other drivers are doing to see how their cars handle in front of me to anticipate things.

Last year I tossed some sand in the bed when rumors were it'd be icey. It got icey, the sand ended up getting everywhere, I'm still finding it occasionally. I skipped that this year and have had no problems in the two icey times we've had. I'm also not one of those who advocates starting in second gear if it's icey...I advocate learning to drive a stick well enough you don't have to.

Horror story? Couple of weekends ago I got into a nasty wreck, it was just raining but it was cold (not icey cold). Long story short, friend of mine wasn't paying attention and slammed her PT cruiser into the back of my Silverado.

Status of the repairs:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...airedsmall.jpg

Don't trucks look just pitiful without beds?

 

If your big box Homer Depot or similar store in your area sells the tubes of sand those work well in the bed and they stay put pretty well. Keeping plenty of distance and being more aware of other drivers, who are typically a bigger problem than the weather itself, will help avoid an accident. However to me the biggest slick weather requirement is to never lock up your brakes. Once those wheels stop rolling, you are in for a ride that is being decided for you. You have to know how to sense lock up and avoid it.

 

Zak, have you recently gone out and personally funded and acquired, exclusively for yourself, a chebby? One that has your own name on the pink slip as legal and registered owner?

 

Zach, just back in September, it was "our Silverado"...check out your post #2
in this thread:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/5...=our+silverado

 

Bad weather driving is simply extra cautious for me.. take it slow and easy.. no sudden maneuvers... plan WAY ahead.. etc etc.

Recently we had some nasty ice... not coming down hard, but a fine mist that turned into ice whenever it touched anything. Trees were breaking all over the place.. sounded like a war zone outside.. craziest thing I've ever experienced. Temperature was hovering between 31 and 33 degrees for three days straight which made it extra nasty.. it would start to turn to water.. then refreeze into even thicker ice.

Needless to say the roads stayed clear for the most part (except for tree limbs all over the place.. and a huge one on my garage). I was driving to work that morning.. doing 55 in a 60 (just being a bit cautious).

Anyways I was going down the highway and on the other side I saw an expedition.. glass all busted out and roof collapsed.. sitting on it's wheels. Sucker had to have flipped three or four times. Anyways in about the time it took me to get that thought out, I was almost sideways on a small overpass.. I cut the wheels hard to the right and the rear end jerked as I pulled back straight, felt like I almost went up on two wheels.. scared the LIVING HELL out of myself!!!

Once I regained my composure I was watching my mirror and saw every car behind me doing the same exact thing! That expedition was distracting everyone away from the ICE COVERED overpass directly in front of them... which is probably what killed the expy as well!

Gotta love the black ice!

 

I used to keep sandbags in my Ranger 2wd. You're supposed to lay them over the wheel wells, but they still move. I've seen guys build wooden frames to keep them in place -- good idea.

However, I also had a topper on the Ranger, and on my previous F150. Helps a lot.

We do get a fair amount if practice in Minnesota, and it helps. Also, when I was young I used to drive around on (well) frozen lakes a bit. Harder to do nowadays I think, but it's a good way to learn, with minimum risk .

I have 2 stories one scary, and one funny
- I was driving a front wheel drive on a fairly slippery road, but doing OK, when the guy in front of me started spinning. FWD handling gets much poorer when you hit the brakes. I ended up in the ditch -- luckily staying between a
mailbox and a telephone pole. The spinner recovered and didn't bother to check up on me.

- Another time, the roads were just pretty much ice -- not thick, but icy.
I was crawling along in my E150, and doing OK. Then I came to a stop sign. Touched the brakes and lost all ' driver input', as they say. I could turn the wheel, pump, whistle, whatever, I went slowly into the ditch.
The funny part was the tow. AAA had pulled the their trucks off the roads, because of the bad conditions. I was telling my wife about this on the phone, when some HUGE dude said "C'mon, if you want to get out of there"

He had a 4wd Suburban and a tow strap. Hooked it up, and kept smacking it till I was out. I mean he took some runs at it. Here are the (somewhat) funny
parts.
- His buddy was standing out in the road to keep traffic away from us -- did I mention that the ice was SLICK -- he was having trouble standing!
- I didn't have cash, and he didn't want a check He finally agreed, after telling me "It better be good, or I'll find you and kill you" (kidding?)
- I had a problem shifting shortly after that. Turned out he ripped the floorboard, so I had to get it welded.

But - like basic training -- now it's funny

ford2go

 

Snow isn't much of a problem, when it snows, it fills up the back of the bed and wet snow is heavy. So snow is the only weight I carry in the bed. I don't drive my current ranger in the winter, I don't want salt on it, this one has to last along time. Living here in Ohio, you get you to driving in snow. However it's allways funny to get passed by some yuppie who just purchaced an new suv and think they can drive 70 mph nomatter what the road conditions are, just because they now have a 4x4. Later you pass them back as thier setting in the ditch. Even with the jeep, if I have to use 4wd, like Alan, I drive even slower. 4wd may help you get moving, but does nothing to help you stop. I'ld rather drive anyday in snow than on ice. You get those times when the temp hovers around 32 and you get a rain, sleet, snow mix, thats when it gets tricky, I'ld rather drive in 6" of snow than conditions like that.

 

Before I bought my ranger i used to have a 94 t-bird with the 4.6. Id go to work and get home early in the morning when there was no traffic on the roads. banked turns were a pain cause my tail end would want to slide downward but whenever id hit this one striaght stretch on the way home in the snow i'd hit like 60-70. that t-bird felt like it was flying it was so smooth and at night with the bright lights on it was like warp speed thru space with the snow shooting over the hood and windshield.

ahhhh, the good ole days!

now i live in florida for the meantime, even though it sounds crazy, i really miss the snow.

 

In winter I switch to four studded grips and put 5 bags of softener salt in the box over the wheels.

 

Used to have a 90 Ranger 2wd with street tires on it. With about 3 inches of snow on the road I hit an icy overpass, and the back end broke loose when I hit the bump that marked the beginning of the bridge. I went all the way across the bridge going sideways, but turning into the slide. When I hit the other side, I straightened out and kept going, like nothing happened. I was in heavy traffic, almost bumper to bumper. Some kids in a big 4x4 slowly passed, looking at me with eyes as big as saucers. I just smiled and waved.

 

Last year winter when out and my truck was mostly normal, i would go out and have fun with my friends "drifting" in a big old parking lot where a mall use to be. It was fun, and despite the fact that we were just screwing around it actually taught me two things. One: how to keep control over the truck whilst it flys sideways.(first couple of attemmpts ended up in spinning out.) As the day went on, i could take the truck a full figure 8. despite the fact that it was dangerous(and prolly illegal), it has saved me a couple of times. TWO: It's also taught me that you should do it with a manual(one guys auto dumped on him).

Awd isn't as fun, but it does preform better than 4wd for getting you going on ice. I just finnished my rebuild(minus some minor trim peices i'll get next time i pass a ford dealer with some time.) I am quite impressed on the handling.

I've noticed around here, people with 4wd forget that when they have those two extra tires for power, thier braking isn't better also.

Front wheel drive really stinks in the snow. the 300m was like that, but i never could get outta the driveway.

Also people seem to forget that a 4 ton truck isn't something to pull out infront of in bad weather. They seem to think that my dodge will stop, or atleast not run over their little hondas and what not when it's stilling that high off the ground.

 

I had 3 sandbags in the back of my 99 2wd ranger until last night.... i went to let my tailgate down and the right side of my tailgate fell off... there is also 2 huge dents in the middle of my tailgate and its in the shape of a V now... all because the sandbags turned to 50lbs ice cubes sliding around in the bed and broke a bracket... looks like im goin to the junkyard this weekend =]

And I live in Michigan so 5 months of the year... the roads are pretty much ice and i drift my truck coming off my road every single day haha just screwing around but it really does help to get a feel for how ur truck reacts when your side ways going 35 for about a 1/4 mile on a road lined with trees haha

 

FWD is fun when the surface is wet or ice and you throw it in reverse and mash the gas. when you pick up momentum pull up the ebrake and twist the wheel.

Make sure you have your seat belt on!