What did you do to your Ram today???

[HSKR R/T]

In my experience, (30+ Canadian winters) the guys in the ditch were the ones running in 4wd. Not saying you can't or shouldn't do it, I was just always more comfortable in 2wd where you could drift a bit and play the corners. It would also depend on your winter. If I only encountered snow for a week or two, I wouldn't run weight either. If you get winter for 5+ months then you may want to save some wear and tear on your drivetrain. Also, tires have come a long way from what they were even 10 years ago.

I grew up and learned to drive on 35 miles of nasty back country gravel roads with switch backs and really steep grades, 1000ft drop offs to the Fraser river and it was sometimes days before it would get plowed out. I found I had way more control in 2wd and you respected the conditions more. If you got into trouble, you grabbed 4wd for short bursts. If you were driving in 4wd full time, you were usually over driving to a point that there is no recovery when things got really hairy. Money was tight back then too so we never owned a 4wd. We learned how to chain up at a very young age.

I can remember sitting on the hood of my mom's car for extra weight over the front tires and taking runs at the ice covered road pictured below. The grade alone was brutal in icy conditions much less the two 90 deg turns.

View attachment 140834View attachment 140835

Maybe it's different for me since I learned to drive in winter with RWD trucks and gravel roads, so I understand how to control them. Most 4x4s end up in the ditch because they get over confident and don't understand that 4 wheel drive gets you moving easier, but doesn't help in braking. When I want to play, I use RWD so I can drift and slide around more. I drove my 320 rwhp Dakota R/T through winter without issues and only added 75lbs of sand in bed. But I did have snow tires on it.
Have to be carefule adding weight in bed though. There's a balance between enough weight to help with traction, and too much weight where it's hard to recover once the *** end starts to come around

 

[Idahoktm]

In my experience, (30+ Canadian winters) the guys in the ditch were the ones running in 4wd. Not saying you can't or shouldn't do it, I was just always more comfortable in 2wd where you could drift a bit and play the corners. It would also depend on your winter. If I only encountered snow for a week or two, I wouldn't run weight either. If you get winter for 5+ months then you may want to save some wear and tear on your drivetrain. Also, tires have come a long way from what they were even 10 years ago.

I grew up and learned to drive on 35 miles of nasty back country gravel roads with switch backs and really steep grades, 1000ft drop offs to the Fraser river and it was sometimes days before it would get plowed out. I found I had way more control in 2wd and you respected the conditions more. If you got into trouble, you grabbed 4wd for short bursts. If you were driving in 4wd full time, you were usually over driving to a point that there is no recovery when things got really hairy. Money was tight back then too so we never owned a 4wd. We learned how to chain up at a very young age.

I can remember sitting on the hood of my mom's car for extra weight over the front tires and taking runs at the ice covered road pictured below. The grade alone was brutal in icy conditions much less the two 90 deg turns.

View attachment 140834View attachment 140835

I grew up driving 2WD trucks in North Idaho winters. It's doable, but 4WD is so much better. The only reason you would see more 4WD's in the ditch is because 4WD doesn't stop any better than a 2WD. 4WD gets so much better drive traction, they get overconfident and over drive their ability to stop. You can drift just as well with 4WD and it's much more controllable. I'm sorry, but nobody is going to convince me that 2WD is better in snow than 4WD.

 

[Dogpatch]

I run these in winter up here in BC . Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3’s. Awesome tire for snow and ice. Originally from the Netherlands where they know what winter is.
Rarely have to use 4x4 even in the mountains. I’ve always believed that 1 tire is not an “Every Weather Condition” tire. I run with 2 sets, Michelin Defenders for summers (3 seasons) and these for winters.

 

[Dogpatch]

All set to tow the BIG stuff! LOL

 

[OCD Solutions]

I think we are all on the same page, I just take it as a personal challenge to go as far in 2wd as I can. I started out driving 2wd's so some of it is also habit that just carried over.
My first 4x4 was an 88 F250 where the front axle was broken more than it wasn't so I broke myself of relying on 4x4. We were all into wheeling at the time so I started to see how far I could get in 2wd and was amazed that I could go almost everywhere everyone else could.

 

[CalvinC]

I drove a 2wd Silverado through 7 Colorado winters successfully thanks to copious amounts of sandbags and a bit of skill.

Definitely teaches you respect for winter roads & I’m glad I experienced that, but:

4Auto is a game changer and I ain’t never going back, no way, no how!

 

[wegasque]

Yep, I'd go to Farm and Fleet and pick up 4 sand bags to add in the bed of my 2WD '96 Dakota Sport and use them all winter in N. IL. Worked like a charm. To me, learning to drive a 2WD in snow is a skill that better prepares you for later when you drive 4WD/AWD. I think it lessens that invincible feeling inexperienced drivers get with their SUVs in the snow.

 

[Threesuns1]

Ran a 75 Bronco back in the early '80's when Lancaster County, PA was getting dumped on with 18 to 24+ inches of snow during its winters. If I remember correctly, I had Lamime tires with a somewhat aggressive thread. That Bronco would go anywhere.

 

[JamRam]

I ran a set of studded haklapelitas last winter and was not impressed. I almost wet my pants one morning when I started side-winding down a hill. It was prayers and my father's coaching in my head that got me down that hill without incident.

I've decided to give my at51 4 season tires a try this time around to see if they're any better. I won't sell the winters as yet, I'll just do a test run in the early season and see where it goes.

Definitely gonna add some more weight in the back than I had last year tho.

 

[HSKR R/T]

I think we are all on the same page, I just take it as a personal challenge to go as far in 2wd as I can. I started out driving 2wd's so some of it is also habit that just carried over.
My first 4x4 was an 88 F250 where the front axle was broken more than it wasn't so I broke myself of relying on 4x4. We were all into wheeling at the time so I started to see how far I could get in 2wd and was amazed that I could go almost everywhere everyone else could.

I drive aggressive enough that I'd just be sitting and spinning the whole time if I was in 2wd. When the pavement is dry, I definitely leave it in 2wd. Rarely use 4auto because it makes a bigger hit in gas mileage than 4-high. And when playing in parking lots I do a little of both 2wd and 4wd. Can get the back end kicked out easier in 2wd, but it's so much more fun doing 4wd drifts

 

[HSKR R/T]

I ran a set of studded haklapelitas last winter and was not impressed. I almost wet my pants one morning when I started side-winding down a hill. It was prayers and my father's coaching in my head that got me down that hill without incident.

I've decided to give my at51 4 season tires a try this time around to see if they're any better. I won't sell the winters as yet, I'll just do a test run in the early season and see where it goes.

Definitely gonna add some more weight in the back than I had last year tho.

Unless you get a lot of ice, studded tires aren't that beneficial. And with some of the more advanced tires with good sipping, you don't even need studs anymore.

 

[OCD Solutions]

I drive aggressive enough that I'd just be sitting and spinning the whole time if I was in 2wd. When the pavement is dry, I definitely leave it in 2wd. Rarely use 4auto because it makes a bigger hit in gas mileage than 4-high. And when playing in parking lots I do a little of both 2wd and 4wd. Can get the back end kicked out easier in 2wd, but it's so much more fun doing 4wd drifts

My V10's were like that. I bought my second one right before I moved to a small town with virtually no hills and hardly any snow, (lots of cold weather and ice though), and the truck would have been paralized without 4x4. Weight and narrow siped tires helped but I used 4x4 in that truck more than any other prior and since, at least to get moving anyways.

Sipes replaced studs for sure. The story I tell with pushing snow with my bumper was just days after getting my first set of Siped tires. That's part of where the challenge started about seeing just how far I could go in 2wd.

 

[2019Raven]

where is it winter already?

Alaska

 

[JamRam]

Alaska

Isn't it always winter up there?

 

[HEMIJAKE]

Got the tar off and washed with a quick detail. My wife thinks I’m nuts cleaning it up to go to the alignment shop. I compared it to brushing before the dentist. Apparently everyone doesn’t think that way

 

[Mopar_maxi]

Finished up my intake setup for the 6.4 truck manifold this morning. Turned out decent.

 

[tylerjay05]

Swapped chrome mirror caps for white, leveled with airlinks, and new 305/45r22 Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T

 

[Dogpatch]

Unless you get a lot of ice, studded tires aren't that beneficial. And with some of the more advanced tires with good sipping, you don't even need studs anymore.

I’m with you. I’ve never found a need for studded tires. A good set of siped tires and knowledge of how to drive for the road conditions you should be good.

 

[JamRam]

Swapped chrome mirror caps for white, leveled with airlinks, and new 305/45r22 Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/TView attachment 140856View attachment 140857View attachment 140858

Link to the mirror caps please?

 

[Rick3478]

Isn't it always winter up there?

I think they also have July...