Setup for deep snow?

[booger]

A Chained up deuce is hard to stop IMO!
Friends Truck in N. ID. 11/09
TOM

I concur, can't beat chains !

 

[PROSTOCKTOM]

A Chained up deuce is hard to stop IMO!
Friends Truck in N. ID. 11/09
TOM

That photo looks like the perfect cover photo for your custom Christmas cards
next year.

 

[joshs1ofakindxj]

You guys have me about sold on 395 XZL's.

Do they fit on stock rims and where is the cheapest price?

 

[Rustsleeps]

The only "safe" way to drive through really deep snow is not chains or lockers, or tires. Those all help, but a plow (or blower) to move it so it does not get under the vehicle is the only way that will keep you moving in a wheeled vehicle.

Skid plates, axels, or the under carriage will sooner or later pack the snow and stop vehicle movement when it gets deep enough, and wet enough. I have seen the coolest, most well equiped vehicles pack into a deep snow area, and they are as stuck as if they drove into concrete. I have also seen state plow trucks with a full load of salt/sand and chains stuck. I have see graders with chains stuck. The only way to move them again was to dig the snow and ice away from, and out from under the vehicle.

If there is ice on the surface the snow is on, you are stuck even quicker. Even tracked vehicles get stuck, and that is a real mess. If there is too much snow to move with a plow, you need a blower. If it is too deep for the blower, you need to go home, because no one else is coming to help you , and you can die.

 

[booger]

gee. where's the fun in all of those facts? may as well just stay on the couch

 

[Rustsleeps]

Sorry, like most things, some can be fun. Too much of a good thing can kill you.

 

[PROSTOCKTOM]

You guys have me about sold on 395 XZL's.

Do they fit on stock rims and where is the cheapest price?

NO they will not fit on stock rims.

Tom

 

[Evil Dr. Porkchop]

NO they will not fit on stock rims.

Tom

yes they will

 

[trukhead]

I'm guessing the ultimate offroad setup for deep snow is snow shoes followed by cross country skis. The duece, to get to nice camping areas where ciovilization can assist recoveries and such will carry everything needed to survive the cold in relative comfort and make for a nice getaway and carry a nice fancy sled is doing what it is designed for. I guess I just Blah blah blahed ........ opcorn:

 

[Stan Leschert]

Here is your answer. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYm5USbSt8c[/media]

Get a Hagglunds BV206

Aside from that a M135 or MLVW with winch and chains will get you almost anywhere that sane people should go. The Michellins really help.

Up here, we have dealt with snow once or twice!

 

[11Echo]

I have plenty of tire setups for my trucks.
The "MLVW singles" setup seems best overall for my winter trucks on snow covered/icey surfaces. Tracks better and goes where you steer.

 

[booger]

I have plenty of tire setups for my trucks.
The "MLVW singles" setup seems best overall for my winter trucks on snow covered/icey surfaces. Tracks better and goes where you steer.

What is "MLVW" ? Those tires in picture four look like the way to go. What are they? make and size? And those wheels? What are they off of? would love to have a set of those

 

[BIG_RED]

I would say singles would do better than doubles. Where there's snow, they'll be ice. I have no experience with M35 size trucks, but Dually pickups are less than ideal on ice. I'd think you'd be too heavy to stay onto of the snow anyways (which is where I'd think having dual wheels would be a benefit, after you've sunk in you've just got wider things to drag through the snow). My stock M1009 on 10.5X33's does pretty well in the snow(if it's not too deep), but I'd have to agree with NSCoyote - the snow builds up against the solid front axle. You might want to make some sort of skid plate that pushes snow under the front axle so that the truck forces snow under it, like a toboggan, instead of pushing it. In that aspect, my buddy's '97 1500 actually did better than my truck in the front for going "over" snow instead of "pushing" snow, since the IFS system under his truck has a downward angled skid plate instead of a flat surface like my solid axle. In the pic we were going through snow like you describe, hard crust a few inches thick on top with loose powder underneath. This stuff was hard enough that you could walk on it (if you jumped you'd go through). In the pic, the vehicle that was doing best was probably the jeep, because it only weighs like 3000 LBs and was more or less sitting "on" or just slightly going through the snow. That jeep has a towing capacity of like 2000 LBs and is so light that several large running starts with a long recovery strap followed by whiplash for all involved was required to rescue even tiny cars that had skidded off the road.. I would not recommend them as a recovery vehicle. The M1009 was able to drag it out of just about anything in 4LO with very little throttle.. I love my truck. My buddy's 1500 was doing fairly well, again likely due to it being lighter at around 4000 LBs. My M1009 was carrying a full payload of passengers and a bunch of other junk, so it can clearly be seen to have broken through the crust and sunk into the snow. She isn't stuck, but she is pushing snow around. Slow going, and every once in a while I'd back-up and change directions, leaving behind a big mound of snow that was starting to get onto my hood. Some sort of plow at about bumper height that took the snow to the sides would have helped a lot. Higher mounted headlights also. And block off your grill with something to protect the grill/rad (if you have a "little" truck like me).

Driving on ice with a rear locker/lim-slip (standard equip on the M1009) took some getting used to, but now that I'm used to it I love it. When you feel or hear one tire starting to slip LET OFF THE GAS because as soon as the difference in speeds of the 2 tires reaches a threshold, the other tire is going to clunk into locked mode and you're going to lose rear end traction.. which is manageable at speeds under 45 MPH unless you happen to be going around a bend.. In theory, the locker is not supposed to come on over a certain speed. In practice.. It can do strange things. Practice makes perfect. Also, tires that are "winter rated" (have the snowflake mountain symbol) help a ton. My BFG TA/KO's are 10 times better than the old BAJA's my truck came with on ice. You might want something with deep tread to help you get that big truck moving in the snow. My truck is 95% road driven daily driver. Nice to be able to help folks out when I need to though.

 

[tacr2man]

Basically the taller the tyre the more snow you will get thru , as long as you can maintain traction , to a degree width is irrelevant as you wont be able to get wide enough unless you go to terra type tyres and more (like they do in Iceland) . Trying to get on top is generally worse than trying to push thru, as when you drop in you will be well and trully stuck on top of the compressed snow . As stated in previous post you need to move the snow at least down to a level where your axle casings dont get lifted. Dont try using a plow that will push off to one side , you need a V The height of the V will then be the depth limit you can cope with , if you have enough hp and traction to push thru . If ypou use a angle plow and hit refozen drifts it will try and push you in the ditch (dont ask me how I know ) I got a lot of such knowledge from driving a Leyland Martian with an Ex railway V plow mounted on front (ULW 49,000lbs) HTSH

 

[skysix]

Given that you are staying 6x6 - I'd reduce the tire size so chain are possible. Once tires hit ice or packed wet now - you are done without them. Speaking from many years on ice roads and trails in the arctic.

EDIT: or redo the rear walking beam and traction bar so they are wider spaced...

 

[APM215]

What is "MLVW" ? Those tires in picture four look like the way to go. What are they? make and size? And those wheels? What are they off of? would love to have a set of those

MLVW is the Canadian M35. Same truck as the M35 but built by Bombardier in 1982 with 8.2 Detroit and auto transmission. The tires are Michelin xzl 11R20 and the rims are the same as the A3.
I have them on my truck and find them good in the deep snow but suck on the ice.

 

[Rustsleeps]

I'm with you guys. A taller tire gets you through deeper snow. Deep powder can be a blast. My Jeep likes to use it's skid plates like sleds. They slide up on top of the snow, then the tires dig down. If they can't grab some ground before the axels settle on snow, I am stuck and it is time to start with the shovel.

 

[Welder Sam]

i dunno but im sure after this winter, ill have an opinion on it. my thoughts at the moment are to take it slow and easy and pay attention to what the truck and road is telling me. i will be traveling on 395's and no lockers.

 

[Stan Leschert]

Here's another option. Get a CUCV and put these on!

http://www.americantracktruck.com/

 

[spicergear]

Lockers and 395 for everything else...or momentum and good driving. Serious, serious snow or snow pack, 1200x20's with GOOD chains. That would be my set up if I was offroading all year. Oh, power steering for sure.