hey colt, don't hold back. Your among friends here. . Don't run against the limit on rpms. your gonna slip slid away.
If its just traction then most weight on the drives and slow way down so the back end wont slide. If its high winds then I like to even the weight between them. If you combine the two I like to park it.

Drove I80 Wyoming once on ice in high winds and learned my lesson. There is nothing like driving in the left lane because the wind has your trailer in the right lane to keep out of the ditch to bring everything into perspective.

Course watching your trailer randomly switch lanes does keep the cars from passing you.

 

I'm sorry that a bit of history has so offended you, colt.

Being from the patch, I would hope you'd know that trick.

If the engine is run against the governor, how can you break the tires loose? If they start to slip, how fast will they rotate? The higher the rotation speed, the greater the loss of stability.

I thought the question was in terms of low traction conditions.

The old men who preceded us, with less than half the torque we have today, practiced this technique with good results.

Something that those with big torque might find makes the difference between stuck and delivery?

 

I've found from my exp less torque is better for grip. If I need to break a trailer outta the snow, I've found 2nd and sometimes 3rd gear much easier to use than 1st gear.

 

you are absolutely correct. When stuck its much better to start in 2cd or 3rd and ride the clutch. If you put it in first and floor it you will probably make nice little icy holes for your tires.

 

you mean watery holes? =)

 

I'm surprised now one has mentioned..

kitty litter & bleach yet.

 

Good point. A nutritious diet is of particular importance during the long, cold winter.

 

Very funny cdswans. LoL


Next time your climbing an icy hill in 3rd gear @ 1500 revs, downshift 2 full gears to get the revs up and let us know how that works out for ya.

Torque is what breaks traction, 2100 rpm in a lower gear = more torque than 1500 rpm in a higher gear, the transmission multiplies the torque.

What is this magic you speak of that prevents your tires from spinning at the governed rpm ?

Your tires will spin @ 2100 or what ever until you slow down to a stop and chain up.

 

my rule of thumb, if it is bad enough to chain up, i have no business on the road. granted you'll get in a position where you need to chain to get off the road, etc. But if you've got chains and you start to slide, it's like wearing a pair of ice skates.

 

I've found the driving habits of other drivers in current conditions to be a larger factor on "parking it" than the actual condition of the road/weather. It really helps to know the bad spots in each state, where the hills are, etc.. For example around Fergus Falls MN always seems to be a bad spot. That stretch shuts down many times each winter. Yet go further east sauk centre to minneapolis is much better due to the tree coverage and more snow plows.

Winter driving is about good habits, following distance, good equipment, and using any and all information to your advantage. Shutting down must always be an option. If you think otherwise, please park your truck from November to March.