Ice shifting on steep grades
 

A driver friend was talking about a steep upgrade in Wyoming and using "Ice Shifting" .
What is "Ice Shifting"? I think it's supposed to be a little faster shift. Thanks for any answers.

Was he smiling when he mentioned it? I think he was pulling your leg! Unless maybe he had a mouthful of "chew" and ment "slip shifting" or "floating"

Well, I've never heard of "ice shifting," but... I might know what he's talking about. He MIGHT mean "single clutch" shifting, so as not to allow a deceleration common with "double clutching" while shifting. Double clutching allows the truck to slow down temporarily while finding the next gear. On ice... this could cause the drives to "break loose" during the upshift.

When on ice, it is imperative to keep the drives moving at a constant speed, even while shifting up or down.

If you match the road speed perfectly with the RPM's you can clutch ONCE and shift into the next higher or lower gear without disrupting the drive train traction with the road.

I've driven Wyoming many times every year, so... I MIGHT know what he is talking about. If you HAVE a certain amount of traction on an ice coated road, and you NEED to shift up or down (usually down...) it is best to do it in a single clutch motion that keeps your drives moving at the SAME speed they were turning at.... thereby NOT causing them to slip.

If you double clutch, there is the distinct probability that you will let the truck speed slow down to below that "comfortable" for the gear you select. This CAN cause the drives to "break traction" and send you sideways.

If you are not comfortable with this procedure, or not capable of doing it in one quick motion, the best thing is to stay in the gear you are in.... and maintain the speed that it allows you to. Especially since, you will probably NEED to be in this lower gear on the way DOWN from the peak. IF you "upshift" to finish your climb, make sure that you "downshift" while at the apex.... BEFORE you start down the hill. Downshifting, whether quick shifted or double clutched, will be MORE difficult on the way down when the weight of your truck is dictating what you can do. You don't want to have to apply the brakes in order to get DOWN to the speed or RPM's needed to shift down to the better gear. That will also send you sideways.

I would personally be wary of anyone who uses the words "ice shifting." It smells of one who thinks he knows ICE better than ICE knows his truck!

If a driver changes gears on ice EVER he's an idiot and i wouldnt listen to him and certainly dont want to drive around him

I agree, get your climbing gear and stay in it. Don't shift. 15 years driving I never heard of ice shifting. When in ice keep smooth roll and if that means slower with no shift, then take your time and don't shift. That's packed snow, real ice you should be parked.

Ya, sounds like a Hockey penalty, eh. :)

Never had no problem with you, cdreid. But... I've shifted on ice MANY times with no problem. Say you're coming up an on-ramp after stopping for fuel or food. Gonna stay in 3rd gear for the next 200 miles?

Say, you were doing 65 on dry roads and just ran into a snow storm, where the road is already packed with snow/ice?

Ask WindWalker about the ice storm around Amarillo that year. It was "dicey," but.... it's not impossible to shift up OR down on ice.

And that one was relatively easy. But... maybe, you were one of those in the truckstop that night.

Wyoming is 402 miles wide. I've done every mile of it (at one time or another) on ice and/or snowpack. I've done it in a whiteout. Done it on crystal clear ice. Done it with DOUBLES (most of the time) and sometimes with EMPTIES.

Might help that I know every mile of it. lol. But.... don't tell me I can't shift gears on ice or snowpack. lol.

Gotta agree with Hobo on this one, I do the same thing every night in NY, from Rochester to almost NYC and back empty one way and 10,000-20,000 the other. Just go easy and be smmooooth

And when you guys luck runs out i hope you survive to apologise to the people you kill.

Ive run all over in ice. Ran through a blizzard in illinois and ohio so bad the DOT shut down the salt trucks and we were literally the only truck on the road. Drove through maine on the back roads and never got off 2' of packed snow/ice for a few hundred miles. Drove through kansas at 20mph and had the truck and trailer try to slide off the road over and over and over for 150 miles when i wasnt even turning the wheel or changing the rpm.. I had all 18 wheels break loose across a bridge.. the truck started 'folding' and my lumper who was always all about going faster turned snow white.. i Barely saved it by using the breaks.. lightly.....very very very lightly..

Ill shift in snow. As long as you know what youre doing and arent a hotrodder youre good. But if youre wheels are on ice shifting is like stabbing the breaks.. you may get lucky and not have a problem. You may be good and compensate for problems. Or the back end may decide to go its own way.. or worse the front end. Shifting on ice (not 2' of snow which actually doesnt give bad traction at all) is suicide.