Driving part time 4WD truck in snow (1 Viewer)

[rc51kid]

Guys sorry I already asked this in the past. I converted my 80 to part time 4wd when i was living in Georgia. Now I am in Montana and kind of wish I had the full time 4WD when driving around on snow covered roads. I grew up in the northeast and i am used to driving in the snow there. But honestly it is different type of snow conditions. Living in a city in the northeast i remember you would have deep snow the first day until it was cleared. After that it would be snowy slush or ice in the mornings. But it usually melted out to pavement/slush/ice after a few days. Montana is different, not worse but different. Snow falls, the plows run but leave a few inches on the roads which pack smooth. Since it is so cold for so long this packed layer just packs smooth and solid for months. Even in a big (big is relative in Montana) city a lot of the roads with be a solid layer of smooth packed snow.

Unfortunately, I find that in RWD my 80 will often spin starting off from stop signs or traffic lights on hills and stuff on that packed snow surface. So around town on the packed snow I will often run 4wd (high range, locked hubs and locked center diff) up to about 30 or 40mph. Usually if will see sections of exposed pavement on the road ahead of me I will unlock the CDL. But sometimes if it is a short (100 yards or less) exposed pavement section on a straight section of road I might leave it locked. I figure if going straight for a short distance there should be minimal binding in the center diff. It occurred to me that I drive around on sections of slick rock in Moab with 4wd on all the time at low speeds. That surface is incredibly high traction.

I am usually doing this just driving around town at 30 or 40 MPH max. I don't do this at 60 MPH on the highway or anything. In general, is this fine to do?

 

[jonheld]

I am usually doing this just driving around town at 30 or 40 MPH max. I don't do this at 60 MPH on the highway or anything. In general, is this fine to do?

As long as you're not going into tight turns you'll be just fine. Tight corners in 4WD will want to understeer.
FWIW, I routinely lock/unlock my center diff on a straight section of highway to keep things working. I'm usually running between 65 and 70 when I do this. As long as there is no slip and you're going relatively straight, it can't hurt anything.
The internals of the transfer case are not made from egg shells and dove feathers.

 

[Rusty Marlin]

No more needs to be said, Well done, Jon.

 

[leonard_nemoy]

Are you running stock axles or upgraded axle shafts?

 

[Squeegee]

I also live in Montana. I just keep it in 4wd all winter but I unlock the cdl when I need to park… because it turns better. I also lock/ unlock the cdl at highway speed so don’t sweat doing it around town

 

[ZackR]

Honestly if you plan to stay there for a long time it would be worth considering a return to AWD.

It snows a quite a bit here and my 80 with AWD is a point an shoot machine, so easy. If it gets really deep I can kick on the CDL without even stopping.

My truck is part time (like almost all trucks) and it does great when the snow is deeper but there's a lot more switching around between 2WD and 4WD as the roads dry up. As you are finding out it becomes a hassle when you continually transition from a road where 4x4 is needed to one that its not.

 

[landtank]

I had a part time kit in my truck and got rid of it and went back to AWD. I still have the locking hubs but just need to lock the CDL to use rear wheel drive.

You end up having AWD , 4WD and RWD as your choices.

I found a transfer case in a yard for 300.00 and sold the PT case for 250.00.

 

[80t0ylc]

@rc51kid I've found that driving in snow in town and on the highway, I only need locked CDL 4WD to get moving and maintain momentum. Things that cause resistance like deep snow or an icy, steep hill, where I lose momentum unlocked, I'll just keep the CDL locked. Once you're moving, your momentum is all that's needed, unless your running a road rally or driving like Parnelli Jones. And that's not a wise way to drive in winter, anyway. Don't know how long you've been in Montana, but if winter driving is all that is giving your part time an issue, you might try leaving the hubs locked and locking the CDL only when needed. You've probably already noticed that the part time conversion hasn't really made much difference in mpg's, so leaving the hubs engaged won't be much, if any, mpg difference, especially in winter.

 

[leonard_nemoy]

Kind of off topic...... but can I put my part time 80 series in low range 2wd. For instance I need to descend a long steep portion of trail but the trail doesn't need 4wd.

 

[Squeegee]

Kind of off topic...... but can I put my part time 80 series in low range 2wd. For instance I need to descend a long steep portion of trail but the trail doesn't need 4wd.

You just have to have the hubs unlocked. But yeah. It makes burnouts easier too

 

[rc51kid]

Thanks for all the info guys. To address a few things, yes i leave the hubs locked all winter. If i could do it all over again i would have left it AWD. I redid the TC years ago and swapped in Marlin low range gears and 10% over high range gears. In mub fashin i figured "while i am in there..." i will convert to part time. It does have some benefits but not worth it for MY needs. The gears are very nice and nice to beed a little less maintenance on the berfields when unlocked.

Also i have to agree that i really only need the 4wdstartung from a stop or occasionally trying to slowly accelerate up a in town hill. For example there area few traffic lights wherei am at a complete stop. Turn left and have a ahort hill. So i hit the hill at about 10 mph and would like to accelerate up to about 25 mph. So much easier with 4wd engaged.

Another question, i was under the impresion that i needed to be stopped before locking the ceter diff. I remember about 10 years ago with the stock AWD TC i accidentally hit the CDL switch while driving when i intended to hit the ECT. I think it sounded like two gears trying to meah for a second before i fixed my error. All of 2 seconds. But it didnt sound good. After that i figured DONT LOCK CDL WHILE MOVING! Am i wrong about that or it differnt with part time VS full time?

i also hate to admit that my attitude of owning the truck has changed a little in the laat few years. The truck turned 30 this year! Going strong with 367,XXX miles on it and is still my DD. In a lot of ways i use her harder than ever, camping, fishing, hauling the dirt bike and light wheeling. But in other ways i have gotten more nervious about breaking stuff. Original parts have a lot of milage on them. Some replacement parts are getting tricky to find. With the price of the used truck market i dont think i could afford to replace the truck with another LC right now. I try not to think this way becouse this thinking distracts from the whole reason of ownership, its a tool, get out and us it and make memories. Sorry to getthings off track!

 

[rc51kid]

Are you running stock axles or upgraded axle shafts?

Stock shafts.

 

[jonheld]

I am usually doing this just driving around town at 30 or 40 MPH max. I don't do this at 60 MPH on the highway or anything. In general, is this fine to do?

One thing I forgot to mention, when you lock the center while driving, you will deactivate air bags and ABS. When you unlock, air bags are active again, but ABS remains deactivated until you power cycle the truck.

 

[ajordan1975]

Kind of off topic...... but can I put my part time 80 series in low range 2wd. For instance I need to descend a long steep portion of trail but the trail doesn't need 4wd.

yes

 

[ajordan1975]

Guys sorry I already asked this in the past. I converted my 80 to part time 4wd when i was living in Georgia. Now I am in Montana and kind of wish I had the full time 4WD when driving around on snow covered roads. I grew up in the northeast and i am used to driving in the snow there. But honestly it is different type of snow conditions. Living in a city in the northeast i remember you would have deep snow the first day until it was cleared. After that it would be snowy slush or ice in the mornings. But it usually melted out to pavement/slush/ice after a few days. Montana is different, not worse but different. Snow falls, the plows run but leave a few inches on the roads which pack smooth. Since it is so cold for so long this packed layer just packs smooth and solid for months. Even in a big (big is relative in Montana) city a lot of the roads with be a solid layer of smooth packed snow.

Unfortunately, I find that in RWD my 80 will often spin starting off from stop signs or traffic lights on hills and stuff on that packed snow surface. So around town on the packed snow I will often run 4wd (high range, locked hubs and locked center diff) up to about 30 or 40mph. Usually if will see sections of exposed pavement on the road ahead of me I will unlock the CDL. But sometimes if it is a short (100 yards or less) exposed pavement section on a straight section of road I might leave it locked. I figure if going straight for a short distance there should be minimal binding in the center diff. It occurred to me that I drive around on sections of slick rock in Moab with 4wd on all the time at low speeds. That surface is incredibly high traction.

I am usually doing this just driving around town at 30 or 40 MPH max. I don't do this at 60 MPH on the highway or anything. In general, is this fine to do?

You'll be fine. Leave the hubs locked, and use it accordingly.
I'm happy i have the PT. I broke my front Ring and Pinion out snow wheeling, Unlocked the hubs, CDL off and drove her home with no issues.

 

[greentruck]

SNIP
Unfortunately, I find that in RWD my 80 will often spin starting off from stop signs or traffic lights on hills and stuff on that packed snow surface...

I don't believe anyone has mentioned it yet, but this is what the Second Gear Start button on the transmission is designed to help with.

 

[rc51kid]

You'll be fine. Leave the hubs locked, and use it accordingly.
I'm happy i have the PT. I broke my front Ring and Pinion out snow wheeling, Unlocked the hubs, CDL off and drove her home with no issues.

This was one of the reasons for the conversion. Stuff like this. Also if went to a tall lift I could avoid all the front line vib issues more easily. But mostly it was classic while i am in there thinking.

 

[80t0ylc]

Thanks for all the info guys. To address a few things, yes i leave the hubs locked all winter. If i could do it all over again i would have left it AWD. I redid the TC years ago and swapped in Marlin low range gears and 10% over high range gears. In mub fashin i figured "while i am in there..." i will convert to part time. It does have some benefits but not worth it for MY needs. The gears are very nice and nice to beed a little less maintenance on the berfields when unlocked.

Also i have to agree that i really only need the 4wdstartung from a stop or occasionally trying to slowly accelerate up a in town hill. For example there area few traffic lights wherei am at a complete stop. Turn left and have a ahort hill. So i hit the hill at about 10 mph and would like to accelerate up to about 25 mph. So much easier with 4wd engaged.

Another question, i was under the impresion that i needed to be stopped before locking the ceter diff. I remember about 10 years ago with the stock AWD TC i accidentally hit the CDL switch while driving when i intended to hit the ECT. I think it sounded like two gears trying to meah for a second before i fixed my error. All of 2 seconds. But it didnt sound good. After that i figured DONT LOCK CDL WHILE MOVING! Am i wrong about that or it differnt with part time VS full time?

i also hate to admit that my attitude of owning the truck has changed a little in the laat few years. The truck turned 30 this year! Going strong with 367,XXX miles on it and is still my DD. In a lot of ways i use her harder than ever, camping, fishing, hauling the dirt bike and light wheeling. But in other ways i have gotten more nervious about breaking stuff. Original parts have a lot of milage on them. Some replacement parts are getting tricky to find. With the price of the used truck market i dont think i could afford to replace the truck with another LC right now. I try not to think this way becouse this thinking distracts from the whole reason of ownership, its a tool, get out and us it and make memories. Sorry to getthings off track!

I don't believe anyone has mentioned it yet, but this is what the Second Gear Start button on the transmission is designed to help with.

If his truck is a '94, like mine, the 2nd Gear Start button doesn't exist.

 

[rc51kid]

One thing I forgot to mention, when you lock the center while driving, you will deactivate air bags and ABS. When you unlock, air bags are active again, but ABS remains deactivated until you power cycle the truck.

No issue for me. 94 has no airbags and my ABS is removed.

 

[greentruck]

If his truck is a '94, like mine, the 2nd Gear Start button doesn't exist.

Well, as it turns out, that's the case. Not everyone enjoys the amenities of the later year builds. It's worth mentioning for those who do.