Stuck, icy steep driveway (1 Viewer)

[UCrazyKid]

Hey all, I didn't think I would run into this ever with a 200 (LX570). My drive way is pretty steep. After an after noon of rain while it is 28°F outside I have a nice slick layer of ice on my driveway. I started down the driveway and started slipping on my BFG K02s (wheels turned, not turning). I stopped, still near the top of the driveway. I placed it in 4lo, center difflock on and used crawl mode 1 in reverse. No luck, still sliding around. What am I doing wrong? Would open center diff be better? Don't use crawl? Ideas?

Right now it is stable and parked with piles of salt in front of each tire so if it continues to slide (while parked) it will slide into a patch of melted ice/wet driveway where it will get traction.

Is this the time for sand? I've only moved to the Midwest 2 years ago from a non freezing climate and have never encountered this. I feel like an idiot.

Thanks!
Andy
need a heated driveway...

 

[i4c4lo]

Do you have any chains?

Air down?

 

[UCrazyKid]

Do you have any chains?

Air down?

no chains, could air down. If I had backed in I could winch myself out! Doh!

 

[Markuson]

Hey all, I didn't think I would run into this ever with a 200 (LX570). My drive way is pretty steep. After an after noon of rain while it is 28°F outside I have a nice slick layer of ice on my driveway. I started down the driveway and started slipping on my BFG K02s (wheels turned, not turning). I stopped, still near the top of the driveway. I placed it in 4lo, center difflock on and used crawl mode 1 in reverse. No luck, still sliding around. What am I doing wrong? Would open center diff be better? Don't use crawl? Ideas?

Right now it is stable and parked with piles of salt in front of each tire so if it continues to slide (while parked) it will slide into a patch of melted ice/wet driveway where it will get traction.

Is this the time for sand? I've only moved to the Midwest 2 years ago from a non freezing climate and have never encountered this. I feel like an idiot.

Thanks!
Andy
need a heated driveway...

You’re not an idiot.
At some point the truck’s fancy tech can’t defeat basic physics and minimum traction thresholds of rubber on super-slick ice.

Chains...sand...mulch... ?

Personally at temps barely below freezing...I might be whip out my propane weed burner. Thing throws a 6 foot flame like a dang jet engine... If it’s only down to 28, you could pretty easily liquify super thin ice that’s just a few degrees below freezing long enough to drive up or down.

But listen to habitual snow-dwellers...not this southern Cal bloke (me).

PS. Airing down is almost never a bad idea when grip is bad.

 

[mcgaskins]

Definitely air down to about 12 psi, 4 low, first gear, CDL locked, and just give it enough gas to turn the wheels. Make sure you don't give it a lot of gas and spin the wheels, because that will only create enough friction to cause the ice to get worse. If you have Maxtrax or anything you can fashion into a traction mat that would be great - floor mats, wood, the entry mat to your house, get creative

 

[CGP]

You’re not an idiot.
At some point the truck’s tech can’t defeat basic physics and minimum traction thresholds of rubber on super-slick ice.

Chains...

Personally at temps barely below freezing...I might be whip out my propane weed burner. Thing throws a 6 foot flame like a dang jet engine... If it’s only down to 28, you could pretty easily melt that long enough to drive up or down.

But listen to habitual snow-dwellers...not this southern Cal bloke (me).

PS. Airing down is almost never a bad idea when grip is bad.

Dude, you should never use propane flame to smoke weed. Tastes nasty AF lol.

And you're right.... Because physics.

 

[chipsterguy]

+ throw down some kitty litter in the path of the wheels - it will help with traction

 

[Markuson]

Dude, you should never use propane flame to smoke weed. Tastes nasty AF lol.

And you're right.... Because physics.

LOL!
Not that kind of weed... haha

But I just had a vision of Cheech & Chong getting ahold of one of these flame throwers...

 

[Reckless]

How much mileage on your KO2's? I find in Chicago I have to change tires every 2 years. My driveway is slick like an ice skating rink today and I don't have issues but my tires are new (~5k miles on DTs). When KO2s wear down they lose ice handling abilities sooner from my experience.

Drove through Barrington last night around 4am.

 

[Sedalia]

Curious if you felt th A-Trac working. You will know. Seems like ABS.

 

[40Man]

I've talked about this in other threads, but KO2s with their hard tread are absolutely horrible on ice. If this is going to be a recurring issue I'd look for a better tire. The Falkens are way better on ice.

In the interim, can you put deicer/heet/etc. down? Airing down should help, buth when my wife got stuck on an small grade icy hill, airing down did not give us much more traction during an ice storm.

 

[coleAK]

Like others said you can’t beat physics. I like others said cat litter, or dark sand should get you by if ice is an unusual occurance your way

You have the wrong tires for ice, yes KO2s are pretty terrable on ice (as with most AT tires). They have a fairly stiff rubber compound and no micro siping, I run them as my summer tires. 2 years ago I had them on until first week in November (I like to switch mid Oct) waiting on my new set of studded Nokians. They were boarderline scary on firm slick packed snow and ice. They do pretty good on fresh crystalline snow but yes awful on ice. I’m in Alaska and have a ‘13 LX.

 

[Reckless]

We are in Chicago and we don't get too much ice. We do get alot of rain/snow. But these kind of icy/sleet roads are not too common. It happens after a snow storm, then temperatures rise in the day, snow melts and then the water freezes at night. One friend slipped tonight walking on the black ice. Usually Chicago is pretty famous for its salt trucks (one mayor was voted out for not salting one year) and roads are heavily caked in salt.

Keep a jumbo bag of the expensive salt (ultra low temperature rated) in your garage and salt the driveway every morning and evening to avoid this type of issue. That's what I do.

 

[Markuson]

I've talked about this in other threads, but KO2s with their hard tread are absolutely horrible on ice. If this is going to be a recurring issue I'd look for a better tire. The Falkens are way better on ice.

In the interim, can you put deicer/heet/etc. down? Airing down should help, buth when my wife got stuck on an small grade icy hill, airing down did not give us much more traction during an ice storm.

Yep!
I almost slid right into a police car in Jackson a Hole, Wyoming at -16F on my KOs (not KO2) in my 100 series. Stopped only a few inches short. They are GREAT in hard pack snow, but ice? They are just plain scary.

 

[UCrazyKid]

Great info here. Yes, I’m finding the K02’s are not good on ice. However our driveway is REALLY steep and anyone who sees it thinks we are nuts for living with it in this climate. (See photo in Avatar) I believe this quick warming and freezing is unusual even for this area. So I don’t expect it to happen very often. My office sent everyone home, schools cancelled afternoon activities, county sent warning out to stay off the roads.

Don’t have a car so doing sand next. It has actually started snowing so now we have powder over ice, fun!

I’ll try again in the AM.

 

[UCrazyKid]

deleted reposted

 

[UCrazyKid]

deleting duplicate post.

 

[UCrazyKid]

Deleting repost

 

[coleAK]

Here is what my driveway looks like and will most likely until Mid May. 12-15 degree slope.

 

[EverywhereBear]

I agree the KO2s are not very good on ice. Hence this season I am back to dedicated winter tires(Nokians) and the difference is significant. Sand salt will help on the driveway, and if going uphill, 2nd gear start switch helps.