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Old 06-29-2017, 07:44 AM   #21
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It sucks when you're stopped and the van starts sliding sideways off an edge to who knows where.
That's the worst feeling in the world.

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Old 06-29-2017, 09:24 AM   #22
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I spent a couple weeks last winter driving on compact snow and ice every day at highway speeds. I've got L/S front and rear and Duratrac's (which are great winter tires, rated with the three mountain peak symbol) In those two weeks, I rarely used 4wd, mostly just when I had to pull off the road into deep drifts. On some steep hills I ocasionally could feel the L/S engauge, but I never had any issues. A few times, I was stopped on a thick sheet of ice with rain on top, and couldn't get going in 2wd. When I got out to lock the hubs, it was so slippery I had to hang on to the front bumper just to stand up, and once I fell just as I got out. Once I put it in 4wd, I had no problem moving up the hills, but started as slowly as possible, including starting in 2nd gear. I've heard that lockers are a real handfull in snow and ice, but have no direct experience. All in all, L/S has worked very well for me everywhere I've gone from the desert to the mountains. With L/S front and rear, the thing is like a mountain goat and pretty much goes anywhere it fits. For hard core rock crawling, mud or loose surfaces, a locker would probably be better, but the L/S works great for me, and it doesn't affect the steering like a locker does when engauged.
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Old 06-29-2017, 09:35 AM   #23
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I would also make sure that rear end they're building has some sort of LSD, not just the locker.
Just my .03
Agreed. You definitely want LSD not locked rear for snow.
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Old 06-29-2017, 10:27 AM   #24
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eric is right... a 4x4 Toyota is hard to compare with a van of any setup. just different vehicles all around and Toyota did it right with their trucks for years and years. that said, my pos 1989 awd civic wagon with studless snow tires wallops damn near everything when the roads are bad. stupid little car is amazing in the snow.

in all reality, it all boils down to the driver. a good driver can take an ill prepared vehicle places that it shouldn't be and look good doing it. no matter what you read here its all going to come down to how your skills are in that kind of weather. everything in this thread is an aide to make driving the van easier in crap conditions. what works for some might be completely wrong for you. take what you read here with a grain of salt

since this thread appears to now be going in circles, seems like the general consensus is a open diff in front and a lsd in the back. I use that combo and have zero complaints. however i did read where a friend of mine bought a true trac for the front of his van and really likes it in the snow. below were his comments.

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On a few on snow excursions last winter I found the traction from the open front diff was less than stellar. On one occasion I was on a packed snowmobile trail late season and managed to get my right side tires off the packed trail. I sat there in amazement as my newly converted 4x4 van couldn't move because it was actually 2-3 wheel drive (the rear OEM LSD does help). The left front was on the packed trail and spinning while the right front was buried and doing nothing.
So this fall I picked up a Eaton Detroit true-trac differential.

Detroit Trutrac Differential, Helical Gear Limited Slip Differential - Vehicle - Eaton

This seems to be somewhat of an uncommon choice in the off road world but after driving near 1000 miles on dirt over the past two years (and 98% of it in 2wd) I decided my vans limitations weren't in the dirt it was in the snow/ice and VERY low traction surfaces. I also wanted something that was a little less aggressive than a true locker for the front giving a near normal driving feel when turning on pavement. The true-trac acts like an open diff until it comes to a low traction situation then "automagically" locks up to prevent wheel spin.

I have put some time in on some serious snow over the past few weeks. We have had record snow on the ground (13") here in Boise so there has been no shortage of "test" situations. Its been nothing short of amazing. I found in the past that I would focus on keeping my momentum/speed up to get through some sticky and deep snow situations but that isn't the case anymore. I can just poke along with the v10 set on idle and just plow through snowbanks 2' tall effortlessly with the D60 axle grading the snow like a blade. The transition from open to locked is undetectable and on higher traction surfaces the drivetrain doesn't seem to bind up quite so easily when turning. I think I'm going to be really happy with this.
I grew up with snow on the ground 6 months out of the year, so im familiar with what works for me.... but I can also get an overpowered, slammed to the ground, rwd car on wide summer radials to our local ski resort passing awd cars with studded tires like their standing still. 90% driver, 5% vehicle, 5% tires.
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Old 06-29-2017, 11:14 AM   #25
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If you aren't doing true off roading and just need a great winter rig for snow and ice, can get by with a 1/2 ton chassis, don't need a low range TC, and don't need a big lift/tires, I'll argue that the Express AWD with the factory G80 limited slip rear is pretty hard to beat for winter driving. No wondering about when to lock the hubs or engage the transfer case - you just drive.
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Old 06-29-2017, 01:54 PM   #26
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At work the guys were surprised how well the Chevy AWD vans tracked through loose sand.

One question, if you have a locker in the front, even if it's an auto locker, can't you unlock one hub to achieve the standard drive of a non locker front engaged axle? I've done this by accident once with my locker engaged.
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Old 06-29-2017, 03:02 PM   #27
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I drive ten miles up a steep, winding, snow-packed road to work 4-7 days a week during winter, mostly w/my 4Runner. As Scotty said, it's unbeatable. Two winters ago in the first big storm of the season it ran even better after we passed the stuck snow plow.

I take the SMB up the hill periodically. It won't go in 2WD--too steep--but 4WD works. As DaveB, I think, said, no lockers. You don't want to fight the steering. Only used the lockers once seriously. That was on a slick-as-snot mountainside where the rear end kept wanting to walk off the road. I disengaged the rear axle, a Ford LSD, and used the lockers on the front. Super slow so it never got a chance to turn towards the fall line and we made decent progress. The best step was throwing sagebrush branches under the rear tires as they still wanted to walk. The lockers pulled us to safety with the added traction.

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Old 06-29-2017, 08:00 PM   #28
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... and That's a Wrap Folks. Over. And Out.

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Old 06-30-2017, 05:05 AM   #29
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Flatlander here. This is very interesting to me as I have been wanting to ask some questions about this except for a 2wd. Don't want to divert the thread. I am from the flatlands with very little experience in the snow mainly holiday ski trips.
I am wanting to head west next year and worried about how the van will do. I have a E150 EB 5.4 with a factory limited slip and Toyo open county tires. I will diffently get chains and would use them (never have) more often then others and will mostly stay on main highways. If the weather is really bad I will stay put and not chance it.
The question is will I make it? Should I be worried any suggestions?
Thanks for any input will be helpful.
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Old 06-30-2017, 08:33 AM   #30
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Flatlander here. This is very interesting to me as I have been wanting to ask some questions about this except for a 2wd. Don't want to divert the thread. I am from the flatlands with very little experience in the snow mainly holiday ski trips.
I am wanting to head west next year and worried about how the van will do. I have a E150 EB 5.4 with a factory limited slip and Toyo open county tires. I will diffently get chains and would use them (never have) more often then others and will mostly stay on main highways. If the weather is really bad I will stay put and not chance it.
The question is will I make it? Should I be worried any suggestions?
Thanks for any input will be helpful.
It all depends on the time of year you are going. Main roads are going to be clear Spring to Fall. If you are going in winter and trying to get to ski slopes you may just want to rent an SUV.
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