Suburban vs 4x4 Van in the snow

[carringb]

Originally Posted by daveb

I had a guy from Washington state tell me people in Ca don't know how to drive in snow and that 40-50 MPH is safe and normal from where he comes from. Can that be true?

I'd say that's pretty typical for snow conditions in the Cascades, unless the snow is really wet and heavy, than 30-40 is probably the norm on the main mountain passes.

Once you get east even a little (like Mt. Bachelor) where the snow is drier 45-55 is more the norm on snow days when the weather is nice. Even the ski buses are pushing 50 when the snow is dry and the sun is shining (the joy of Mt Bachelor!). But generally traffic slow down appropriately if the snow is wet or its hard to see.

I-5 is kind of the exception. Once snow starts in the Siskiyous , its usually only minutes before so many cars wreck they have to shut the highway down to remove the wrecks. Its amazing how many people traveling on I-5 have no idea that the freeway has some pretty serious elevation gain.

[UJOINT]

Now go ask some guys in a Suburban forum!

I LOVE driving my vans in snow. Vanaconda was a beast and so much fun with the Detroit out back. I miss it and we haven't seen a bit of snow this year.

[saline]

Aside from my wife's Subaru, our EB does better in the snow than any other vehicle i've ever owned.

[TexomaPowerboater]

Originally Posted by shenrie

^^^ 100%.

people are doing everything BUT driving on the road anymore. wife was just commenting on how bad people were tailgating in the snow yesterday when she was out.

i was back out in the snow quite a bit last night getting a better feel for the van. only thing i found is that it pulls you really hard one way or the other when going through deep, tracked out snow. like the stuff piled up on the sides of the road. quite a bit more than the ole toyota, but i chalk this up to how much wider the tires on the van are. some taller, skinnier tires for the winter would be a plus over the 285/75's (vs a 30x9.50) that i currently have on there now.

fun factor wise, i really like how the van reacts with the throttle on the slickery roads. get on it around a corner and the assend comes out, but the front stays planted. was a lot of fun!

Might look into a spacer on the rear so the front and rear track better. I have read that for fords the rear axles is slighly narower than the front axle. Some use a spacer on the rear hubs to align with the front axle and make front and rear tires travel on the same "track."

[daveb]

Another advantage of the full floater SMB offers...you don't need rear spacers.

[BajaSportsmobile]

Originally Posted by TexomaPowerboater

Might look into a spacer on the rear so the front and rear track better. I have read that for fords the rear axles is slighly narower than the front axle. Some use a spacer on the rear hubs to align with the front axle and make front and rear tires travel on the same "track."

As a counterpoint; Off-road race trucks, like Trophy Trucks, typically are 2 inches narrower track width in the rear, which seems to track better in ruts and corner better.

[edroid]

The FedEx guy got stuck in my driveway the other day. Driveway is about a 10° slope and was covered in a really nasty polished ice. FedEx was in a 16,000 pound panel truck with duellies on the back spinning away. It wasn't off the drive, just stuck right in the middle of the road trying to come up.

I took the SMB out and towed him up the driveway. The driveway was so slippery we could barely stand up straight, but the SMB never spun a tire or slipped in the slightest, while the FedEx van was spinning tires like crazy. I didn't even remember to use the front locker. I have BF Goodrich A/Ts.

Since I still haven't winterized the water system, the SMB is kinda hibernating in the garage except for that short little trip out on the ice. . .

[Bones_GSXR]

I would never drive my Van in the Snow! That's scary stuff.

[Gnarvan]

Interesting plowing technique. Don't most folks push snow forward?

Nice angle shot of the van.

[jage]

Never driven a Suburban, however I'm going to say it's subjective unless you've driven both in the same conditions. And then it's still subjective. For example: Jeep XJ Cherokee vs. Jeep MJ Comanche. I've owned multiple of both and driven all in several winters. Defying reason the pickup that is otherwise identical to the SUV is way way way better in the snow. I'm talking same wheelbase, same tires- the back of the XJ/Cherokee just comes around like it's on butter whereas the empty pickup sticks. I've never understood it, and if I hadn't driven both types extensively I wouldn't believe it myself.