How many other 2wd owners in the snow belt?

MixerDriver · January 30, 2018

Where I am in Michigan, we got 3-4" of snow yesterday. It was windy all day, and the dirt roads around me got a little drifted over, 2ft in some spots. Being a 4 year old at heart, I drove around aimlessly, seeing what my 2wd Sierra could do. The last couple snowfalls we had were pretty good ones(over a foot during Christmas), and I was more than impressed with how she handled snow and ice. Other than a beater Jeep Liberty I drove a couple years ago, this is one of the best snow vehicles I've ever driven, and that's including several 4x4 plow trucks. There's more to it than how deep of snow you can drive through(stopping, turning, maintaining control, etc), and she's excellent at all of them. Will it go through 3ft like the Jeep? No, but I'd take this over that Jeep any day of the week. I think the key to driving in winter is knowing the limits of yourself and the vehicle you're in for the current conditions, and also being aware of the impatient morons who think they're invincible. Give yourself some extra time! The only problem I've had with this in snow was when I was pulling a 3k pound trailer over the Zilwaukee Bridge a couple weeks ago. Bridge was solid ice and the wind was blowing like crazy. Almost didn't make it up. Probably the only time weather conditions made me truly nervous!

Speech over, let's see how many 2wd K2s see snow for a few months out of the year. Post what you drive, what tires you have, and what you do to make driving in winter easier(weight in the bed, dedicated winter tires, etc).

Mines a 2014 Sierra 1500 WT. I have stock sized BFG KO2s and load a few hundred pounds of sand/salt bags in the back, directly above the rear axle. When driving through deep snow, I shut off traction control and Stabilitrak and let my right foot do all the work

Donstar · January 30, 2018

Sounds like you have a good handle on driving your 2 wd in the snow. I spent several years in northern Canada where snow was on the ground for at least 6 months of the year. Two wheel drive pickups were the norm back when I lived there and all I ever owned until quite recently. The cost of purchasing and maintaining a 4 wd pickup has dramatically improved over the years. I now live where snow is not a sure thing every year but will now only buy a 4 wd or Awd. The peace of mind is worth the extra cost, imo.

aseibel · January 30, 2018

I put 140# of sandbags right up against the tailgate, held in place with a board across the bed.

I generally drive in 2wd all the time on paved roads, even in-between plowing jobs. I don't ever use the 4 auto either. If I'm actively plowing it goes in 4HI, when I'm done plowing, back into 2 HI. The only exception is when the roads are covered in ice, but that's only a couple days a year.

When the plow isn't on the truck, the extra weight on the rear gives great traction and handling. I'm very impressed with the handling in slippery conditions. I still have the stock crappy goodyears on. I know traction will only improve when I finally buy some good tires.

x219c · January 31, 2018

I’m in Wisconsin and have the stock Goodyear’s. When there’s fresh snow on the road, I usually turn on auto. Nothing in the bed or anything like that, but I live in the boonies and have to get up to 45 pretty quickly. There’s a blind hill next to my road, so I can’t just take my time getting up to speed. Once I’m up to speed, I usually turn it off. If there’s 6in or more, I may turn on 4-hi only because I’m not likely to hit dry pavement.

This is my first RWD/4x4. I’ve had FWD up until now. I absolutely love this truck. Gets around great. I’m sure the G80 helps a little bit when it’s in 2wd too.

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