Snow Question

[sdingeldein]

In snow is it best to lock the differential?

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[The Weatherman]

I would say no. The truck has superior traction control and works well in snow.

Now if you’re off-road and stuck all bets are off you do whatever you can to get moving.

 

[21st Century Truck]

In snow is it best to lock the differential?

Not really. Just take it slow, and yes it might help if You select OFF ROAD mode in select types, like when driving through the ice piles up here in Northern Virginia the past week+.

The locked differential is there to avoid single wheel spin when already in a difficult traction situation (read "when already almost stuck").

The Lightning power delivery to each wheel is wonderfully optimized by its power delivery computer system, and this helps a whole bunch in snow.

 

[sdingeldein]

Thanks folk!

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Snow vs ice can be very different. Snow and ice is also different from both, but more like ice than just dry or mildly wet snow.

Don't use the locker when ice is present or likely to be present.

You can use the locker when it's just dry snow. But you probably don't need it.

 

[Heliian]

Always normal or slippery mode for new trucks. I use 2 pd in snow/ice/slush so I can coast on decel. The traction control is fantastic, don't switch to diff lock or off road until you're stuck

 

[RickLightning]

Most people never lock the differential.

 

[Peddyr]

I live in New England and I've had my truck for 3.5 years, haven't run into a situation where I've had to lock the differential. The truck is a pig with AWD...I'm not sure I see the need.

 

[fhteagle]

In snow is it best to lock the differential?

Never say never, but generally no.

If you lock the rear diff, and the front tires have very low traction + asymmetric rear traction , the back end will try to step out toward whichever side of the rear has better traction. If you aren't used to and ready for this, you can end up headed the wrong way very quickly.

 

[Adventureboy]

I would split this into 2 scenarios.

1. On hard slippery roads, travelling at speed - Absolutely not. The differential lock disables part of the traction control, and you don't want that.
2. If you are not on hard roads and have traction issues (like you are stuck in the snow). Engage the differential lock to help with getting unstuck only at low speeds, then turn it back off.

 

[Joneii]

I agree with all of the advice above. To be honest I haven’t driven a better vehicle in the snow. This truck just goes with the right tires. I don’t even have proper off road tires. I have Michelin Defenders and they are great in the snow. Last week I was driving around the woods on old logging roads covered in 8” of snow with no winter maintenance to tap maple trees and it didn’t even spin the tires. Amazing!

 

[bc1]

Never say never, but generally no.

If you lock the rear diff, and the front tires have very low traction + asymmetric rear traction , the back end will try to step out toward whichever side of the rear has better traction. If you aren't used to and ready for this, you can end up headed the wrong way very quickly.

Basically what he is saying here is that if you lock the differential in snow, then that could cause the same effect that we used to experience with rear wheel drive vehicles on a cold morning driving on ice and snow while the automatic choke on the carburetor has the engine high revving. When you put on the brakes, the front wheels stop, but the revving engine causes the rear wheels to keep turning and thus spin out sideways into whoever is next to you at the stoplight. I've ended up going sideways a couple times just driving down gravel roads and hit a severe washboard area of the road which is scary and more often than not turns into a rollover.

My fix at the time on cold mornings was to shift into neutral with an automatic transmission before applying the brakes when getting ready to stop. I also shifted into neutral and let off the gas when going over an overpass at highway speeds at freezing temps when icing conditions could occur or driving down a dry highway and coming to a remaining patch of snow and ice just to be safe. Front wheel drive cured a lot of those problems. I hope this truck avoids them all together.

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