How are Rancheros in the snow?

My 2001 2WD Ranger has been in the snow bank once and into a guard rail once this year. It's so frikkin' light in the rear that it's scary even in the rain. I have sand bags in the back for winter.

This morning there's 2 - 3 inches of snow on the roads, snow plows aren't out because they predict 10 more by the evening commute. It was 40mph in a 65 all the way in, even then it was slip-n-slide. I'm ready to put this thing on the curb; do you know if Rancheros or El Caminos are any better. They appear heavier, but I've never owned one.

Thanx, Dan

Didn't you have a Samauri? My 89 Sidekick is great in the snow. I just drove an hour in to work doing 45-55 through 2 or 3-inches.

I'd wonder about ground clearance. When We had our Crown Vic, it could get through most snow... until it started pushing it.

What do you have for tires? It's about tires. You probably need some tires. It won't be the best even with some decent TIRES.

i think alstevens is trying to suggest something, but i'm not really picking up what he's laying down.

oh wait, now i get it.

put some real friggin' winter tires on that turd-bucket, and remember that if the surface has 50% grip, you can only get 50% force out of it.

My first car was an '80 El Camino. My theory, that I developed while driving that car, is: If I can't get there in this car, I don't need to be there that bad anyway. Granted, this theory was developed before I had a real job and lived on my own and all that.

I wouldn't imagine they'll be as good as a typical rear-drive car...but maybe...MAYBE not quite as bad as you describe your truck. Hard to say.

Clem

I would believe that a Ranchero/El Camino would be as good in the snow as a lowered F-150/1500.....which is about as good if not marginally better than your Ranger.

Even with bags of sand in my F-150....I wasn't very confident in it's abilty.

At least get some good snow tires for the rear and then just keep filling and adding these -

http://www.quikrete.com/ProductLines/SandTubesand.asp

All our superintendents at work get 2WD SuperDuties which are obviously heavier than a Ranger but also have more power and probably the same F/R distribution percentage. Most I know use these tubes this time of year and they all seem to make it to work every day.

My old '64 was pathetic. It couldn't get the power down in the dry, much less the wet. Now that car was only 2800 lbs.or so, so the newer ones have more "road-hugging" weight.

Jeep J10 will solve your problems.

Oh, and snow tires.

It's all about the tires, and I'd say you're running the wrong ones. I've run equally tail-light trucks in the snow with ok results on the right tires.

A Ranchero or El Camino is comparably bad in the snow.

I run 235s in front and 275 - 15 big lug studded snows with 22 lbs. of air in the back. Also have two sand tubes in the box.

Yep, I have a Samurai, I also have a 4-Runner. I just picked the wrong car today I guess. Whathehell was I thinking?

Shovle the box of the ranger half full of snow when you dig out, it will drive better from the weight and unload itself as the temps come up. Its kind of like a self adjusting traction control.

Always worked for me.

Sean

My lowered 2wd S-10 was a monster in the snow with cheap old school snows in back, aquatreads on the front, and zero ballast. Made it up hills many 4x4s got stuck on.....then again I was a Land Rover driving instructor for our dealership having been through 3 off road schools. Are there any winter/off-road schools in your area?

One of the parts stores near me was selling a semi-genius invention.

Basically a formed bag to fit the pickup bed. fill with water. total height? about 3". in the entire pickup bed.

roughly 500-600lbs of water.

Dan, you've simply got too much tire on the back of that thing. My buddy's 2wd S10 wears 215 snows on all four corners, and it does just fine with about 200# of weight in the bed.

Take a look at a snow-and-ice rally setup for inspiration. They run really skinny tires, probably in the 135 to 155 range.

The wide tires may be an advantage in really deep snow, but i do believe you'd be better off with a skinny tire that has more contact pressure, which will be more effective at packing and gripping the snow, and squeeging the ice.

since living in MI, i've always rocked the skinny snows at all four corners and it's always worked for me. this is 100% on-road experience, 99+% paved and <1% gravel.

Truck's light in da back

Lookin' at a 70s tank

Keep yo truck, different wheels stick to da tarmac

THROW SOME CHAINS ON DAT BITCH

914Driver wrote: I run 235s in front and 275 - 15 big lug studded snows with 22 lbs. of air in the back. Also have two sand tubes in the box. Yep, I have a Samurai, I also have a 4-Runner. I just picked the wrong car today I guess. Whathehell was I thinking?

Umm.. yeah... what were you thinking?

I have a 4x4 truck, but drove the car (FWD) to work today. Why? Because the car has four good snow tires on it and the truck has barely legal all-seasons.

I used to run parts in a '89 2WD Mighty Max. Better power:weight than a Ranger... whatever crappy all-season that came stock on them... never had any problems... of course, I became adept at driving while looking through the door glass rather than the windshield... extra weight in the bed just made the tail harder to bring back when it let go... didn't do squat for traction...

Now my old '86 Toyota 4x4 w/ 30x9.5 all-terrains... that truck was next to unstoppable in all but the deepest snow.

The BEST snow car I ever had was a SAAB with Hak-10s on it.

I thought about getting rid of the big truckie tires, but it's what I had at the time....

Thanks for the help.

tire tires

TIRES!

I've had an el camino, a mustang with an open diff, a lowered bmw. They all do well with good snow tires.

Ranchero or El Camino?!?! You are one funny guy! Just to give you an idea, put on your best leather soled shoes, go to the closest ice rink, get out on the ice and try to run from one end to the other. That doesn't even begin to get close to the rollicking times you'd face. Pull those fatties off the Ranger and put on the tallest, SKINNIEST, ones you can find(like a 195-75-15). get a cheap set of real winter studded snows-craiglist is your friend- and if you need some weight, throw on a cheap cap. Remember, this is coming from a guy who moved from Buffalo to Oswego. I know a little bit of driving in the snow and ice! (Approx. 120" so far, and haven't hit our snowy season yet!)

sanyarcosean wrote: Shovle the box of the ranger half full of snow when you dig out, it will drive better from the weight and unload itself as the temps come up. Its kind of like a self adjusting traction control. Always worked for me. Sean

Don't go overboard here. We filled my buddy's Lightning bed with the snow we shoveled off the shop driveway, and that was way overloaded. Scary on the ride home. Half was about right.

I never could find the weight for packed snow, so I fudged the number for the weight of water, and figured we were carrying about 1300-1500 pounds of snow in the back when full. A little much for a 1st generation Lightning.

We thought about sculpting something inappropriate - middle finger, giant phallus - out of the remaining snow, but reason, for once, got the better of us.

mtn wrote: I'd wonder about ground clearance.

Pfftt. Ground clearance is for wussies. I've been driving snow-tire-shod, dropped Civics for 10 years now. I only get stuck at the top of my street (if it's not plowed out and the perpendicular street is plowed in) and getting into my unshoveled driveway--both if it's well over 6" of snow.

Otherwise, I pull through everything.

This front lip dines on snow

Super skinnies are fun.

I feel like a rally driver with my 175/65-14's Kook IPikes.

However, I haven't switched them to the 240SX yet and it been hairy.

^ I have the same size and model on my wifes E30. Even with the open diff, it's the best snow vehicle I've ever driven. (including a number of 4wd full size trucks). Narrow, "normal" pressure, modern snow tires simply kick ass.