Just curious looking for other people's experiences. To preface, the truck has 31x10.5's Cooper Discoverer ATR's on it with less than 10k on them. I run them at 35 psi. Also, this is my third Toyota truck (had a '99, a '10 and now this '90). A couple of weeks ago I was on my way home in the snow and the highway had a good couple of inches on it. I pulled over, locked my hubs, and put it in 4H. At about 25-30 mph, I was all over the road. I figured it was just a bad storm, took my time getting home, and didn't give it another thought. Then, today, I went out snow wheeling with some guys from a group I am in. While on the trails, I had awesome traction and never came close to getting stuck, but, when we were on the fire roads heading to the trails, I was once again fighting to stay on the road and the other guys were holding the road perfectly fine. The other guys in the group have 2nd gen Taco's and mine is 1990 Toyota PU.

Has anyone else experienced this? Just curious if this is common and maybe there's something different about the four wheel drive system in the old trucks, or the only other thing I can think of is that the tires are older and the rubber is hard so it's not gripping well.

EDIT: WHOOPS, SORRY EVERYONE, JUST SAW I PUT THIS IN THE WRONG YEAR

 

How's your alignment? Everything tight on the front end?

 

Any chance of there being a locker installed in this truck?

 

Hard call to make.

Just what road where you on the first time??

It is possible there was wagon tracks in the road and you were just fighting the truck instead of allowing it to track.

I know quite a few places in NJ where the roads are like that.

Same thing with the fireroad ruts in the road and you were fighting the vehicle instead of allowing it to track.

Being things were fine in the woods only thing I can think of

 

Actually, this may be the issue. I had it done not that long ago (May or June), but I've probably wheeled it three or four times since. It's certainly possible that I jarred it hard enough to throw out the alignment. One thing that's wierd though is that when I switched it back to 2H, it seemed better on the same road that it was horrible on.

Not unless, they literally welded the spider gears (which I've rarely seen), because there is no actuator on either of the diffs. I bought the truck used in April so there's certainly any possibility.

The first time that I referred to was on the Garden State Parkway (NJ's toll road). The second time was a side road / side road up by Stokes State Forest.

I understand what your saying about falling into the ruts, but both of these roads were rut-free.

 

Snow consistency, tire tread, lead foot. I used to live on a class 6 road the led me to my house. It was steep. Sometimes up no problem, other times it was what the heck is going on, I will never make it. Snow is weird. I am glad I am done with it.

 

Packed snow will act differently than fresh snow. My T100 was fine until I got into some packed snow with ice (probably what the GSP was like) and then it wanted to slide until I put it in 4wd. probably ice under the snow on the GSP.

Also could be the tires have poor packed snow and or ice traction, my old non all terrain looking hanooks were great on road and ok offroad. My dueler revos are superb offroad and in light snow but are ok in heavy rain and packed snow.

How old are the tires btw? Older a tire gets, harder the rubber gets and doesnt grip as good.

 

I would definitely air down quite a bit. I run 13 PSI in 33's on my 4runner. You should be running somewhere between 20-25 on 31" tires.

 

Ok, never mind. I looked at pressure for 31's, and they should be right around 35 PSI.

 

Sounds like you need new tires. Or since you are in NJ, some dedicated winter tires like bridgestone dmv-1's (best winter tires you can buy) and the price is reasonable.

 

There are several types of lockers, excluding a Lincoln locker, that wouldn't have any external, visible evidence that it was in your differential. "Lunchbox" style, auto, various limited slip styles, spool, etc...

I'm not saying you do have any type of locker, I'm just saying don't think someone has never put one in just because you don't see wires or an airline going to the diff. That's only a selectable locker.

Next time you're in the snow/mud/dirt, and all alone, leave the truck in 2WD. Try and spin the rear tires. How many spin? One or two?

 

Sounds to me like you have a locker up front..

 

Thanks everyone. I will check the age of the tires and give it a spin in the snow to check the diff setup. The tires tread wide are like brand new but the guy I bought it from only drove it 400 miles in five years that he had it, so who knows.

 

Just out of curiousity, why do you say this?

 

I have the "lunchbox" style locker in the front and when its in 4wd its always active and steers like crap especially going slow. But it will go through twice as much as before

 

Locked front ends tend to keep wanting to go straight.

Try putting the truck on jackstands. Turn the front wheels. .If they turn the same direction, you have a locker..opposite direction it is an open diff. Same thing for the rear. Open diffs actually handle better in the snow.

 

Tires are likely no good and to old. Sitting around they wore out, I wouldnt be surprised if they were dry rotted. There is a way to decode a little code thats on the sidewall tells you the year and month made.

I made this mistake once when I bought some used 31's off a bronco to put on my T100. They were fine so long as it was dry out or I was going slow on wet stuff. Once you got up to speed, even with 4wd they were horrible. Turns out the tires were 10 years old!

 

If I am snow wheeling or driving in over about 4" on the road I drop my psi to around 15lbs. You can't go fast or corner hard but they seem to bite and track better. Also when I used to run coopers a lot. I had to use wheel spin to get the tread to clean. Most coopers seem to plug with mud and snow

 

Is it possible someone regeared the front and rear axles to slightly different ratios? (For example 4.30 in the rear and 4.56 in the front) You wouldn't really notice this in soft snow or mud at slow speeds on the trail, but it would be a real handful on packed snow or ice on the highway.

 

That's a theory. Put it in 4wd on dirt or gravel. That will let you know pretty quick