I am having a terrible time keeping the back of my 4runner from swapping sides with the front in snow and ice. Any advice on the optimum config to keep control under these conditions with the following options:
2 Wheel High
4 Wheel High
2 Wheel High (Locked rear diff only)
4 Wheel High (Locked rear diff only)
4 Wheel High (Locked center diff only)
4 wheel High (Locked center and rear diff)
I'm not getting stuck so I dont need extra traction I'm just trying to keep the ends from swapping particularly in the turns. Give these choices which would you choose and why?

 

The locked diff could be the culprit. Have you tried just 2HI or 4HI unlocked diffs?

 

What kind of tires are you running. That would probably be your problem. 4HI should be all you need.

 

How fast are you driving?

 

yeah assuming your tires are ok, the plus to those of us with multimode is we can use awd. failing that, id use 4hi, no locker.

im eager to see what its like with awd and my full time locker in back

 

I vote slow down and unlock.

 

i say this one will definitely do it.

 

Tires are a huge factor. Second is the 2WD - especially if not top of the line tires. In Snow, I go right to the 4WD. You use more gas but your ass end wont be passing your front any time soon.

 

4hi unlocked is the way to go in the snow and 2hi locked with some skinny pedal if u want to have some fun.

 

go to a large empty parking lot and practice and get the feel for what the truck is doing.

and like what every one else is saying unlock the rear if you can

it would also help if you post what year of truck you have

 

Ditto on the tires, they make a HUGE differenece in winter driving because even with all-seasons, the rubber gets too hard to grip the road well in snow and they downright suck on ice. Winter tires have much softer compounds and extra siping to make winter driving not a big deal.

Second big point is to never lock the front or rear diffs while on-road driving and especially a big no, no when it's snowy or icy!!! All you should need is 4WD high (or AWD depending on the year) to get you through the white stuff.

With my Michelin Lattitude X-ice tires 95% of the time in winter all I need is 2WD (don't have a locker so can't lock the diff even if I wanted to) and for the really bad ice or winter storms, I go to 4WD high. I can pass almost anyone on the highway even in the worst weather we get up here. Tires are really a biggie and most people really overlook how important they are for road control in bad weather.

 

Unless the snow is more than 8 inches deep, I just stick with 2WD (unlocked hubs). Never have my front end swap. Only time it has happened was to my wife when it was in 4WD in a TX ice storm 16 years ago.

 

my sister always manages to spin my former 4runner 2wd ANY time there is ice or snow where she goes to school. the culprit? too much speed.

 

Leave it in 4 if there's difficult snow or ice, that's why you bought an SUV in the first place. I was cheap last winter and opted to stay out of 4 to save gas one day... i ended up sideways on the interstate, on 2 tires, going 65... NEVER AGAIN. Oh, and that also prompted me to get Nokian Hakka winter tires, but more on that another time...

 

4WD hi, no locker - stay off the brakes and avoid heavy acceleration or downshifting.

The rear of my Tacoma will easily kick out on a snow covered road in 2wd, espescially if I am not weighted down in the back.

 

yep just slow down and stay unlocked. dont keep steady presure on the brake either lighty surge it it makes it basically like antilocked where you can stillsteer as if you start to slide lock the brakes up you cant steer at all. Also dont use compression to slow you down always coast any time you are going downhill or around corners if you can the compression (if you have a manual) will lock up the tires.

 

if your tires aren't all that, take'em to a tire shop and get them siped, and that will help too.

no locker just 4hi

 

First off what year?

Second... My 95 4runner was able to go places on the road in 2wd other couldnt do in 4wd due to the almost 50:50 weight distro of the runner, the low hp of the 22re helps too...

Tires, drop your psi in winter.. your traction really increases. Drop as low as you can for how far you drive on the road. So if you only go a few miles each day and its always cold out you can go lower than if you have a 50 miles commute on the fwy each day...

Transfer case...

From what you posted it looks like you have a 99-00 with a multimode and rear locker. First, unless you did the "grey wire" mod you cant use the locker except in 4lo... but if you did that mod and are using your locker then yes you will swap ends when you try to turn, your rear tires are locked together, so the will push you straight, and swap ends... For light snow/ice use 4hi center diff unlocked, and when it gets really bad lock the CENTER diff, unless you are stopped and stuck do not lock the rear diff. Rear Diff lockers on snow/ice are very counterproductive, the main reason I have an ARB, I wanted extra traction on the trail but didnt want any of the handeling problems of LSD and lockers on snow/ice.

So generally 4Hi, unlocked center and rear.. AKA AWD... less skinny pedal and dont go too fast.. 4wd or Awd, really only help you get going, they help in corners a bit.. and unless you engine brake not much when braking... so drive safe...