I know it's still way too early to even think about winter and snow but I'm moving to Salt Lake City after summer is over. Haven't had to deal with much snow here in South Carolina but i know SLC can get a lot of snow so here is my question. I've got a 91 2wd std cab toyota truck which absolutely sucks traction wise even when it rains. I've got some sandbags in the bed to help with that and it did quite a bit better but what will i do with a foot of snow on the ground? I can't afford a 4wd truck so will 200 lbs of sandbags and maybe some snow tires be enough to get me through the winter in SLC? I guess it's going to have to, lol. Just wondering if anyone out there lives in snow country and has success with a 2wd toyota truck?

 

LOL @ snow!

 

A 2WD in SLC isn't the greatest but people do it. The main thing is where will you be working/living/driving. If you are in the city you'll be fine except on the worst days, anywhere else and you might really want to save for 4WD.

 

Well they do have a great bus system in SLC.

 

Get some studded snow tires WITH the sandbags and you will do just fine. I had a posi in my 2wd and it totally sucked in the snow.

James

 

Try chains on the rear tires.

 

Chains and lots of weight in the back will work, but it will be a pain to chain up every time it snows. Maybe you could find an old Subaru or something like that for a couple hundred dollars to only drive when it snows. I bought a running Brat a while back for $300 and got another one for free. They needed work to be daily drivers, but the $300 one could have been driven around town in the winter without much work. Just something to think about.

 

the sand is extremely important. I havent owned my toyota through a winter yet, but I had a 93 explorer before it that i drove through a couple winters and even with low tread on the tires I could still manage to drive it around in 4x2 in 6" of snow with no issues, so long as I had sand in the back over the axle. Without the sand the rear end slid coming off of stops. I would just make sure you have a good amount of sand, and good snow tires, and you should be fine.

 

I had a 1982 Toyota 4x2 that did OK in New England winters with weight in the back and snow tires but on bad days it still wouldn't handle big hills very well. I have since changed to a 4x4. The snow is a little drier and easier to drive through out west. I used to live in Idaho so I saw the difference first hand. The roads also seem to get cleared more quickly as well, probably for the same reason. When I lived there I had an old Datsun 4x2 with studded snows and was able to get around fine, even on the hills.

 

x2 what everyone said, we had trouble w/ our 2wd f150, which is heavier, but our minivan(Fwd) is better because of the weight distribution, make sure you have
plenty of sandbags
good tires w/ studds or designed for winter driving
chains, are like 30 bux at wall mart for 2wd light trucks
A light foot, snow is horrible when you try to get up and go.

good luck, and most of the time here in colorado the main roads get cleared pretty quickly, its just the side, and residential roads that take a while.

By afford, do you mean gas or maintenence or price? there are about 6 toyota trucks/4runners for sale here in colorado, 4x4, for under 1500.

 

I get around here in Boise on the worst days without hardly ever needing to lock my hubs. Good tires, and I have 270lbs of sand in the bed, along with about 120 lbs of chains, tools, etc...

Weight is your friend.

If you decide to sell your 2wd for a 4wd, I would sell it where you are (2wd's arent worth crap out west), and buy the 4wd rig here, no salt damage. That is if you have another way to cross the country.

 

Up in the tretures of canada, i rarely use 4wd in the ice and snow. I had a set of bald ice tires for my truck that hooked up excellent with no extra weight in the back. The only times i have to shift into 4wd is when im driving uneccesarily fast and have to slow down in a hurry, or trying to get out of a ditch. lol.

You should be fine if you drive with care.

 

get a Heep. I hear they're a dime a dozen. LOL