When driving in snow should drive a 4 wheel vehicle in second gear?

Question

When driving in snow should drive a 4 wheel vehicle in second gear?

Answer 1

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Lower gears cause the wheels to spin.

If conditions dictate a higher gear, then yes, a higher gear is the best choice.

Sorry to correct you thud, but braking distances should be at least doubled in wet weather and further increased in icy conditions"....Roadcraft - The Police Driver's Handbook.

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Answer 2

It will depend on the situation and the amount of snow but when I drive in snow that is light I will use 4wd in just the normal drive gear but in heavy snow I will drop it down one gear and watch both the speed and rpm's of the vehicle.

Answer 3

Drive in the gear appropriate to the speed.  Make the speed appropriate to the conditions.  Even snow covered roads can be taken at a reasonable speed if they are flat and straight.

Where the road is inclined and bendy, again use the speed and gear appropriate to conditions.  Never prejudge a situation, be flexible.

Answer 4

Really depends on the situation. What kind of road? Highway? Back country road? In town? And your speed. For highway driving and speeds up to 55-65mph, use 4H and leave it in drive. (I'm assuming it's a automatic) Now sometimes on a back road and with bad conditions, you might need the traction second gear would provide. However, I wouldn't go over 15-20mph. It really depends on what your driving through. I know that I will shift into second gear when I am coming up to a stop light/sign to help in slowing down on snowy roads. It's better to gear down than to use your brakes to slow down as they can cause you to lose traction and slide off the road. It won't hurt anything to drive in second gear in 4WD, however I would drive real slow.

Answer 5

You will not have the traction on snow as on a dry surface...Try starting out in 2nd gear or even 3rd gear, assuming that you are on level terrain...Just take it real slow and double the normal braking distance.

All the best.

Answer 6

Why?

Answer 7

no you drive as you would on a dry road only more carefully. I live where we get over a hundred inches of snow a season and I have never owned a 4 wd. it is the driver not the vehicle