Interstate Fishtailing at 65 MPH in Snow

[black dawg]

Torque converter still spinning and it overpowers traction when braking.
not sure on the newer vehicles with the different transmissions these days.
had a guy bump me last winter at a stop sign and I asked him if was an auto trany and he said yeah so I commented hit neutral before you brake and he laughed. Lot of people don know.

This is a problem with some rear wheel drive stuff (and in 2wd). Low rear brake bias wont stop the rear wheels from turning, while they push front tires locked up on slippery surface. Usually only an issue right as you are coming to a stop.

 

[Yarak]

Happened to me 4 years ago just west of Billings on I-90
Light snow and was taking my time (60-65 mph) and all of a sudden I felt the truck start to slide
I immediately let off the pedal and corrected as needed
That Ram 2500 doesn’t handle like a 1/2 ton PU so it took a little longer to correct the fishtail
Definitely made me drive even slower though I was getting passed like granny driving in the left lane

 

[MattB]

Slightly off topic, but related enough. I regularly drive Wolf Creek pass this time of year and usually when I go there, it is storming because that’s what makes it a destination. Coming down the pass in my old truck, I’d just slide it into 2nd gear and cruise down the pass, never braking. In my V8 4runner, I can’t manually shift below 3rd gear without being in 4 low, but ~40 minutes of driving in 4 low at ~35 mph (due to the grade) seems like it would be right at the high end of 4Low speed. You think 4low at that speed is too much risk for damaging the transmission?

In 4H, 3rd gear, I have to brake more than I would like to, which would seem to put me closer to the realm of the Texans I’m cussing at for continually riding their brake down a steep grade on plowed snow with 20 feet of visibility in a line of cars who are all too close together.

Just came over the Sierras today in my 2018 4runner and it will allow you to manually downshift into 2nd in 4WH but not 1st.

 

[Yoder]

When I lived in VT I had a 1999 ford ranger. I had a problem where the 4wd wouldn't disengage unless you backed up about 20 ft so I wasn't using it. I was driving to work after a snow storm one morning. Roads were pretty clear but it was below zero for a few weeks. I was doing about 55 going up a hill. A tractor trailer passed me and just as he got by the back wheels broke loose. The truck went almost completely broadside and I shot across the left lane. I hit the 3ft high snow berm from the plow truck on the side of the road. The truck caught air and went up on two wheels and spun around. All I could see was white. I wasn't even sure if I rolled the truck it happened so fast. When I came to a stop I got out of the truck to check the damage. The driver side of the truck was perfect. The truck actually slid on the passenger side for a few feet then stopped right side up. The entire passenger side of the truck was trashed and it ripped the front tire off the rim. I missed a rock wall by about 30 yards. That really scared the hell out of me. It completely changed the way I drive in the snow. They put the front tire back on the rim at the shop and I actually drove it home.