How to drive in 4x4 once it breaks loose

[ohfugit]

I recently got a 93 explorer sport and was driving it around a slippery /icey lot to kind of get a feel for how it handled.. kind of just playing with it a little.


in 2 wheel drive as traction breaks loose its just like a car, the back end swings around and you turn into the slide and keep on the gas. and on you go.

Next I tried it in 4x4,
granted it didn't loose traction as easily and accelerated much better in a straight line but once the back end came around a little if I stayed on the gas all it did it was plow the front end (pushed the front).... nothing I tried worked except for getting off the gas until it slowed up...steering in the direction I wanted to go helped a little...

any ideas old threads on how to drive/play in 4x4

Thanks
"D"

 

[Byrd91]

Same as in 2WD I'd say. Counter steering should be more effective in 4WD though. Be careful not to over react. Also getting off the gas in either should be more effective than powering through it.

 

[Felix]

The hole idea behind 4x4 is to do exactly what you did. It gives you more traction. If you are wanting to play around and do 360's and stuff, keep it in 2wd. If you hit a dry spot (no ice) in 4wd while doing stuff like that something will give. It may not break the frist time but it will break eventually.

As for 360's, 180's and general horse play while in 4wd. It takes awhile to get the feeling for it, and figure out exactly how to make it flip around the way you want. As I stated before it is the hole reason behind 4wd is to keep you in more control of the vehicle.

Find yourself a nice grassy/sloppy/snowy feild and play for an hour you will get the hang of it. If all you have are parking lots to play in, keep it in 2wd unless there is a really good layer of snow and ice over everything.

 

[ohfugit]

Originally posted by ohfugit
driving it around a slippery /icey lot to kind of get a feel for how it handled
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Felix replied:
Find yourself a nice grassy/sloppy/snowy feild and play for an hour you will get the hang of it. If all you have are parking lots to play in, keep it in 2wd unless there is a really good layer of snow and ice over everything.

Really big lot, with a bunch of 90 degree turns, hard packed shiney icy snow. not trying to do 360's or 180's just trying to figure out how to do 90's with this thing in 4x4 on a slippery surface

I sort of picture it how you see dirt trackers drive on the clay where there isn't much traction but in my case on icy snow and 4x4

it seems like you should be able to do it better in 4x4 then in 2wd...it just seemed when I was doing it in 4x4 once the front end started sliding there was no recovering except slowing to a crawl.... Its probably my driving.

byrd91. I think I was trying this but don't rember for sure. I'm going there after work and I'll see how it works out.

Thanks
"D"

 

[jetmaker]

Strange as this may sound, in my Jeep CJ7, I always found that if the backend was begining to break away, a short hard punch on the accelerator usually helped straighten the truck out. This was likely due to the front end being substancially heavier than the back end, and gunning it drove the front end more than the back.

If you have decent all season tires, you might want to try this approach on the Explorer. I've tried it a few times with mixed results, and it is likely because of the longer wheelbase and more uniform weight distribution.

Keep us advised on your findings. I'm curious also.

 

[410Fortune]

I concur! I have learned that one ice/snow in 4x4 high range that in a slide you can often pull out of it with the gas pedal instead of the brake, but then again dont forget my BII has a much shorter wheelbase then a 4 door Ex....

In CO often I would find myself in a slide, because I was always messing around in 4x4 in the snow, when sliding towards a curb hitting the brakes just ensures you will hit the curb where as hitting the gas often will pull you out of the slide to continue the turn.

I think you did the right thing, finding a vacant lot to familiarize yourself with the 4x4 handling of your new truck is a GREAT idea, better to get a feel for it now then when in traffic on the highway!

 

[JDraper]

In 4x4 point the nose in the direction you want to go and either just take the foot off the gas or give it a little gas. The front end pulling will help pull the rear end back in line. I have also found that occasionally (like turning from a stopsign) if I get the back out of line in 4 x 4, a good punch on the throttle will straighten it out.

 

[ohfugit]

thanks guys,

It seemed every once in a while I would catch it right and it would pull me out of it but mostly not

putting on the brakes does exactly as you describe .. for sure you are going to hit what you are sliding into.

I was holding on the gas instead of just a short jab

It does have all season tires on it. ...

I don't know if it shares the same wheelbase as the bronco's but mine is the shorter 2door sport
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(google is great)
2-door used a 102.1-inch wheelbase, and the 4-door a 111.9-inch wheelbase

I used to have a jeep many moons ago... mine was an old cj5 with the tin can top that would sound like a gong when you hit bumps.

I'll let you know how I make out

thanks again
"D"

 

[ohfugit]

Update:
Well it warmed up here so my icey lot is gone.

Before it warmed up I got to do a short session and all I could say was sometimes I got it right..
When it went as planned:
I would go and kind of pitch the rear end out and when the truck was almost pointed at the direction I wanted to go, getting on the gas a bit seemed to work
(Nailing it at this point didn't seem to help as it just continued to break loose)..
"D"