Snow Driving Questions

[E1E]

Coming from a 4Runner and loving the Tahoe will I be as capable in the elements?

1. How well do the OEM Bridgstones on the 20" wheels perform in snow?
2. Using Auto vs 4WD? I only had 4WD in the 4Runner.
3. Any other tips for a stock LT 4x4 on OEM 20"'s?
4. How deep is too deep for the stock LT on 20's?

Thanks

 

[AquinoSteven]

i only use auto for wet or icy roads. If you cant see pavement, use 4wd. As far as depth, i wouldnt go any higher then the bottom of you bumper.

 

[andrew383]

The tires you have are an "all season" so they should do fine in snow..

I would advise against using the "auto" and just use the "4x4 HI" setting..Using the auto setting will wear the clutches out alot faster than just using the 4x4..

You wont know if its to deep unless you try it

 

[Sasquatch]

Those bridgestones that come stock are useless in the snow.

I used them in one snow storm and i luckily got a huge rock stuck in the middle of one of them so i had a good excuse to replace them.

I got cooper HT + tires and they have better traction in two wheel drive than the bridgestones did in four wheel drive.

The bridgestones are good dry weather tires and not much else and i wouldn`t take a set of them if they were free.

I`m not trying to bash bridgestone, i have a set of their dueler revo A/T`s on my 87 suburban and they`re one of the best tires i`ve ever owned.

 

[puckhead]

get a good set of all terrains. I have BFGs on mine. I have plowed through some deep snow off road but on road, you will probably never see snow above your bumper. I also use the auto 4wd a lot. In town I dont have to be in 4 all the time but it helps at stop signs where it is all icy. Also use it on the highway when I dont want to be using 4 all the time.

 

[rlschmidt14]

I would advise against using the "auto" and just use the "4x4 HI" setting..Using the auto setting will wear the clutches out alot faster than just using the 4x4..

Can anyone verify this? I use Auto all the time, so it has begun to worry me. So far this winter, my tahoe has been great in the snow. Just turn off the traction control for even more fun in the snow... if you hold it down, it'll turn off the stabilitrac too!

 

[puckhead]

Can anyone verify this? I use Auto all the time, so it has begun to worry me. So far this winter, my tahoe has been great in the snow. Just turn off the traction control for even more fun in the snow... if you hold it down, it'll turn off the stabilitrac too!

I use Auto all the time too, have for the 4 or so years I have had it and our winters are long here. IMO Chevy wouldnt have put it there if they knew it was going to fail early

 

[ThwopKing]

Leaving it in auto 4wd wont do any damage. Also the stock 20in tires really are nothing more than big family car all season tires. But having 4wd will make a difference. Use them while you save up for a set of real tires.Lot of people like BFG all Terrains..i hate them. Over priced and over rated in my book.

 

[andrew383]

Can anyone verify this? I use Auto all the time, so it has begun to worry me. So far this winter, my tahoe has been great in the snow. Just turn off the traction control for even more fun in the snow... if you hold it down, it'll turn off the stabilitrac too!

The auto trac transfer case has a set of clutch packs that engage and disengage when it senses a slipping in the rear when in the "auto" setting...When in "4HI" the clutch pack in engaged at all times and there for no slippage...
I didnt mean to make you afraid to use it but using it can cause the clutches to wear faster than if one were to use "4HI" only... I know of several guys that have had to rebuild there t-case because of the clutch pack failure...
Its not going to happen next year but once the miles get higher thats when the wear shows.. Hope this clears it up

IMO Chevy wouldnt have put it there if they knew it was going to fail early

lol go over to any trailblazer ss forum and see how many bone stock ss's have blown trannys with less than 20k or even 10k miles on them..

Leaving it in auto 4wd wont do any damage.

Knowing how something works and what will fail first and doing something to prevent the failure goes a long way there fella...

 

[puckhead]

Stuff fails all the time, not a whole lot you can do about it. Things break sometimes. Just casue it could doesnt mean Im not going to use it any more or less. Like I said I have used mine for 4 winters straight and havent had a single issue.