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First snow dirve (report on jeep wrangler)

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  • First snow dirve (report on jeep wrangler)

    Well, its been snowing this morning and afternoon.... So, I decided to take the little jeep out for its first snow of this year, just to see how it handles, and to check the braking action.... first off, its a handfull....In 2wd it goes pretty good, and there really wasnt reason to use 4wd, but I checked it out anyway... pulls pretty good thru deeper (mind you we only have 2 inches of snow so far) snow than a thin layer ( as with any vehicle)..... getting the jeep crossed up is very easy in 2wd, and a little more convincing in 4wd is needed to slide it around the corners, the problem with the sliding part is the short wheelbase, as it tends to just keep comming around with too little or too much countersteer, It takes a lot of self controll to not hack on the wheel as the jeep slides around.... then if thats not enough of a problem, the countersteer with short wheelbase, tends to whip the jeep the other way and send you sliding In the other direction, if it doesnt, somtimes it wont respond at all..... (like I said... a handfull... I know I contradicted myself about the sliding part, but thats what it does!!!) Then thers the braking part..... The brakes on a good day dont have much feel to them, so in the snow its very hard to tell what the 31 inch goodyears are doing, almost like a numb lip at the dentist....you know you have a lip, but go on and spit in that cup and see what happens!!!.... also on braking, I opted for the I6 190HP 235FT lb torque..( I know its not all that powerfull) but that engine produces 70% of its torque at idle, so you have to hold the brakes pretty hard at a stoplight to keep it from rolling forward.... In the snow this translates out to be a very dangerous combination, when you couple the numb brakes with a tendency to push forward..... since I dont have a standard, ( I have automatic trans) I found myself, shifting to neutral, to try to get a feel of what was going on under the belly, nearly at every stoplight and stopsign..... When the 31 inch goodyears start sliding, hold on cause they tend to not "de-Cleat" themselves of snow too well.... I believe better tires would make the experience a much better one, but all in all, I have to say its a pretty average winter ride..... (altho my 1988 Cherokee had far better mannors in the snow) Thanks for reading my report and I hope this helps you get an idea of what to expect when 'wheeling a wrangler in slick conditions.....
    -Jay

  • #2
    I've always wanted to go flying though snow in an Xterra...One day.

    I had my first drive though the snow today, very different from what I'm used to (I didn't need to learn to drive until a year or so ago, so never bothered). Once the back starts sliding .. wheeee!

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    • #3
      I rode the snowmachine a month ago, it handled great , the snow went away, and now I am waiting
      You've got to try to find what's right before your eyes-Finger Eleven


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      • #4
        When we got our first snow here a while back, I took my 98 TJ out. It was the most fun I've ever had in my life. We had about 4-5 inches of heavy, wet snow. When I came back home after hitting multiple drifts, my front liscense plate was bent in half. I'll get a picture sometime. I deff. had more fun in my Wrangler than in my moms Liberty or my dads Cherokee. Jeeps are fun in the snow.
        It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand.

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        • #5
          I took the car out in the snow today (it wasn't our first snow, but the roads were still slick). While heading through an intersection I hit a patch of ice and slid through it, forcing a car passing through the intersection to swerve and missing it by inches. Needless to say, I was shaking for a little while after...
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