jaleels

The instructions to lock the diff. are on the driver's sun visor.

T4Fun

dont feel so bad. i got stuck too, cant figure out why, but the big plow trucks also got stuck.

to put in 4lo, put it in neutral, switch to 4L, wait till it stops beeping and flashing, then you can put it in R or Drive

i havent had to lock the differential yet, maybe someone can chime in on that part.


i think the michelins are grossly overrated for their capability in the snow. Next year its blizzaks if they come in our size. Found out the wrangler duratracs dont come in our tire size.

Koz

If there is ice under the snow and there is something blocking a tire or an incline and all four wheels have no traction ANY vehicle with ANY tires can get stuck.

You will have problems when the vehicle does not move at all. If the vehicle can not be rocked it's time to try something different. It's good to get out look at all the wheels and try to determine what’s the cause. Sometimes an extremely light touch on the gas is required. Sometimes when the nannies are killing the engine and you can not spin the tires. To power out (spin the tires) you need to lock the center diff. This will disable the stability control and allow the traction control to be overpowered. It also distributes the torque 50/50 between the front and rear axles. Using the low range will only give you more power. Sometimes by using low and just letting the idle may get you started. I find that locking the diff and backing up till the vehicle can not go any further and locking the brakes without letting the vehicle move forward, then putting it in drive while still have the brakes locked and then hitting the gas (spinning the tires) until it stops and the locking the brakes(so it won't roll back). Then throw it in reverse and repeat this until you are free. The key is to lock the brakes just as it stops moving in each direction. Little by little you will lengthen the distance until you are free.

Koz

MickeyS

It's definitely the tires, I never got stuck with my 4Runner in the same kind of snow, the tires I had were more aggressive on the snow than the Michelin. The Michelins are good tires not for snow though. Well as it turns out, I was able to get out by locking the differential and putting it in 4lo and changing another setting with one of the buttons on the steering wheel. It came out on the first try.

caha14

The Michelins on the GX460 and the LX570 are definitely not as good in the snow as the OEM Michelins on the GX470 and 4Runner (the Cross Terrains, though it sounds like you had something else on the 4R).

They were discontinued, I believe.

Craig B

Michelin makes a mud and snow rated tire in our size. That's what I'm going to switch to when these Michelin's wear out. Our stock tires aren't mud and snow rated...

Michelin LTX MS2 is what I was talking about. It's a much better tire for snow and ice.

Luke27617

iTrader: (2)

I have replaced the stock Michelin for LTX MS2. The ride is a little harder but the traction under severe weather much improved.

Koz

The OEM Michelin's are pretty good in the snow. I've been through four storms including over 2 foot of snow and I have never had to lock the diff. Again, there are circumstances when any tire will get stuck. I will be replacing the OEMs with the LTX MS2s when the time comes.

Koz

Craig B

I've also been in four snows this winter without any problems. One of the snows was 12" and I had zero problems getting around. I will also switch to the LTX MS2's when I wear down the stock Michelin's.

akfd

Has anyone tried the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo? I hear they are quite good as well, but I think I'll go with a higher profile BF Goodrich when the stock Michelins need to be replaced.

T4Fun

i bot the Latitude Tour (non HP non OEM) which are rated better than the HP Tour OEM and they got stuck last week in snow, but there was probably ice underneath as the county plow truck also got stuck.

I would suggest getting the blizzaks or getting 17 inch rims and putting off- road tires with more aggressive threads. Will not be taking a chance next year on this.

neojungle1

iTrader: (8)

you can also try letting out some of your tire pressure to create more contact point just remember to refill your tire

Koz

Aggressive tread does not mean they are better in the snow. If you look at dedicated winter tires they do not have aggressive tread patterns but their tread patterns are specially designed for snow and ice.

You have to get a tire that is appropriate for the conditions you drive the most in. You don’t buy an off road tire if you rarely go off road. The only tire that really works well on snow and ice is a dedicated winter tire. The softer the rubber and narrower the better. This is why you need to only use them only in winter conditions. They will wear out real quick without winter conditions. They don’t even have a tread wear rating. If you live in a climate where you only get a little snow there is no need for a dedicated winter tire. A good M&S will do. An M&S tire is better in the snow then an A/T tire and an A/T is better in the snow then a dedicated off road or mud tire. Each type of tire has its purpose and with that purpose you will sacrifice the other qualities of the tire. You have to first determine what is the most important feature you need in a tire.

Koz

JsGX460

This sounds like someone is reading too many magazines.

1) Narrower is better? Not always.
2) A M&S is better than an A/T in snow? That's just plain wrong in many cases. There's tons of crappy M&S snow tires that won't hold against a 'decent' M&S tire. You must drive in cold/dry climate snow. Wet snow/slush - an A/T is actually a benefit.
3) winter tires like a Blizzak... as many people rave about them, there's plenty of folks who feel they are lackluster.

You haven't mentioned a snow tire with studs? that's a real deal setup over any of these options. But,they are noisy and cause more harm than good if you are pounding pavement with them.


I'm just balancing out some opinions. And of course, I speak for Pacific Northwest climates. Heck, let's just call it climates west of the Mississippi.

T4Fun

anyone here use chains on their gx?
what about these?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...pf_rd_i=507846