Snow set up

Hello everyone! New to the group also first time 4runner owner! So excited and happy with the vehicle so far. Just few questions about driving the vehicle on snow.
I have an 24 sr5 brand new equipped with skid plate and 285/70r17 BFG ko3s

1. How much do I have to air down with these tires if I’m going to drive snowy road?

2. Do I just automatically engage to 4H once I start driving to the snow or wait till I feel 2H can’t handle the road?

3. 4H is below 50mph and 4L is below 10mph right?

4.Do I turn off traction control?

5. What do you guys do when going uphill and went on a complete stop? (I obviously hit gas quick cause my vehicle tend to back up if don’t. Maybe cause it’s too heavy? Any tips?)

appreciate your answers and any tips! Newbie here. Thank you!

 

1 - Dont air down
2 - https://aguyagirlandatrail.com/2022/12/07/winter-driving-with-4wd/
3 - Lo gives you more torque at the wheels, you don't want that in the snow.
4 - No
5 - Slow down early and crawl along avoiding making a full stop. If you do stop hold the break with the left foot and gently start applying the throttle with you right. Release the brake slowly while still gently on the gas.

 

Are you talking about driving on road or off?

Remember, it's rear-wheel-drive.

 

1. Snowy road, none.

2. When to engage 4wd is up to you. worst storm we had last year I drove the 20 miles to work in 2wd, meanwhile the other person with a 4runner complained that the office should have been closed (and she has snow tires, I run Toyo AT3's).

3. You're not using 4L on road. 4wd you can transfer in to 4H at up to ~50mph but you can drive in 4H above 50mph (people debate the safety of this, some people think if you need 4wd you shouldn't be going that fast...I disagree, you just have to understand how it works and the consequences of fucking up).

4. Depends if you want to have fun or if you're trying to get somewhere...if you're not used to snow, leave it on.

5. Drive normal?

Where are you and have you not driven in snow or have you just not driven something with 4wd in snow? My recommendation is to find an empty parking lot when it snows and learn how the vehicle reacts to different inputs. General rule, no sudden movements, look ahead and react well in advance.

The wider tires don't help in snow and, unless KO3's are better than KO2's, they'll be mediocre in snow (some will disagree but that is my assessment based on the snow type we get here).

 

Woah! Appreciate all the response! I live in Los Angeles and planning on a trip to mammoth end of December early January. First time driving on snow by myself so I really wanted to know more, maybe I am also overthinking

I have my tires psi at 35 so just leave it as it is.

I have the sr5 with part time awd. So I guess just have it on 2H then switch to 4H/awd when needed but no need for 4L unless I get stuck. ? Right?

last question! The DAC does it really make that loud sound when going downhill? Thank you all so much!

 

So there are 2 train of thoughts on when to engage 4wd, wait until you start slipping then engage 4H or engage 4H before you need it. Im of the mindset to engage 4wd before you need it. If you wait until you start slipping it could be too late, game over. If you have a winch and recovery gear that isn't a huge problem but I have no winch, minimal recovery gear and the last thing I want to do is dig myself out trying to get back on the road when it is below freezing outside.

 

Thank you @wildgoose ! This makes so much sense. I forgot to mention that this is a family trip so there’s 6 of us in the vehicle, so does this matter? I might be overthinking underestimating the power of this vehicle lol

 

If you first time drive in snow - turn on 4Hi as soon as you see snow or road becomes slippery. You can drive at any speed in 4hi as long as it's not dry pavement. Drive like you're in 2wd - i.e. drive slowly with the flow and be especially careful on turns. 4hi will give you a lot more stability than 2wd, but braking distance will be same as 2wd (very long) and if you're going too fast even in 4hi you'll end up in ditch. In other words 4Runner in 4 hi feels great in snow, and often people start driving in like on pavement, but sharp turns or braking might get vehicle slip and you'll need experience to get it back under control. Use transmission to downshift when it's very slippery downhill, or if you don't feel comfortable applying brakes.

The only time you might want to turn off TRAC is when stuck in deep snow or you try to keep momentum going uphill and TRAC cuts power to all wheels before you reach the top. In this case slowly let vehicle back up trying not to slide sideways too much and try going uphill without TRAC, but it could be risky. In other cases TRAC and especially VSC can save you.

If you go off-road in deep snow you might want to use 4lo and ATRAC depending of situation, but never go alone, have somebody who can pull you out : )

 

DAC will indeed make loud click/thunking noises. You can hear it here around 1:40:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jBnA9UNTqw&

 

. Even though you have 3 season tires on it, do yourself a favor and get a set of chains or cables for the rear. You won’t need to put them on unless conditions are really bad, but CHP can ask if you have them at a snow chain stop. If they get really nuts, they’ll even check the size to make sure they fit on your tires.
Don’t try to drive like you do on dry pavement in LA. Slow down and give yourself lots of room/ time to anticipate your moves. Keep a flat blade shovel in the runner to clear berms and chip ice if needed, also a scraper/ brush to clear the snow off the windshield and windows. Bring blankets/ extra water/ snacks in case of getting stuck on the road with accidents or mechanical problems.

 

All the advise here is great and you will do fine on roads following this advise. One thing I will emphasize is practicing in a snowy parking lot a bit. Specifically with stopping. Nothing fast.

I always play when I first get on snow again to see how the vehicle performs. I will get up to 10, make sure there is plenty of room, then slam on the brakes and see how antilock (or without on my FJ40s) brakes react. Sometimes I might get a little sideways. That is good to know before I have to do that in traffic or an emergency. It lets me know how much space I need to give. I will go faster than 10 as well. Just be careful as you are intentionally loosing control to understand what that feels like and how your reactions help or hinder.

my wife hates it because I am not smart enough to follow my own advise and I do that on the road, without informing her first. And giggling afterward does not help.

so maybe by yourself and not with 5 others in the truck!

the 4low a-trac and locker are for the deeper stuff.