Do You Really Need AWD? Settling The Winter Tire Debate (great video by Engineering Explained)

[Zybore]

4A was a big factor in my choosing Badlands.

Without 4A the OBX does not fit between the Black Diamond and Badlands. Almost switched to Badlands but liked the more comfort of the OBX. I added lockers to get me part way on the drivetrain. The wrong winter will not be good with the wife an this Bronco.

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[Coloradonatives]

I always ran snow tires on all my RWD cars. FWD were good on all seasons. In one case it was a RWD new model with special sized performance tires. It was delivered in the winter and no snow tires were available to fit. Just a little glaze and I was stuck in the office flat parking lot. Lucky my wife with her AWD all seasons rescued me and drove me to work until the snow treads were available. And just a reminder the Bronco without 4A is a big, heavy RWD truck. Yes 4H can be used to get you out of short limited road issue but you are in 2H until it does not work and back in 2H asap after the issue. I was not allowed by Ford to get 4A in my ODX and have no experience in winter on all terrain tire so there may be snow tires in my future.

"I was not allowed by Ford to get 4A..."

 

[Zybore]

"I was not allowed by Ford to get 4A..."

Sorry that sounded a little bitter. It is just previous to the MY2024 order book for most models you were give two upgrade paths for the drivetrain. The Sasquatch for those wanting the full off-road capabilities which gave you lockers and 4A along with the large tires, etc. Then there was the Advanced 4WD which gave you lockers and 4A without the more hardcore tires, etc. You could pick a model and add the capacities you were missing without those you did not want. Ford no longer will sell you 4A on my model without Sasquatch. So "allow" is a bit harsh. I actual could get if but only with all that Sasquatch entails. The My2023 order book was a lot more customer friendly. So I am a year late and 4A short of my prefect configuration.

 

[Gypsy]

My high school car was a 1968 Chrysler Newport with a 383 4-barrel so it had a bunch of “git up and go”. Like is said above, change the rears to old bias-ply winters, throw a couple of bags of sand in the trunk and go.

There was no fun like drifting a giant land yacht down the winter roads with 7 passengers in the car, with the cassette deck blasting Van Halen I at full, distorted volume. Burning donuts, getting stuck in parking lot snowdrifts, and bumper riding in your slipperiest shoes was just a typical Canadian winter day for a teenager. Loved every minute of it!

Best time of our lives. Bumper riding was the greatest. We learned young how to drive in the snow. Also, some put chains on their tires. My dad had a 49' Mercury, it was a tank. Never knew how good I had it.

 

[Tacanta14]

Since so many vehicles sold today are trucks and SUV's, why not talk about A/T tires; we're on a Bronco forum, aren't we?

 

[Gnomad]

I came to Bronco from a LR3 and Land Rover really nailed the AWD system. That vehicle was a beast in the snow, on ice, on trails, changing road conditions, and Ford owned LR for long enough to have borrowed that system, not just the 'goat modes". LR called it "terrain response" We had identical ones for a winter or 2, and found that Hankook Ipikes were better than Blizzaks, unfortunately we can't get those tires now.
Any part time system, even 4A, is never going to match a well engineered AWD system.
If LR had made the roof removable on the new Defender or Disco we'd have probably got one of those.

 

[LSW]

Honestly the Bronco Sport, even the non-badlands does really well on slippery winter roads. My wife's daily is a full size OBX and I have a Sport OBX, although I pretty much just take whichever one strikes my fancy every morning (city driving in Alaska, mostly). And yes I know a real "full size" bronco is supposed to be one based on the old F-150s but let's just move past that, IDK what else you wanna call the 6g.

The Bronco really needs to be in 4H to equal the Sport (which only has goat modes, no lockers). 4A in the Bronco is not quite as good as the Sport in terms of maintaining traction, both for acceleration and cornering. There must be some slight delay or ineffeciency with big Bronco 4A compared to the AWD setup of the Sport, or maybe it's the sport's FWD bias. With equivalent tires I find them to be about equal in stopping performance. The Sport's weakness is unplowed/deep snow which can cause it to either lose traction or get completely beached due to the 8" ground clearance. In situations where the tires have no chance of getting through to the bare ice/pavement, you need the full size with better clearance. Just my 2c. With the bronco it's best to go to 4H in the real crappy stuff and then just remember to go back to 4A or 2H when you get back on dry/firm roads.

 

[skhubbard93]

You misspelled Rush.

No, he didn't. Van Halen never made an album titled Rush. You just misspelled the eponymous 5150.

In my neck of the woods, we used to call that bumper-hanging activity "skitching", which I suppose might have been a portmantow for ski-hitching. I cannot confirm, deny, or condone that activity, but I will caution anyone considering to watch out for manhole covers!

 

[dejones64]

I grew up with rear wheel drive in the '70's-'80's, all automatic trans. Now with a manual trans, getting going on snow/ice at an intersection or hill is a challenge. I'm thankful for 4A.

 

[Jsullivan]

In the 60’s my Dad had two rear snow tires put on the 1964 Ford Galaxie every fall. He never had a problem navigating the snow. Just saying.

I had a 1970 Mercury Cougar that I put a 351 Boss in,
390 positrac Rear, traction bars, dual point distributor, no mufflers but chrome pipes and studded snow tires.
Pretty stupid of me to lay posi holes in the school parking lot asphalt, over the speed bump and down the road.
Of course they knew it was me.

 

[Giddyup Buttercup]

No, he didn't. Van Halen never made an album titled Rush. You just misspelled the eponymous 5150.

In my neck of the woods, we used to call that bumper-hanging activity "skitching", which I suppose might have been a portmantow for ski-hitching. I cannot confirm, deny, or condone that activity, but I will caution anyone considering to watch out for manhole covers!

Skitchin was a game on Sega Genesis lol

 

[skhubbard93]

Skitchin was a game on Sega Genesis lol

Looks similar, but on wheels and pavement instead of shoes and ice. We used it first.

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