BaseBase snow performance?

[Southside_Ray]

With our first snow storm of the season upon us here in central Iowa I was interested in some knowledge from the 4x4 veterans, as I have only owned fwd cars, how well do you think the basebase 2dr Bronco perform in the snow?

Is it also something to be concerned with weighing down the rear for better traction?

I do not plan to get beefy off road tires & plan to use my Bronco as a DD & highway traveler mostly so squatch is out of the question.

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[Go_Galt]

Any car from a Toyota Corolla to anything beyond is perfectly fine with a set of dedicated winter tires. A/T tires that are 'severe winter service rated' (with the so-called Three Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol) will be very useable as well. The question of "Which Bronco trim/options?" will be almost completely inconsequential for the purposes of driving in snow.

 

[AcesandEights]

Tires will help more than anything.

Ditto above, trim/model won't make much/any difference.

 

[brocotect]

Tires matter. Forget all the other noise.

I'll take my wife's crappy fiat pop with proper snow tires any day over my awd cherokee with it's 'snow' mode on all seasons everytime.

 

[Hkak45]

Tires will help more than anything.

Ditto above, trim/model won't make much/any difference.

Id argue that the other models that have rear lockers could help if it’s super deep snow and you get stuck. Other than that I agree tires are very very important. I hate seeing all these people today with bald ass tires sliding everywhere and putting their lives and everyone else’s lives at risk because they don’t have common sense to get better tires.

 

[Southside_Ray]

I mention basebase to point to the type of tire it will have not trim performance differences.

I don't really have the means to store extra tires during the non snow seasons so that's why I was wondering about a 4x4 vs let's say my fwd fusion that I currently own.

 

[AcesandEights]

Off camber a locker can cause tires to lose traction and slide sideways (downhill). Sometimes a tire that has less traction (because it doesn't spin with an open diff) can provide lateral stability. Lockers = low-side finders...sometimes.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Figure the Base has the same 4X4 set up as DECADES of 4x4 pickups .... open differentials front and rear ..... it will do just fine.
The tire posts above are spot on.
The winter rubber is formulated to be pliable in extreme cold, allowing it to grip pavement and ice better than all seasons or standard all terrains.
The tread patterns are optimized for the snow and sluch.
Any technological ...or mechanical advancement is worthless if the driver drives like an idiot.

My experience:
Michelin X-ice and Bridgestone Blizzaks have both performed extremely well.

The Michelin makes for a great tire if you see a lot of clean highway time in between snow storms. It handles very all-season like. In the snow and ice, it works very well. Great for a car, I run them on the wifes Legacy.

The Blizzak usually has a more aggresive pattern and will seem a bit more squishy on the exits ramps than the X-ice. Still a great road tire , but excels in deeper snow, slush etc. I run the DV-M2 on my Outback. It's the truck-ish version of the Blizzak with a bit deeper tread.

Both of these tires come into their own in the bitter cold(single digits and below), when the all season treads get rock hard and slick, the winter compound starts to firm up and ride like a normal tire in the summer.

Best reason for winter tires???
They give you a reason for cool-ass summer wheels!!! LOL!
Also, all your tires will now last twice as long...that's where the cost offsets itself. I go about 4 years between sets.
Buy good summer tires, otherwise the rubber on the cheep ones will deteriorate before you wear them out.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I mention basebase to point to the type of tire it will have not trim performance differences.

I don't really have the means to store extra tires during the non snow seasons so that's why I was wondering about a 4x4 vs let's say my fwd fusion that I currently own.

OK, standard 4x4 vs FWD. I driven both, the FWD had a limited slip and was a tough little fu&&er in the snow...but nothing like my trucks(open diffs) or Subarus.

Number 1, the extra ground clearence is a huge plus.

2. The 4x4 by design should be a better system ... add all terrains or Michelins new all-season Cross Climates at the first tire change to maximize what you do have and you will rock it all over a FWD.

I am really interested to see how a Base with the traction controls will work now.... on top of everything else.
Great question op!

 

[Broncodave]

I try to run Michelin tires whenever I can. Always have been happy with their performance.

I have the LTX M/S on our Nissan Xterra and in 4WD that car will go anywhere. (Well not Hell's Canyon kind of anywhere, but you know what I mean. ) It does great in the snow.

 

[Southside_Ray]

OK, standard 4x4 vs FWD. I driven both, the FWD had a limited slip and was a tough little fu&&er in the snow...but nothing like my trucks(open diffs) or Subarus.

Number 1, the extra ground clearence is a huge plus.

2. The 4x4 by design should be a better system ... add all terrains or Michelins new all-season Cross Climates at the first tire change to maximize what you do have and you will rock it all over a FWD.

I am really interested to see how a Base with the traction controls will work now.... on top of everything else.
Great question op!

Great information, thank you!

 

[HoosierDaddy]

as for weight in the back .... at worst....TRY IT!!!!

But TYPICALLY it helps. WORST storm I ever drove it, my F250 had a bed full of firewood in it. Approx 2 feet of HEAVY snow had fallen and that thing was a FREAKING TANK in that nastiness! I mean, it always did well, but that weight planting the rears made it feel unstoppable .... I didn't test that feeling.

In general, in my trucks I will put a few hundred pounds of bagged rock pellets in the bed....250...300 lb-ish.
In the spring I use the rock salt in my water softner.

Edit to add: I do not add weight to either Subaru. Subies are a blast to drive in the snow. Even my ultra conservative driver of a wife enjoys driving the Subies when it snows. Maybe wouldn't hurt the OB to have 2 or thre bags in it??? 80/120 lbs.

 

[pan-y-cerveza]

The best Bronco for the snow is the one with snow tires. Dedicated snow tires. Not just 3 Peak tires.

Tires make more of a difference that 4x4 or weight will.

 

[ducbill]

I mention basebase to point to the type of tire it will have not trim performance differences.

I don't really have the means to store extra tires during the non snow seasons so that's why I was wondering about a 4x4 vs let's say my fwd fusion that I currently own.

Most large tire chains will store your spare tires in the off season if you buy from them. Nothing like a dedicated winter tire.

 

[PSUTE]

4 X 4 will be a definite upgrade. I'm 1.5 miles from an improved road, so I have to go a step further than most. If the base had a locking rear, I'd forgo the squatch. ***sigh***

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