Question about best way to go up a steep snow-covered, rocky hill?

[tourproto]

Hi B6Gers,

So just got back from a hunting trip in Montana (very successful) and the Bronco did great in the snow and sub-zero temperatures. However I do have a question for future trips on on particular aspect of my off-roading experience.

The basic question is, what is the best mode/way to climb a steep (~ 25 degrees) hill that is covered in snow and has river rock (slippery stuff when wet) underneath the snow?

So to get to where we were, we were travelling over hilly terrain and I was in 4H with the rear locker engaged (I have 7-speed BL) and was doing great. To get to where we wanted to be we needed to climb one of the "benches". A "bench" in Montana is a hill that was formed by rivers (in this case the Madison River) eroding the sides over millions of years. So it has a pool table flat top, and sides that just slope away. We scoped out what we felt was the least steep path, and the least amount of elevation rise (~30 feet vertical rise).

I made the assumption that 4L with the front and rear lockers engaged would be the best option, but about halfway up the hill I lost traction and started to pitch sideways. I took my foot off the gas, let out the clutch and coasted backward down the hill. To me, it seemed like I could not get enough speed and maintain it up the hill in 4L before losing traction. Not sure if it was the gearing or something else (my lack of skill).

So I put it back into 4H, and what was interesting was that the Bronco forcibly disengaged the front locker. My guess is that you have to be in 4L to engage it (I am a newbie when it comes to all the settings). So what I did was get up a bigger head of steam and charged up the hill in first gear in 4H/rear locker engaged and managed to make it to the top, spitting snow and rock from the rear wheels all the way up. The Bronco dug hard on those rear KO2s. I was impressed with how they did on the snow. If I had to climb 10 more vertical feet I don't think I would have made it. When I crested the top, I wasn't going very fast due to slippage.

Was this the best way to approach this type of terrain? Only did it once, but interested to know if I should have tried some different combination of GOAT modes and/or 4WD settings. I am not an off-road aficionado. Other than the off-rodeo, this was the most daring thing I have done in the Bronco.

FYI, on the way down I didn't use Hill Descent Control, I decided to just stay in 4H with rear lockers on and go into crawler gear, and it went down very smoothly.

Any advice for my memory banks would be appreciated.

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[Bmadda]

Hi B6Gers,

So just got back from a hunting trip in Montana (very successful) and the Bronco did great in the snow and sub-zero temperatures. However I do have a question for future trips on on particular aspect of my off-roading experience.

The basic question is, what is the best mode/way to climb a steep (~ 25 degrees) hill that is covered in snow and has river rock (slippery stuff when wet) underneath the snow?

So to get to where we were, we were travelling over hilly terrain and I was in 4H with the rear locker engaged (I have 7-speed BL) and was doing great. To get to where we wanted to be we needed to climb one of the "benches". A "bench" in Montana is a hill that was formed by rivers (in this case the Madison River) eroding the sides over millions of years. So it has a pool table flat top, and sides that just slope away. We scoped out what we felt was the least steep path, and the least amount of elevation rise (~30 feet vertical rise).

I made the assumption that 4L with the front and rear lockers engaged would be the best option, but about halfway up the hill I lost traction and started to pitch sideways. I took my foot off the gas, let out the clutch and coasted backward down the hill. To me, it seemed like I could not get enough speed and maintain it up the hill in 4L before losing traction. Not sure if it was the gearing or something else (my lack of skill).

So I put it back into 4H, and what was interesting was that the Bronco forcibly disengaged the front locker. My guess is that you have to be in 4L to engage it (I am a newbie when it comes to all the settings). So what I did was get up a bigger head of steam and charged up the hill in first gear in 4H/rear locker engaged and managed to make it to the top, spitting snow and rock from the rear wheels all the way up. The Bronco dug hard on those rear KO2s. I was impressed with how they did on the snow. If I had to climb 10 more vertical feet I don't think I would have made it. When I crested the top, I wasn't going very fast due to slippage.

Was this the best way to approach this type of terrain? Only did it once, but interested to know if I should have tried some different combination of GOAT modes and/or 4WD settings. I am not an off-road aficionado. Other than the off-rodeo, this was the most daring thing I have done in the Bronco.

FYI, on the way down I didn't use Hill Descent Control, I decided to just stay in 4H with rear lockers on and go into crawler gear, and it went down very smoothly.

Any advice for my memory banks would be appreciated.

Front locker is only available in 4L. If you have 7mt, you can use higher gears to get more wheel speed. I can start out in any gear from C to 4 (haven't tried 5th or 6th, but at that point wouldn't I be better off in 4H?). Typically use 3rd or 4th for mud holes where wheelspin is needed to clean tires, which is likely what happened to you except w/snow. By spinning the wheels you flung the snow off them and allowed them to get fresh bite. When the frt locker is on in these types of situations the front will slide around and you have very little steering control (as you noticed). The way you did it is fine, you also could have used the tranny to get more wheel speed.

 

[TheKim]

My thought was going to be... a winch?
Sounds like you did great, and got through. Key is just be safe, and don't push yourself beyond your own limits, or don't do anything that could get you hurt.
Snow wheeling is a completely different animal from regular dirt/rock trails. Just takes some experience and some momentum.

 

[zuke]

As you saw with your successful run. the important thing for getting up a slippery surface is momentum. It's also difficult in that situation to change gears without losing momentum. When faced with a climb like that, I try to be in 4L with highest gear that will make the entire climb and maintain that momentum, it sounds like I would have tried to be in third gear.

With an uphill run like that, the front suspension is going to be unloaded for most of the run, so the front locker makes little difference, but when you lose momentum the front end will come down and start to pull, if the surface is slippery on one side, and not the other, with the locker on, it will pull the vehicle to the side that has more traction, and get you sideways in a hurry, So I leave the front locker off on a slippery climb.

 

[tourproto]

Thank you for all the quick responses.

I guess I was a bit lucky in figuring out what to do and stumbled upon the right combination to successfully navigate the hill.

 

[Figmo]

I’ll add to the tips for any future searchers: air down your tires

 

[tourproto]

I’ll add to the tips for any future searchers: air down your tires

Not an option for me (at this time). Have to do a lot of highway driving to get where we were and don't want to do that on aired-down tires, and I don't have an air compressor on board to re-inflate after airing down where the snow covered hills were.

 

[goatman2]

I was going to be a wise ass and say buy a rock bouncer buggy.

A portable air compressor is pretty cheap, 150 bucks, and perfect for that situation. If you're going to go in snow, or off road very much at all, the small investment in a portable air compressor is mandatory.

 

[Oldhippie]

An excellent example why auto trans are much better off roading...shifting does not lose momentum plus torque converter sends smooth maximum torque...ft+rr lockers, 4low, air down, momentum, wheel speed to keep tire clean...the electric fan will not help pull ya anymore

 

[tourproto]

An excellent example why auto trans are much better off roading...shifting does not lose momentum plus torque converter sends smooth maximum torque...ft+rr lockers, 4low, air down, momentum, wheel speed to keep tire clean...the electric fan will not help pull ya anymore

I don't have a manual because it is "better". Originally I did it because those cars were cheaper. The gas savings and long term reliability of the transmission were side benefits. But now, it is what I prefer to drive. If Ford didn't offer a manual, I would not be a Bronco owner. It is that black and white for me. I have never owned an automatic car and God willing, I never will.

 

[kodiakisland]

Not an option for me (at this time). Have to do a lot of highway driving to get where we were and don't want to do that on aired-down tires, and I don't have an air compressor on board to re-inflate after airing down where the snow covered hills were.

I'd guess most of us don't have on board air. A portable compressor is cheap and easy and does the job just fine.

 

[tourproto]

I'd guess most of us don't have on board air. A portable compressor is cheap and easy and does the job just fine.

Count me in that list of folks.

And not that I couldn't buy a portable compressor, but for the one week a year when I am climbing a 20* hill in the snow? Not the best ROI for me. I won't be running around sand dunes or rock crawling (not my thing). I just like going off road to get to places to fish and hunt.

I would rather spend the $150-250(?) on some sort of sheath setup that can slide my hunting rifles or fly rods into along the inside top of the roof line from the back door.

I get that aired down tires may help getting up a snowy hill, but I managed to get up/down OK with normally inflated tires.

If technique and the right GOAT mode can do the job, I am good with that.

 

[kodiakisland]

Count me in that list of folks.

And not that I couldn't buy a portable compressor, but for the one week a year when I am climbing a 20* hill in the snow? Not the best ROI for me. I won't be running around sand dunes or rock crawling (not my thing). I just like going off road to get to places to fish and hunt.

I would rather spend the $150-250(?) on some sort of sheath setup that can slide my hunting rifles or fly rods into along the inside top of the roof line from the back door.

I get that aired down tires may help getting up a snowy hill, but I managed to get up/down OK with normally inflated tires.

If technique and the right GOAT mode can do the job, I am good with that.

I can't imagine not having a portable compressor. A nail in my tire at work and I just plug it and air back up. can't tell you how many times I've used it on other peoples vehicles. What do you do if your tire gets low and you're not at home? I spend a lot of my time hunting in many different states. There is no way I'd drive cross country and then off road to hunt and not have the ability to plug and air up a tire. I'm not calling AAA where I hunt.

 

[tourproto]

I can't imagine not having a portable compressor. A nail in my tire at work and I just plug it and air back up. can't tell you how many times I've used it on other peoples vehicles. What do you do if your tire gets low and you're not at home? I spend a lot of my time hunting in many different states. There is no way I'd drive cross country and then off road to hunt and not have the ability to plug and air up a tire. I'm not calling AAA where I hunt.

I would just put on the spare tire That's why it's there. And plug and re-inflate the tire when I get back home.

I don't plug tires when they are still mounted, so I would have to jack up the Bronco anyway. Will be much faster to put on the spare and get going vs. a plug and inflate IMO.

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