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

[rtazz17]

I hadn't given thought (and didn't realize) there were super cheap air compressors. Went to Amazon and found one for $23. Says it isn't supposed to be for truck tires, but I'll see what it can do with a Bronco tire.

I'm sure the other road warriors will still make fun of it because it isn't "tough enough", and I still don't plan to air down for what I do and how infrequently I do it, but for the price of a pizza, that sort of item would be worth keeping in the back.

get what you pay for I suppose.

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[BeachTiger]

Just be careful with heat - the cheap little ones tend to get hot, and overheat if you're doing all 4 tires real quick, especially if it's a "light duty" compressor.
I've been using a $50 compressor for a couple years now and it's been fine. It's not as fast as people with the $700 ARBs, but it's also a fraction of the price and gets the job done fine.
I go out probably 1x-2x a month, and use it each time:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077N9PXV3/

Item at link looks good. I just ordered an open-box special one for $42. For the record, I've always carried a 10 lb. CO2 tank, which is nice because you can run an impact wrench off of it too, but my hardcore wheeling days are mostly in the past and the CO2 tank takes up a lot of cargo space.

 

[TheKim]

Item at link looks good. I just ordered an open-box special one for $42. For the record, I've always carried a 10 lb. CO2 tank, which is nice because you can run an impact wrench off of it too, but my hardcore wheeling days are mostly in the past and the CO2 tank takes up a lot of cargo space.

The one I linked is... fine. With how often I find myself going out off road, I'm eventually going to get an ARB, but for now, this will continue to do the trick.

It's slow to fill back up to 39 PSI, but if you're wanting to get at least from 15 back to 30 so you can get home or to a tire shop for faster air, it'll definitely do the job.

 

[deejay08]

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.

This is like the first and second things to get to improve your ability to get through obstacles like this. Be able to air down and air up is the single biggest advantage off road, no exceptions. Of all the things you spend your money on, this is absolutely worth it.

 

[mike8675309]

As you found, the front locker really is only for when you need the extra traction and don't need to steer. In the snow there are two ways of dealing with it.

Since you were on rocks, you needed to clear the snow out of your tire treads and heat up your tires to get traction.

Other times when the snow is deep, fresh powder, and you are unlikely to get to the ground, you want to go slower, and build up snow in the tread blocks to help you pull through the snow, as snow sticks to snow helping both with flotation and traction.

 

[BroncoTrail]

@tourproto I know you're sick of hearing it by now but I'm going to leave these two little links here for ya. Forgive me.

J.T. Brooks Automatic Tire Deflators Pro

VIAIR 400P - 40045, Automatic Function Portable Compressor Kit, Tire Pump, Truck/SUV Tire Inflator, Silver, For up to 35 Inch Tires

 

[KirchTX]

What power tool brand do you have at home? Buy theirs and you already have the batteries and it’ll be better than a $20 one from Amazon.

My 2¢ only

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