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JZ
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If you encountered a snow storm coming down the mountain from Picacho del Diablo
How would you handle it differently from these folks?
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Maderita
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Don't be ridiculous. Everyone knows that Baja is a desert and it never snows!
But if by some miracle it did snow, then I would probably drive at night during the blizzard to have the freshest, untracked snow. Most likely I would
leave it in 2WD, engage the rear locking diff and drive fast. That's the best way to power slide all the curves for 25 miles.
Oh, coming down the mountain? That's different (and not as fun). Would plan for an afternoon descent when the temperature has melted the ice or
softened the snow. Engage the 4WD for engine braking to all wheels. Use low range, downshift, and stay off the brakes to maintain steering control.
Install the chains if it's very icy.
When using a single set on a 4x4, there may be some debate about whether to put the chains on front or rear. Going downhill, I'd prefer the chains on
the rear wheels, especially with a rear locking diff. Better to sacrifice a bit of steering control than have the rear trying to swap ends with the
front of the vehicle.
Cañón del Tajo
Bringing much needed alfalfa to the hungry horses.
Rancho El Topo
Sierra de Juárez, view from Laguna Salada desert.
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4x4abc
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one of my most popular web sites (during winter) is about chains and where to put them.
http://www.rubicon-trail.com/jeep101/chains.html
Harald Pietschmann
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100X
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Wow, much more slippery than it looks. First choice is chains, but not many of these folks seem to have them! Second choice, wait until conditions
improve. If can't do that, drive very slow and be careful with brakes trying not to lock up the wheels and lose steering. Might at least try putting
one set of tires in the plowed snow at the edge of the road.
One of the most fun MC rides I ever had was trying to catch my brother-in-law (expert rider from Utah) in the snow at Laguna Hanson. I figured he knew
what he was doing so mimicked his approach. He fell right in front of me and I had to lay my bike down not to hit him. We were both sliding through
the snow at about 50 and all the spray off him was just piling on me! We still talk about it all these years later.
[Edited on 12-15-2021 by 100X]
A life of fears leads to a death bed of regrets.
Find someone who will take care of you, and take care of them.
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Maderita
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4x4abc,
Good points Harald, and concisely written.
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4x4abc
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I have been part of 2 epic mountain climbs with 4x4 in the winter.
Mount Washington and Vatnajokull in Iceland
early 1990's - long time ago
http://www.4x4abc.com/Carlos_adventures/Mount_Washington.htm...
Harald Pietschmann
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Maderita
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Snow in the SPM National Park this week.
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JZ
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Wow. Beautiful.
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4x4abc
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back to the original question
"If you encountered a snow storm coming down the mountain from Picacho del Diablo"
in Baja you likely did not carry chains
so, that option is out
to maintain braking and especially steering you should substantially air down
I would do 8psi - 10 at the most
like in the video, downhill sections are your biggest concern
the guys with locked up brakes lost their ability to steer - they slammed into the pileup
the ones who were able to stay off the brakes (not easy to do) turned left or right at the bottom
so, same technique on the Picacho road
go as slow as you can downhill (use low gears in manual or automatic)
STAY OFF the brakes should you encounter a little sliding!
be gentle on your steering
a full lock to one side could get you in trouble
even if you are not religious - pray!
Harald Pietschmann
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mtgoat666
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Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  | back to the original question
"If you encountered a snow storm coming down the mountain from Picacho del Diablo"
in Baja you likely did not carry chains
so, that option is out
to maintain braking and especially steering you should substantially air down
I would do 8psi - 10 at the most
like in the video, downhill sections are your biggest concern
the guys with locked up brakes lost their ability to steer - they slammed into the pileup
the ones who were able to stay off the brakes (not easy to do) turned left or right at the bottom
so, same technique on the Picacho road
go as slow as you can downhill (use low gears in manual or automatic)
STAY OFF the brakes should you encounter a little sliding!
be gentle on your steering
a full lock to one side could get you in trouble
even if you are not religious - pray! |
The SPM road has steep grades where going off road edge is certain drop of hundreds of feet or more (you will die), and the guard rails are flimsy
pieces of chit, you don’t want to drive down (or up) on ice…
I would wait it out and drive down when conditions have improved.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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Maderita
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In the late 1970s, I planned a backcountry skiing trip to the Sierra San Pedro Mártir as a series of cold winter storms passed through. The snow
level was not far above the Meling Ranch on the (then) dirt road.
With chains on all four tires, my Land Cruiser FJ40 steadily crawled up the untracked snow. As we climbed toward the upper plateau, the snow became
increasingly deeper. At the same time, the carbureted 6 cylinder engine was losing power due to the effects of elevation.
After a 10 minute stop to advance the timing at the distributor and change jets on the aftermarket Holley carb, we were again making forward progress.
This time, pushing snow with the front bumper. We made it to the plateau, where we enjoyed a few days of skiing the waist-deep soft snow.
Driving down the mountain, my two amigos on skis were towed behind with an old climbing rope. We encountered a short, weathered vaquero riding a burro
up the mountain. He had never seen skis, apparently not even a photo of skis. Smiling in amazement, he called them, "los zapatos grandes".
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4x4abc
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| Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666 |
The SPM road has steep grades where going off road edge is certain drop of hundreds of feet or more (you will die), and the guard rails are flimsy
pieces of chit, you don’t want to drive down (or up) on ice…
I would wait it out and drive down when conditions have improved. |
I had considered waiting for my list
but you might run out of food and water before the snow melts or a grader shows up
Baja is a living example of what many of you dream of
a place with less government
enjoy!
Harald Pietschmann
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JDCanuck
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Never owned a 4 wheel drive, just front wheel drive and drove over an icy pass to/from work 20 years and never lost control or didn't make it to work.
Usually, because I started work early, drove over the pass just before it was closed to all traffic. This is what I noticed: 80% - 100% of the
passenger vehicles in ditches were 4wd (overly confident perhaps?), the rest would be semis, most with chains. It was far less common to see a front
wheel drive in the ditch. Biggest improvements over the years on my vehicles were: electronic traction control (huge difference) and Michelin X-Ice
radials and with these two it was much harder to break traction going up wet snow/icy hills. Steering remained pretty constant but in really deep wet
snow uphill to ski hills you eventually came to a full stop.
Prior to X-Ice radials the most common passenger winter tire up in Icy Canada winters were studded M/S Michelin radials, especially useful on rear
wheel drive cars and trucks. Logging truck drivers kept speeds up around 65-75 mph(or more) on ice roads to prevent sliding down the icy banked
curves.
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JDCanuck
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Another thing i noticed on several occasions in both rear and front drive cars that started sliding when slowing on an icy hill where you had to stop
was throwing the transmission in neutral from drive worked far better and never failed to stop much faster, even with modern abs. Looking at that
video makes me wonder how many of those vehicles had rear wheels driving while the front wheels were sliding.
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AKgringo
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Good advice, especially if your engine is still cold and stuck on a fast idle speed!
I had an old Suburban (carbureted) with a locking rear end that would want to push me through a traffic light unless I took it out of gear. I also
kept it out of four-wheel drive unless I needed the extra traction, and that was almost never when going downhill.
[Edited on 12-17-2021 by AKgringo]
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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100X
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Especially with an automatic, an up/downshift could cause tires to break traction on a slippery surface. Neutral is an interesting suggestion for the
downhills.
A life of fears leads to a death bed of regrets.
Find someone who will take care of you, and take care of them.
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4x4abc
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| Quote: Originally posted by lencho |
I've seen differing opinions about that with most leaning towards not airing down for winter conditions (i.e. snow & ice is not
soft sand).
AKGringo, you're the winter driving guy here, what's your thought on that? |
snow is exactly like sand - you sink in - that creates more resistance
airing down for ice works
less torque per sq inch of tread = less chance of tires breaking lose
I was part of an expedition on a glacier in Iceland
we aired down to 2 psi
those guys live with snow and ice
Harald Pietschmann
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TMW
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I hit an icy snow patch going up a mtn and it stopped me. No chains so I aired down and went on up. Airing down does work.
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mtgoat666
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The subject was ice downhill. Letting air out of tires does not do much good when on sheet of ice going down hill.
Maybe a ripper attachment for trailer hitch 
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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4x4abc
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old husband tales are hard to kill
Harald Pietschmann
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