4X4 question

[90sabre]

Probably a stupid question but please help anyway...
I have a 99 Ram 1500 4X4 and this is my first 4WD truck. When in 4WD trying to get out of deep snow on top of sheer ice this morning it seemed the more I accelerated the more the truck shook. Can someone just tell me if this is normal? Should you feel some shaking when using 4wd in severe conditions?
Thanks and Happy Holidays!

Leo
99 Ram 1500

[crazys182003]

I have never had severe conditions but if you were trying to turn also I can find some shaking believeable. Also were you in 4lo or 4hi? When in deep snow 4lo can be a lot better to use but you gotta stay under 35 mph. which you should be under anyways in severe conditions.

[90sabre]

Originally Posted by crazys182003

I have never had severe conditions but if you were trying to turn also I can find some shaking believeable. Also were you in 4lo or 4hi? When in deep snow 4lo can be a lot better to use but you gotta stay under 35 mph. which you should be under anyways in severe conditions.

I switched to 4 low because 4 high was spinning the tires and making no real progress. So this is when it really started shaking...I was in over a foot and a half of snow with thick ice underneath....so far this truck has been an absolute tank in the snow, I just want to make sure I'm not harming it. ThankS!

[90sabre]

by the way i was trying to turn...

[crazys182003]

with that much yes I can see how it can shake turning. Mine even bucks around when I turn in 4hi with just a few inches on the ground. I don't ususally deal with heavy snow and ice in pa but last year while offroading it seemed to buck around more then offroading without snow and ice. When I am in the snow it seems to buck rather then shake as it is trying to get itself up on top of whatever is in front of you. When you go straight your rear wheels don't have to climb up they just follow but when your turning everything needs to climb up and that to me would lead me to believe it would shake and buck while trying to get up. So yeah my opinion is its normal. But one last piece of my mind if you are gonna be not going far or fast have you thought about airing down your tires? When I offroad especially in the snow I air down to 15 psi when my normal is 45 psi. Airing down will help distribute your trucks weight a little more and you can ride on top of everything rather then having to break through all the crap. The Jeep guys taught me that in the snow they kept riding over top of partially frozen puddles where I would break through and then have problems getting back on top of it all. But you do need to watch your bead that it don't blow apart and seperate. Most times a bead will hold as low as 6 or 7 psi I am told. I haven't dropped my tires below 15 psi and I never had a problem with my beads blowing yet.

[90sabre]

Originally Posted by crazys182003

with that much yes I can see how it can shake turning. Mine even bucks around when I turn in 4hi with just a few inches on the ground. I don't ususally deal with heavy snow and ice in pa but last year while offroading it seemed to buck around more then offroading without snow and ice. When I am in the snow it seems to buck rather then shake as it is trying to get itself up on top of whatever is in front of you. When you go straight your rear wheels don't have to climb up they just follow but when your turning everything needs to climb up and that to me would lead me to believe it would shake and buck while trying to get up. So yeah my opinion is its normal. But one last piece of my mind if you are gonna be not going far or fast have you thought about airing down your tires? When I offroad especially in the snow I air down to 15 psi when my normal is 45 psi. Airing down will help distribute your trucks weight a little more and you can ride on top of everything rather then having to break through all the crap. The Jeep guys taught me that in the snow they kept riding over top of partially frozen puddles where I would break through and then have problems getting back on top of it all. But you do need to watch your bead that it don't blow apart and seperate. Most times a bead will hold as low as 6 or 7 psi I am told. I haven't dropped my tires below 15 psi and I never had a problem with my beads blowing yet.

Thanks for all the info! I'll definately try lowering the air pressure for short trips because I know it is over 40 right now. And yeah, it was more of a bucking than shaking really. Again, I appreciate your help!

Leo