Winter driving in a Blazer

Hey guys, We just had a dump of snow in my town and I've come to realized that my rear wheel drive blazer sucks nuts driving in the snow. It feels like no matter how light I am on the accelerator, the wheels get too much torque too abruptly and spin every time I try to move from standstill. My tires are quite new and are definitely not the problem. Is this a common problem with the rest of you?

Yes I have the same problem with both of my trucks...the solution?....put it in 4x4....

I should have expected a response like that.
Besides the use of 4x4,
Why's it such crap in rear wheel drive?

Oh, But your tires are the problem!

They're all season, which are named wrong. They should be called Summer Tires

If you want an all season get some BFG all terrain KO's
They've got a winter rating, and they work pretty good on my Blazer in the snow.
I do use 4wd, but mostly for a little extra control only when I need it.

I would still recomend studded snows if you have the coin. Get a used set of rims for them and it'll save you in the future.

To get you to the store safely some extra weight will help you a little

Have fun with your all seasons, and be safe

Every rear wheel car will do that. Thats why people put sand bags or wieghts in the back to add traction. Put in 4x4 and its all good.

mountie1982 is right. these trucks have absolutely no weight over the rear axle so it just sits there and spins. The posi helps quite a bit though

Yes when I got my Goodyear Wranglers I noticed a heck of a differance in the snow over the normal all season tires.

5 sand bags in my s-10 seems to help a little bit. other than that, I use 2nd gear start, a lot less sliping.

well the blazer easily has more extra weight on the back tires than an S10 with 10 bags of sand

if you want weight in the back, go to the bar and find yourselfe a nice fat chick, shell provide plunty of weight lol... sen sen, must be your first winter, or maby just the first in rwd... but 4x4 is fine for slow town driving on icy/snowy conditions... not on the highway, not all the time, its time to learn how to re-drive, as every one must, 300 lbs or so over the rear, strap it down, and take it much slower then summer driving

if you want weight in the back, go to the bar and find yourselfe a nice fat chick, shell provide plunty of weight lol...


:grinno: :grinno: :grinno:

hello;
Yes its all in the tires and your heavy foot.I have a 99 S-10 Blazer
I never have a problem with spinning tires.Tires do make a BIG difference
I have a set of snow tires that have an agressive thread(like nobby tires) get yourself a set of cheap rims for winter with agressive tires.use your good rims for the summer with highway tires(with lots of rubber).
Don

get some good all terrain tires with an M+S rating. Use 4x4 as needed an use gears 1 and 2 for going up and down slippery inclines. also, jegs has a new product; I believe its called sure traction or something like that. its a durable bag that is filled with water and provides 200lbs of extra weight. that may be a good alternative to sand or bricks.

this will be my first winter with my own 4x4 vehicle ( camaro was worthless in the snow) so im looking forward to seeing how my jimmy will handle the snow,ice etc. by the way, anyone with abs brakes on their blazer/jimmy have any trouble stopping in the snow. I want to know what to expect.

The key here is itS a 2wd Blazer that Sen Sen ownes.

So that's why I recomended studded snows if he can afford them

The key here is itS a 2wd Blazer that Sen Sen ownes.

So that's why I recomended studded snows if he can afford them
i guess if u don't have 4x4 then thats the next best thing

Hello;
Abs brakes really suck in snow and ice. you wont be able stop(Abs)will prevent you from locking upyour brakes thus you will slide thru intersections and so forth. so start slowing down earlier than usual in slippery conditions. If this is your first 4X4 with ABS brakes,go down some roads that arnt traveled too much and experiment to get the feel of your 4x4 with abs systems, so that you will know how much it takes to stop at intersections.When i got my first 4x4 with abs,it spooked me,(slid right into a intersection)but i learned very fast.Luckily it was early in the morning.
Don

Be carefull too, the abs works differently in 2wd than it does in 4wd. In 4wd it allows a little bit of lockup

Funny , my Blazer came with a few videos, one specifically on how to brake with Abs, Abs reduces the distane required to stop and gives you control of where to steer. Rule with Abs, foot down hard, keep it down, steer clear o obstacles, you'll stop faster and safer. You don't treat abs like you would normal power brakes (like in a 78 firebird)

Mytwo cents, Xpc.

Funny , my Blazer came with a few videos, one specifically on how to brake with Abs, Abs reduces the distane required to stop and gives you control of where to steer. Rule with Abs, foot down hard, keep it down, steer clear o obstacles, you'll stop faster and safer. You don't treat abs like you would normal power brakes (like in a 78 firebird)

Mytwo cents, Xpc.

Can you possibly tell us all who made that video?
Or better yet if they have a web site.

It would just be nice if everyone can watch the video on-line.

How do I drive in the winter time??

With a short sleeve shirt and the windows down. :grinyes:

blazee;

Do you even know what snow is? :grinyes:

blazee;

Do you even know what snow is? :grinyes:
Yeah, it's the stuff that you get at the mall, it comes in a cone with flavoring on it. :screwy:

Yeah, it's the stuff that you get at the mall, it comes in a cone with flavoring on it.

:grinno: BlazerLT might send us all a pic of what it really looks like! :grinno:

Yeah, it's the stuff that you get at the mall, it comes in a cone with flavoring on it. :screwy:
LMAO

I forgot that you live in the snow belt too DM

lol yeah, reasons the dime is parked from november till aprilish... but its ok, i might not have a licence to drive on this summer... im makin a thread on it now...

lol yeah, reasons the dime is parked from november till aprilish... but its ok, i might not have a licence to drive on this summer... im makin a thread on it now...

:crying: That's 1 thread that I'm not looking forward to reading :crying:

Here is a pick of what happend when you travel late at night in the middle of a snow storm on an iced up highway


http://img220.imageshack.us/my.php?image=badday1ta.jpg

http://img220.imageshack.us/my.php?image=badday1ta.jpg

yep, and hes lucky it didnt roll on him

Thats bad, theres snow outside now and more coming tommorow.Im actually looking forward to reading the thread.

The key here is itS a 2wd Blazer that Sen Sen ownes.Actually I do have 4x4,
dmbrisket 51[/b]] must be your first winter, or maby just the first in rwd... I've always front wheel drive vehicles until I got this blazer, I'm just surprised at how shitty this truck drives in the winter.

But to add to that, just the other day my 4hi stopped working, The truck will still go into 4low, but it seems like the switch will no longer activate 4high.

Suggestions?

suggestion, vaccume actuator... comment, the dime handles better in the winter then my 89' firebird (seen one winter b4 paint), or fullsize chevy ever did

Can you possibly tell us all who made that video?
Or better yet if they have a web site.

It would just be nice if everyone can watch the video on-line.


It came with the Blazer, and as far as I know it was a chev or gmc Video.

~Xpc

Hello;
Abs brakes really suck in snow and ice. you wont be able stop(Abs)will prevent you from locking upyour brakes thus you will slide thru intersections and so forth. so start slowing down earlier than usual in slippery conditions. If this is your first 4X4 with ABS brakes,go down some roads that arnt traveled too much and experiment to get the feel of your 4x4 with abs systems, so that you will know how much it takes to stop at intersections.When i got my first 4x4 with abs,it spooked me,(slid right into a intersection)but i learned very fast.Luckily it was early in the morning.
Don
this is not my first time driving an abs equipted 4x4 vehicle. we have a 97 grand cherokee that i have used in the snow before and had no problems. With the abs on blazers/jimmys being so god damn sensitive, i wanted to know have they react in the snow. we are expecting 3-6 inches of snow within the next 24hrs so I am anxious to take the truck out.

this is not my first time driving an abs equipted 4x4 vehicle. we have a 97 grand cherokee that i have used in the snow before and had no problems. With the abs on blazers/jimmys being so god damn sensitive, i wanted to know have they react in the snow. we are expecting 3-6 inches of snow within the next 24hrs so I am anxious to take the truck out.


The ABS in my 99 work great in the snow. They stop you quicker than without them.

this is not my first time driving an abs equipted 4x4 vehicle. we have a 97 grand cherokee that i have used in the snow before and had no problems. With the abs on blazers/jimmys being so god damn sensitive, i wanted to know have they react in the snow. we are expecting 3-6 inches of snow within the next 24hrs so I am anxious to take the truck out.


THE ABS ON THE BLAZERS ARE VERY SENSITITVE, HOWEVER THEY AREN'T ALL THAT BAD. I HAD BFG LONG TRAILS AND THE TRUCK JUST WOULD NOT STOP. GOT MY NEW TIRES, PARNELLI JONES (M&S TIRE), AND THE THING STOPS NO PROBLEM. SO MY OPINION CRAPPY TIRES, NO GO AND NO STOP. GOOD TIRES GO AND STOP WITH NO PROBLEM! REMEMBER YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR :cya:

I HAD BFG LONG TRAILS AND THE TRUCK JUST WOULD NOT STOP. GOT MY NEW TIRES, PARNELLI JONES (M&S TIRE), AND THE THING STOPS NO PROBLEM. :cya:

I'm looking for new ires in the spring, can you give me your opinion on these.

And if possible supply pic's. I've never heard of that brand.

I want something pretty agressive looking that works good.

I got the video with when the car was new too. And the abs works great as long as you stomp the brakes and keep it stomped!

Why shouldn't you use 4wd on highways?

Just attached a bush bar to my truck last night.(thank god i have a heated garage to work in)
Here's a pic of the blazer and the shitty wheather today,
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/7311/pict00016kk.jpg

but I think looks great!

Nice Blazer there Sen Sen

I'm looking for new ires in the spring, can you give me your opinion on these.

And if possible supply pic's. I've never heard of that brand.

I want something pretty agressive looking that works good.

http://photobucket.com/albums/c378/the87hyper/th_p39407.jpg

The tires are awesome so far. Did the muddin thing... no problem. They're great in the rain and snow as well. Haven't had a chance with them on ice yet, but then again nothing is good on ice.

I paid about 140.00ea for these.

I'm looking for new ires in the spring, can you give me your opinion on these.

And if possible supply pic's. I've never heard of that brand.

I want something pretty agressive looking that works good.

http://photobucket.com/albums/c378/the87hyper/th_p39407.jpg

The tires are awesome so far. Did the muddin thing... no problem. They're great in the rain and snow as well. Haven't had a chance with them on ice yet, but then again nothing is good on ice.

I paid about 140.00ea for these.

Ill take a picture of the tires tonight when i get home that will give you a better image, the one i posted doesnt do them justice.

Why shouldn't you use 4wd on highways?
the t case cannot handle it, it is 4 wheel drive, not all wheel drive, its not ment to be taken over ~45 mph... they can and eventually will unload on ya

Those look exactly like what I'm looking for the87hyper.
Nice agressive tread patern.

I hope that they come in the size that I'm looking for.

Price isn't too bad for a quality tire either.

Nice Blazer there Sen Sen
Hey man, I noticed you live in BC, can you answer me this question, What's considered "Interior BC"? everything not on the island or is it a certian part of BC?

That's a little difficult to say Sen Sen.
The interior probably starts somewhere 60 miles inland from the water. There is a mountian range in that area, and I consider everything past that mountian range as interior, and everything before it as coastal.

the t case cannot handle it, it is 4 wheel drive, not all wheel drive, its not ment to be taken over ~45 mph... they can and eventually will unload on ya

What is the difference between the AWD and 4wd transfer cases?

thanks

to be honest im not intirely sure how AWD works, i am a machanic, and i am a tec student, but i havnt taken the auto or manual transaxil classes yet, only way i can think of awd working is 3 out-put shafts, one to each front tire, and one to a rear diff... if you will notice on a dry day, if you havnt already... put blazer in 4x4, turn the corner on dry pavement, feel it buck? of corse you do, now, hop in your TT audi and make that same turn at the same speed (or however fast you want it is forign after all) notice you didnt buck? therse something different in the setup between awd and 4 wheel drive... i do know that when in 4x4 the front and rear wheels are not spinning at the same speeds, its close but its not exact as it is with awd, and i have seen several cases in the shop over summer months (monday mornings, when people are returning from running in the dunes/on the lake michigan shore line) and forgot they were in 4x4 and hopped on the highway home and now have a problem, the problem is the front (or rear depending on your luck) end unloaded and there isnt anything left of your transfer case... i mean its not my truck, and no one ever seams to beleve me, even the customers that just payed over a grand to have a new t case installed, so do as you wish, im just tryen to save you some $$$... on a snowy blowing cold as shit winter morning, driving under 50 mph (80km/h for you kunuks) go for it, you will get the benifit of awd because you never fully get traction, but the 4x4 option was made for low speeds on not so solid ground... not the interstate

Thanks for your reply.

I am trying to figure this out. My parents have an AWD astro van and it looks identical to my jimmy. Same transfer case, 2 output shafts (front and rear), but no stupid vacuum switch. The internals of the transfer case must be different, but I don't know how so, or why they would be.

The awd has clutches in the tranfer case that allows the front and rear to turn at different speeds. With 4x4 they are locked.

they have to disenguage around a corner in awd, thats something major right there, and the vaccume switch is missing becuase it is never enguaged or disenguaged, it is built into the system... maby its something with an output shaft to shut off, like the rear end does around a corner so only one wheel has power? all speculation, after my auto trans axil class ill get back with ya, it will be ayear from now, no one will care and youll know by then , but still

in an all wheel drive transfer case, there is a differential in the tcase just like there is in your rear axle. This allows each of the wheels to turn at a different rate. when in 4wd (lock on some models) it locks the front and rear axle together so for ever revolution the front axle does, so does the rear.

When turning it would be useful for the front and back to spin independently, but at highway speeds you are basically going straight so it wouldn't matter if they were locked or not because both front and back are going the same speed anyways (slip clutches not needed). That's why I don't understand how it could be any worse for the transfer case than AWD.