30 deg climb in temps + snow = Big Ugly plays tow truck in the slush!

[AJMBLAZER]

http://s554.photobucket.com/albums/jj433/AJMBLAZER/?action=view&current=BigUglypullsexplorer.flv

Okay, the backstory. SIL and BIL have a 2001 Ford Explorer 4 door. Nice enough family vehicle now that they have a kid and their dog. Basic SLT with yadda yadda and open difs front and rear with small 16" rim highway tread BFG tires.

Just fine for getting you around in the cities down state...not so great on my driveway when it goes from somewhere in the 20's one day to 54 degrees less than 12 hours later. Saturday was a misty, foggy, humid, suprisingly warm melt off day...the ground even unfroze and most of the water went away. The 8" or so of compacted snow and ice turned into slush VERY quickly.
Right in the middle of this the wife and the SIL decide it's time to go shopping...and made it less than a quarter of the way around our circle drive. Literally stopped dead with one tire on each side spinning and not even throwing slush anymore.
I pulled Big Ugly out, locked the hubs in, put my portable pintle hitch in their receiver (thank god for small miracles - it has a hitch) and put a strap between Big Ugly and the Explorer. Didn't work too hard and just pulled it right out. I think my wife secretly enjoyed it, she was in the Explorer.

Side note Big Ugly fired right up after nearly 2 months of sitting in the garage...now back for probably another 3-4 months.

 

[randyw69]

Down around these parts we refer to those things as "Exploders". If they get more than 1 tire off the pavement at any one time, they are stuck! Always good to see a F@#D pulled by a Chevy.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Eh, it's a nice ride. With a limited slip and/or better tires I bet it'd chewed through the stuff. Mainly needed better tires. My Tracker on 31" muds and XL7 on 29" muds got through it several times that day and both have open diffs.

<----not a brand loyalist, owned a Ranger before this, a Ram before that, a Geo before that...now own a Chevy and two Suzukis.

 

[Dabba]

wow nice, cant wait for mine. You keep big ugly in during the winter months?

 

[Croatan_Kid]

Yes! To keep him from getting rusty!

 

[Dabba]

good idea, my only other cars a civic so id need it during heavy snow.

 

[maritimer]

yeah i live right on the ocean and use the green meanie as a DD so rus tis inevitable, jus gotta keep on top of it before it spreads lol

 

[K45]

That was pretty cool. Not know the area. i got nervous when that one car went flying by in the background. I had no clue what was going on. Brand loyalty is good to a point some people take it so far that are closed minded about other options. As far as the rust part has anyone used a liner like herculiner or linex to their frame to help with the rock salt corasion? The ideal thing would be an indoor undercarage cleaner set up for the nowy enviroment people. Spray down the vehicle every couple of days, would probably make the vehicles last longer.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Yep, Big Ugly stays the winter in the garage. My DD sits in the snow. They don't just salt the roads here...they sorta coat them in the stuff. It's a few weeks after the snow is gone before they are truly clear of the salt. Takes several heavy rains to do it.

Best method is to just not drive these in the salt. The frames aren't the problem so much as the body. Lots of moisture traps in them. Two winters ago I was forced to drive it for about 2 months in the middle of winter and yeah, I have rust issues in places. That's partly Alfa Heaven's fault though...rust free my ass...

All three of my vehicles are 4x4 so unless my DD or the family vehicle break down then Big Ugly is dry and safe in the garage.

Someone buy my house so I can move out of this salty, snowy, cold hell hole...

 

[BobM]

I don't think you even cracked the throttle past fast idle!
My 08 is a saviour in our icy conditions down here. It has already paid for itself this winter alone. I took the comm shelving out last night and plan on getting ny lazy butt up and tackling the seats/racks in a little bit. I want to be able to haul one of the 4 wheelers in the bed.
I'll just clean all the salt off the best I can and then deal with it, I guess.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

I think I bounced it off the rev limiter a few times getting out of the garage...forgot it wasn't truly in 4x4...hubs were unlocked! After that it was fairly boring. I've got a shot of the "Big Ugly tacks" in the slush that show off my grooving rather nicely.

 

[Dabba]

heh, well my tucks gotta sit outside all year long, you can bet ill be applying that oil undercoat by the ton

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Some shots from Saturday. 8" of slush on the driveway. The third shot over are the Big Ugly tracks.

Yes, I parked my Tracker on the porch just so it didn't sink into the slush and then freeze in place overnight...did that once last year and talk about a PITA right before leaving for work...

 

[Martin T.]

Man that looks like fun. Any more vids of your truck in action.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Nope, not right now.