FMTV Snow and Ice performance?

[ramdough]

So, I have asked the question.... I have searched the forums..... I have seen other people ask the question, but...... I have yet to see a truly direct answer from someone with personal experience.

How well do these trucks perform in ice and snow (open diff)?

Does anyone have any personal experience driving on icy/snowy roads with a Detroit soft locker? I would even like to know about any vehicle if you do not have an FMTV.

Thanks


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[DiverDarrell]

my jeep LJ is awesome in the snow, when i get stuck, i turn on the lockers, when i need to steer, i shut them off. a LMTV weighs 17k, so think of inertia when going down hill. Chains would be a plus. There is also a youtube video of a guy plowing snow with his,if that helps.

 

[tburk49760]

I drive mine a lot. Winter too. Drove it down many a road with more than 2 feet of snow. Drove down roads with dry and or wet snow left unplowed and very rutted. Never any issues for me. Grew up in Alaska so there's that... I plan to add a rear locker at some point just because.

 

[WV New Guy]

My rookie Exp last Jan.

Since you asked and I really didn't research driving a 5 ton in the snow in a Blizzard of 52 inches I would like to share my exp. despite how embarrassing it is . My brother did 20+ years when I sent him the pic the day it happened he said "why didn't you chain it up" . I will be ready this year with weight in the back and chains on the rears for anything over 6 inches . I also replaced all 6 tires as I tore up the ones that were on there trying to climb out before the dozer arrived.

 

[ramdough]

Definitely want a set of chains some day. I hope you were close to home when that happened. Thanks for sharing.


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[ramdough]

my jeep LJ is awesome in the snow, when i get stuck, i turn on the lockers, when i need to steer, i shut them off. a LMTV weighs 17k, so think of inertia when going down hill. Chains would be a plus. There is also a youtube video of a guy plowing snow with his,if that helps.

At present, with an FMTV, Detroit Soft Lockers are the only locker option. So I could not turn off the locker to turn. It would simply do its thing on its own. Would you opt for one if you did not have an on/off switch?


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[ramdough]

I drive mine a lot. Winter too. Drove it down many a road with more than 2 feet of snow. Drove down roads with dry and or wet snow left unplowed and very rutted. Never any issues for me. Grew up in Alaska so there's that... I plan to add a rear locker at some point just because.

Did you drive in Mode?

What are your thoughts on using a Detroit on ice and snow?


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[DiverDarrell]

It's all wheel drive, I'll let mine do what it does. Off road where you can lift a wheel , sand or muddy is where a locker shines. snow and ice, if you need lockers to keep going then you should have put chains on long ago. All comes down to what the end use you are going for is. I'm on the fence for a rear locker myself, as I have a cabin where the road often washes out, is super steep and I plan on towing a trailer up. The YouTube show dirt every day took a Lmtv off road so you can see what it is capable of, and where it got stopped.

 

[ramdough]

It's all wheel drive, I'll let mine do what it does. Off road where you can lift a wheel , sand or muddy is where a locker shines. snow and ice, if you need lockers to keep going then you should have put chains on long ago. All comes down to what the end use you are going for is. I'm on the fence for a rear locker myself, as I have a cabin where the road often washes out, is super steep and I plan on towing a trailer up. The YouTube show dirt every day took a Lmtv off road so you can see what it is capable of, and where it got stopped.

So, my situation is that I will spend the majority of my miles on asphalt going places to get away. Off-road, I will be on dirt and sand the most. Mud just happens, but I don't look for it. Seasonally I will purposefully drive to see snow. In Texas, we get black ice annually.

I have an E-locker in my DD rear and a LS front, that I love having. I use them all of the time when I go off-road. I have never used a Detroit. I would hands down buy two for the rears if I was only going off-road. My concern is the numerous on road miles and ice/snow miles. I am trying to weigh the negatives that I have no experience with. I am contemplating a compromise of only getting one in one of the rear axles.



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[tburk49760]

I only use mode mode�� When needed, not very often... I have owned several vehicles with various types of lockers and would prefer a selectable type. That is not an option here. I have driven with a spool in the rear with no problems.

 

[TNriverjet]

You are correct that traction aiding differentials can cause interesting handling on ice/snow. Lockers or soft lockers are good for off road situations where suspension action is also in the mix. However, my experience has been that standard open differentials are a great middle ground for ice and snow covered roads. As a "next step", I've heard of guys using a soft locker in the rear. This helps to maintain traction on the steering axle.

I would think using CTIS to lower tire pressure would be a great improvement while retaining open diffs.

 

[ramdough]

I wonder if having an open front, open middle, and soft locker in the rear would be a good compromise?


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[Hwhomes]

I have over 1200 miles on mine driving snow packed roads. In short compared to a car or pickup it sucks. The tires seem very hard, must be considering the weight they are rated to carry, and have poor traction on snow pack. Conditions where with a front wheel drive car or a pickup I would have driven with no issues became a tense experience with the LMTV.

 

[coachgeo]

I have over 1200 miles on mine driving snow packed roads. In short compared to a car or pickup it sucks. .... (it's) a tense experience with the LMTV.

Try siping the tires? You'd have to do it yourself though.. ain't no one going to have a siping machine to fit these tires I'd suspect.

 

[Hwhomes]

Not worth it. I just go slower. The LMTV is a low speed vehicle anyway.

 

[mkcoen]

The tires seem very hard, must be considering the weight they are rated to carry, and have poor traction on snow pack.

Are you running the Michelins or GoodYears?

 

[ramdough]

I plan to get the GoodYears. They appear to be better suited for most of my planned surfaces.


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[mkcoen]

I plan to get the GoodYears. They appear to be better suited for most of my planned surfaces.

I would agree. That's why I was wondering what Hwhomes was running on his truck. I think the wider, flater tread would be better on snow/ice compared to the more knobby Michelins.

 

[snowtrac nome]

the tires are like loader tires they have a ton of surface area they make studs for loader tires im thinking of getting a second set of tires just to load them with loader studs for winter. that or chains

 

[Hwhomes]

My truck has Michelins. I have nothing else to compare them too.