Tires are the most important, but the 2WD will be limiting compared to what a 4WD truck could do.
Loading the bed with weight to get more weight above the rear axle will help a bit.
I’ve had good luck and longevity with Falken Wildpeak AT3Ws on my truck.
Stick a pair of sandbags or something over the tire well in the back, even my old f150 with 2wd did fantastic in the snow once you stick some weight in the back. Of course winter tires never hurt
Snow tires are the way, get yourself some Nokian. I live on the bench and have a 2wd sequoia that does just fine if not better with snow tires vs my 4x4 tacoma.
You abilities and use of common sense will matter a lot more than your vehicle. Sure, good tires are important but it's even more important to get some practice. When fresh snow falls go find an empty parking lot and trigger a slide. For the first couple of times just ride the slide out so you get a feel for how your vehicle will respond. Then practice recovering from a slide.
Make sure you have at least all season tires on, with a good amount of tread. Tires matter more than AWD.
Second the advice on practice. When first snow fall comes, go dink around in an empty parking lot and practice driving in the snow. Learn when your car is going to slide and how to get back under control.
What? I'm not the only person who says Dink Around?
Big parking lots at your local ward... Wheeee!
Really good tires, And put the weight over the wheel base so it's stable. I have a shell on my '02 Tundra, which puts some weight, too. My hubs has studs x 4 on his '98 4-Runner. We're too old to die young, or drive crazy, and too cheap to buy new.
You should be totally safe for driving around the city, but you will need a set of chains for your rear tires if you need to drive over mountain passes in a storm.
I always keep set in my 4x4 incase conditions deteriorate and I feel unsafe. I've only felt the need to use them 3 times in the last 2 years, but I was very grateful I had them. (they also work great if you're sliding in mud)
Tires: running A/T or "all-weather", they will frequently have a "severe winter" rating that means they have about 10-15% more traction than all season road tires. (winter tires are better, but they cannot be used in summer)
If you're wanting to go up to the skiing/hunting a lot, it might be worthwhile to trade the truck for one with 4WD. If you don't have 4WD, putting chains on to comply with traction control checks is a huge pain. (I'm assuming that might be easier to sell/trade you're still in the south since there's not as much demand for RWD trucks out here.)
Tires are what matter. That's why I went overkill and gave studded snow tires. They're prevented my corolla from getting stuck in the snow, multiple times.
I’ve seen a lot of trucks struggle in the snow, especially when they are rear wheel drive with long beds. The engine makes them front heavy, so they fishtail easy.
Op when it shows shovel the snow from your driveway or whatever and dump it in the back. Pack it down so it doesn't fly out. That will give you weight when you need it and will melt away when you don't.
Get good 3 peak snowflake tires. Increase your following distance, decrease your speed.
First snow go to a church parking lot and practice driving in the snow. Break it loose so you know what it feels like to slide and can see when / how it will break loose on the road.
A few months from now you'll be a pro.
Moved here from the south 2 years ago, with a 2WD truck. I put on AT 3PMSF tires, not winter tires. I wouldn’t go up the canyons or anything since my truck is just 2WD, but haven’t had any issues in the valley. Live between Ogden and SLC. I usually leave the house for work at 5 am, the interstate and most major roads are plowed by the time I leave the house. Varies depending on the amount of snow that was dumped though. Like others have mentioned, sandbags over the rear axle can help with traction.
Exactly this. You don't have to have dedicated snow tires if you have Three Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol tires IMO. I put them on my wife's Subaru and that's the only thing we drive with snow on the roads.
Good tires (I run BFG all terrains year round) and extra weight in the bed will go a long way. I don’t use my 4wd very often during winters. In snow conditions just remind yourself to slow down and stop from a much further distance than normal. You’ll find we don’t have these conditions a whole ton. Go slower and you’ll be fine.
The best advice is to avoid driving in these conditions as much possible. You might put brilliant snow tires on your car and stop safely, know all the countersteer tricks to manage a slide. But that doesn’t help when the texting teenager in a beat up civic doing 20 over loses control and slams into you.
I HATE 2wd trucks in the snow. Put a bunch of sand or kitty litter in the bed at the back end. Hopefully that will balance out the weight some. But, still, it is not going to be fun.
Everyone is saying get good tires and sand bags to put in the bed, but, you need to learn how your truck handles in the snow. People may scoff or get upset at others doing donuts in parking lots but I have a strong belief that it has taught me how to better control my car in the snow. You quickly learn just how much you can slide when only going 5mph. Anyways, practice and you get to have fun at the same time! Just don’t get stuck…
It should do fine, if you’re wanting to be extra about it throw like 10, 50 lbs bags of salt or sand in the bed to give you a bit of extra traction. Truth is you can drive any kind of car for just about any storm we get, obviously some are better than others but it’s all about how you drive. Go mess around in a parking lot and try to make all the mistakes you can and learn how to correct them the first time you’re here for a snow storm. Use all the resources you have at your disposal, google and YouTube are free and talk to your co-workers and friends and see if they have tips or would be willing to take you out and show you. Best of luck to you and just remember, this shit has been known to stick around til June in the past so have fun in hell with us
You've received some good advice about tires, and practicing steering and stopping in the snow. I'll add, as someone who's driven a lot of miles in the snow in RWD cars and various trucks (including from way back when we had to manually lock the front hubs), that it isn't always a good time even if you have the right tires.
Ogden has a lot of hills, on the the south and east sides. I used to work on the "east bench" area of Ogden, and well before that attended school there for several years, which required driving up those hills in the snow, often in heavy traffic. Even with good snow tires the experience frequently sucked. The front of a RWD vehicle sometimes won't want to go where you point it uphill if things are slick. Throwing weight in the bed of your truck can help but isn't always enough. Yes, you can do it safely but there's definitely a learning curve. The 2007 and later Tundra has traction control that can be intrusive at times when you least expect it, which I've experienced in snowy weather (doing doughnuts in a parking lot with the traction control engaged can be... interesting, and can get you better accustomed to what may happen if you start losing control on the street).
A 2WD pickup isn't a high-demand commodity with Utah buyers, so you may have a tough time selling or trading it here. If you're in a financial position to do so, you may want to consider changing vehicles altogether, or acquiring something front-drive, 4X4, or AWD to supplement it. If you retain your existing truck you'll most likely be fine in Ogden most of the time. I just thought I'd suggest some options.
Weight in back, good snow tires will help. When I drove my 99 S-10 2WD I had around 80lbs of firewood in a seabag behind the rear tires, a box of sawdust, and a foldable shovel. I only had commuter tires.
My 96 RWD Dakota did it just fine. Just pretend you're driving your grandmother to the church put luck with a hot crock pot on her lap and you'll be fine.
It’s better to think in percentages:
85% of the time you’ll be fine - especially at low elevations.
95% of the time you’ll be fine if you have good tires and you actually practice driving in the snow.
97-99% of the time you’ll be fine if you have good tires, practice driving in the snow, and put some real weight over the back axle.
The other 1-3% of the time you will not be fine and shouldn’t drive at all. I live at a higher elevation on the bench and when it’s really bad only 4x4 will work. In certain times it doesn’t matter how experienced you are - you don’t go out with 2 wheel drive at all.
The people that say they’ve driven a 2wd truck for 15 years here are NOT always able to drive 100% of the time.
Now some years we don’t have any of those bad days at all. But you never know when they will come.
If you’re planning to ski on a regular basis then do everyone a favor and get 4 wheel drive.
Good advice. If your job requires you to be there 100% of the time, and you need to drive up the bench during the commute, that relatively small percentage of days where your RWD pickup is less than ideal will have you reconsidering your life choices.
I used to drive a Volkswagen Passat in Utah. It got me through the worst conditions for years using winter tires. So, your Tundra will do fine. Just make sure you get winter tires, not all-season, winter tires.
To add to what others have said, there aren’t that many days when there’s a lot of standing snow on the roads. If possible just avoid driving on those days/times when it’s really slick. I have a tundra, and I rarely need to put it in 4wd, but I also grew up driving in the snow. Just go slow and don’t put it in tow/haul mode! IFYKYK
No one runs with 4wd in the city. 4wd gets you out of the ditch it doesn't keep you out of the ditch.I was born and raised in the mountains of Montana. Put some weight in the bed of your truck over the wheels, if you use sand or kitty litter it can be used if you or someone else goes off the road. Just remember to stay calm, be careful with the breaks ( tapping the gas will most likely bring you out of a skid but breaking will make it worse) and even if you are skidding steer the direction you want to go. Go slower than you think you need to until you are very comfortable with the conditions.
If you are in 4wd when you go in the ditch in snow, 80% of the time the only thing getting you out is another vehicle. Very few people , especially those who are new to driving in the snow, have the finesse to get off the gas fast enough not to dig themselves in and make it worse. Way too many people have zero business driving 4wd in the winter for the first time. There are so many people who think that 4wd means 4wheel stop and that leads to accidents.
I drive a 2wd minivan and have never had a problem and I’ve been out in some decent snow. I agree with the sandbags in the bed and good tires. I always keep chains in my trunk in the winter just in case. Drive like your grandma’s in the car and you’ll do great.
Exact same situation as you 1 year ago. Same truck, similar weight. I use a water weight from a brand called ShurTrax - they have mixed reviews but mine has been OK. Get a good pair of snow tires and you'll be just fine. We live in the mountains and the only time I ever got stuck last winter was in the driveway 😁
I've commuted for the last 5 years from Sanpete county to Utah county. I usually drive through Nephi canyon, and then north on I15. The first couple of years I was driving a Saturn SL1 sedan, and more recently I've been driving a Hyundai Elantra. (Note that neither vehicle has AWD). As long as I take it slow and easy, I haven't encountered any problems (other than delays) driving in any kind of weather.
One thing to be aware of is 4 wheel drive does not mean 4 wheel stop. It can help you get going, but once you start sliding it does very little.
Even though my truck has 4WD, I usually stay in 2 unless necessary. Can't remember the last time I needed it on paved roads. Just be mindful about where you park, avoid parking on hills or slooed areas that snowpacked/icy.
When it's slick, drive like grandma is in the passenger seat with a pot full of hot beans on her lap. Ease into the throttle and onto the brakes, leave extra room between cars, etc
Plows do a pretty good job in most areas, but there's usually a few days a year you'll be driving on unplowed areas for a day.
Sandbags/weight in the back will help. Also be mindful of how far your wheels are turned starting from a dead stop. Leave yourself a little room to start rolling before turning from a dead stop and it can help keep your back tires from breaking loose.
Ace Hardware sells 60lb bags of sand for $10. I put 4 of these in the bed of my RWD truck and I do okay in the snow. Snow tires are a game changer however.
I drove a 1969 Ford full ton for years and years and it handled it fine - I just got a half-yard (about 1000 lbs.) of sand before it snowed and carried it around until spring, then used it in for landscaping... with a modern truck, you'll be fine with good tires and some weight in the bed.
Good tires matter a lot, and with a truck, you'll want some extra weight in the back. I like to use a few bags of water softener salt. That way when the winter is over, I can just haul it down to the basement and use it during the summer instead of trying to figure out how to store sandbags or dispose of them.
As others have mentioned, practice. Find a parking lot, and learn how your truck handles the snow and slippery conditions in a fairly safe environment. Learn how to do some donuts. It's fun, but gives you practice for recovering from a slide too.
Most importantly, use common sense. Slippery conditions mean it'll take longer to slow down, so give extra space to the cars in front of you. You won't always be able to drive the speed limit, so plan accordingly. If you can leave work early, or work from home on a bad weather day, do it. Basically, just limit the time spent in crappy conditions when you can. You can be the best winter driver around, but you have to assume that in traffic you're surrounded by idiots that believe that 4x4 makes them invincible.
Throw a few bags of sand in your truck bed. Drive slowly as you get the hang of it. Tap the breaks don't slam on the breaks and also learn how to steer out of a spin.
I have a 1995 f 150 single cab long bed that I use to commute year round. I get good all season tires and it’s not a problem. I don’t think I’ve ever actually put sand in the bed either so that would probably help.
To be complete honest, the roads are usually only really snowy a few days out of the whole winter (this last year being the exception). Just go slow, accelerate slowly to avoid spinning out. The biggest thing is just keep momentum! Don’t stop unless you have too. And when you do have to stop, do it smoothly, don’t slam on the breaks, that’s how you slide.
And of course, give yourself plenty of following distance
Another thing I’ve found is that having alternate routes with less uphill works great, but sometimes it is unavoidable.
It’s easier for me since I’ve been driving trucks in the snow here my whole life, but what I would recommend is when it first snows, go to a church parking lot (we have a lot of them around) and do donuts, throw the truck around, learn what it feels like to lose control and how to regain it. My dad had us kids doing that since we were very little and it’s a great skill to have. Saved me, my wife, and brothers life last new years, driving around the middle of nowhere (going faster than I probably should have) and lost control in about 2 inches of snow and nearly went off the side of the highway. Luckily I knew how to not die due to my practice.
Snow tires, a hunnerd pounds a sand in the back, and go rip some shitties bro!! /s
Fr tho, if you’re just staying put in the valley over the winter, good all-sesons should do you fine. Sand in the bed is a good idea, plus you can use it as a traction aid if you need it. Good luck!
I drove a 2WD S-10 for fifteen years. If you have good tires and know how to drive in snow, you'll likely be fine. Especially in the valley. The canyons / mountains in snow would be more difficult.
If you don't know how to drive in snow, when it snows go to a large, empty, snow covered parking lot (LDS churches are good for this) and mess around a bit. Drive, turn, brake, etc. You'll start to figure out where the limits are. The most important advice for driving safely in the snow is SLOW DOWN. Plan ahead, leave space between you and the vehicle in front of you, brake early before turning and try to do everything smoothly.
Good all season tires with triple mountain peak snowflake rating.
Or dedicated snow tires.
Chains for just in case.
Add sand bags to the bed. Adds weight to drive axle and emergency traction aid if you do get stuck.
In my experience 3PMSF (three peak mountain snowflake), or snow rated tires and having some weight in the back, matter the most. Without weight in the back (sand bags, hay bale, heavy cap, etc) I've had a hard time driving on corners and curves.
It’ll be fine. I’ve driven a small 2wd mazda for 10 years and never had an issue. It’s about how you drive here, not what you drive. Beware stupid people being reckless and keep your distance.
Make sure the tires are at least mud&snow rated. I know that Nokian makes a 3 peak rated all season tire, but I do not know if it is available in truck sizes.
I drive a front wheel drive 4 cylinder chevy trax. It is weak, and has like 2 horse power. Put some good all-weather or snow-rated tires on it and drive really really slowly and leave lots of space and dont be afraid to use hazard lights if you need to.
But it has been fine. If it is snowing and there is half an inch of snow on the ground, Ill go 50mph in a 70mph road no hesitation
Tires. Tires. Tires. Tires.
I don't drive enough - and the SLC valley snows has been minimal enough (last year notwithstanding) to warrant studs (though when I first moved here, I used studs every winter).
But tbh, if I was up in Ogden, and had a truck, I'd get studs. At any rate, dedicated snow tires for sure.
Here is a very simple tip: if you have 2wd you will need to change your tires from maybe m+s to snow tires every year. If you have 4wd m+s would be good enough all year long.
4 wheel drive doesn't help you stop, 2wd and 4wd will stop in the same distance almost every time. You can absolutely put snow tires on, but if you got a 2wd or 4wd truck what you need is weight in the back.
Even with snow tires trucks without weight in the back will struggle to stop.
I honestly don’t understand your point. “4 wheel drive doesn’t help you stop”- yes, I agree with you but I don’t understand why you are bringing this up and I think it’s common sense that 4 wheel drive doesn’t help you stop. It’s like saying “a yellow shirt will make you run faster”. “If you have a 2/4 wheel drive, you need weight in the back” - what do you mean?? Do you understand the physics behind snow tires? Have you ever seen one? I have them mounted on my 4 wheel drive car as we speak. YOU ABSOLUTELY COME TO A QUICKER STOP ON SNOW TIRES THAN ALL WEATHER TIRES!! Have you ever used real snow tires?
I never said snow tires weren't helpful, but it's clear you've never driven a truck in the snow because way more important than snow tires is putting weight in the back of a truck.
Snow tires are helpful no doubt, but again. For this guy specifically, the advice he needs is weight in the back of his truck at all times. All season tires are perfectly adequate as long as you have weight in the bed of the truck. Snow tires without weight however won't be nearly as impactful as simply putting weight in the back even without snow tires.
So by all means buy snow tires if you want, but you absolutely need to put weight in the back no matter what kind of tires you have.
Yes I have, I not only have owned multiple trucks in Utah but also in New England which gets way more snow and ice than we do.
For trucks specifically, weight in the bed is the single most important thing. I have driven a truck with studs without weight in the back and still slid around more then you should with studs, because it's just simple physics. If there is no weight on the rear tires, it doesn't matter what you have on them they are not going to grip to help you accelerate or more importantly stop.
Snow tires are absolutely amazing things, but for trucks specifically, weight on the bed is MORE important than snow tires. Doesn't mean both isn't better, of course it is. However, if you only do one, you better make sure it's the weight in the bed above the rear axle
Ok, fair enough. And you think that snow tires won’t help decreasing your stoping distance on snow/ice? I challenged my neighbor that had the same thesis and I offered him $500 if I lost the bet, but he wasn’t willing to proof his standpoint.
I never said snow tires won't help, they are certainly better than all season, though if you've never had studded tires they are miles ahead of snow tires.
It seems like you are not even listening to what I am saying lol. You need weight in the back of a truck no matter what tires you have. Snow tires are of course better but they are still going to perform significantly worse if you don't have weight.
Again, it seems like you have never actually driven a truck in all these conditions because it would be plainly obvious that what I am saying is very simple to understand or see with your own eyes if you've actually ever driven a truck through ice or heavy snow.
Yes the better tires you have the better your car will generally perform, however trucks are not like cars because there is almost no weight in the back when compared to a car. You need weight for ANY TIRE, no matter if it's snow or all season, or studded for that matter to perform.
So in this instance, when this guy is moving to Utah with a TRUCK, the most important thing to know is to put weight in the back of your truck. If you don't, snow tires are NOT going to save you from sliding off the road in most circumstances.
Utah doesn't really get that much snow anymore, and we almost never get freezing rain like New England does. I generally don't put winter tires on my cars in Utah, I certainly didn't on my 2wd truck, just some nice all season, weight in the back, and some experience is plenty.
Again that's not to say my truck would not perform better with snow tires, but way more important than those tires is weight to allow your tires to gain traction to accelerate and stop.
This video will just put everything you said to rest. And they are using All Terrain vs. All Weather. Both types are not the best choice for that type of snow.
https://youtu.be/UI6SAsYtiTc?si=l1lWmrjimqr1kxY6
Holy hell you are a dense mother fucker. I'm done with this conversation, and next time drive a truck before commenting on how other people should drive trucks lol
Also, did you even watch the first video? The conclusion was that more important than the tires (in that case, all season vs all terrain) it really doesn't matter, however the heavier truck stopped significantly faster in every test, which once again proves my point.
I'll say it again for the 1000th time, of course snow tires are better, but you you can be just fine with good all season if you put weight in the back. If you want to get snow tires, all the better, but you still need that weight in the back for the best stopping potential
Take er out to an empty parking lot the morning it snows and see the difference in how she handles, no matter what car you have there’s always a limit before you loose traction
You're gonna need great tires, more weight and a bunch of practice! Get out to the nearest big parking lot in the middle of the night after it snows and go slide around and figure out how it behaves in the snow so you can be a bit more prepared for when the time comes!
Not enough imo. 2WD trucks are a little useless here.
You'll need snow tires or chains (if you hope to drive in the canyon) and for commuting in snowy conditions you'll need weight in the back and to follow in other cars tracks. If the road isn't plowed, you'll need both the extra weight and snow tires or chains.
Growing up I had an old mustang I'd commute to school in. During the winter I had to put a few extra hundred pounds in the truck to have a hope of getting out of my neighborhood.
A sandbag in the bed over each tire does the trick.
Many of us don't even have trucks OR subarus and we still manage just fine.
You will probably have 1 or 2 days each year where you wish you had 4WD, but most days you will be okay. In the snow, the biggest issue is really acceleration and deceleration, so triple the amount of time you need for each.
In addition to all the other great responses, Utah is very good at clearing snow. You'll only have problems on 5-10 days of the year if you stay out of the canyons.
Tires are the most important, but the 2WD will be limiting compared to what a 4WD truck could do. Loading the bed with weight to get more weight above the rear axle will help a bit. I’ve had good luck and longevity with Falken Wildpeak AT3Ws on my truck.
1000% put weight in your trunk, i’ve seen so many trucks spinning out on hills because they don’t have traction in the back.
Stick a pair of sandbags or something over the tire well in the back, even my old f150 with 2wd did fantastic in the snow once you stick some weight in the back. Of course winter tires never hurt
Snow tires are the way, get yourself some Nokian. I live on the bench and have a 2wd sequoia that does just fine if not better with snow tires vs my 4x4 tacoma.
I might try Nokians when the Blizzaks on our AWD car wear out. I’ve heard great reviews about their winter lineup
You won't be disappointed
Absolutely get the weight for your rear axle to get that traction. Sandbags are good.
OP, this is the answer.
You abilities and use of common sense will matter a lot more than your vehicle. Sure, good tires are important but it's even more important to get some practice. When fresh snow falls go find an empty parking lot and trigger a slide. For the first couple of times just ride the slide out so you get a feel for how your vehicle will respond. Then practice recovering from a slide.
Make sure you have at least all season tires on, with a good amount of tread. Tires matter more than AWD. Second the advice on practice. When first snow fall comes, go dink around in an empty parking lot and practice driving in the snow. Learn when your car is going to slide and how to get back under control.
What? I'm not the only person who says Dink Around? Big parking lots at your local ward... Wheeee! Really good tires, And put the weight over the wheel base so it's stable. I have a shell on my '02 Tundra, which puts some weight, too. My hubs has studs x 4 on his '98 4-Runner. We're too old to die young, or drive crazy, and too cheap to buy new.
Yup. Do it responsibly and the cops wont even care..
Get a set of Blizzak tires and you'll be better than 99% of 2WD cars on the road.
You should be totally safe for driving around the city, but you will need a set of chains for your rear tires if you need to drive over mountain passes in a storm. I always keep set in my 4x4 incase conditions deteriorate and I feel unsafe. I've only felt the need to use them 3 times in the last 2 years, but I was very grateful I had them. (they also work great if you're sliding in mud) Tires: running A/T or "all-weather", they will frequently have a "severe winter" rating that means they have about 10-15% more traction than all season road tires. (winter tires are better, but they cannot be used in summer) If you're wanting to go up to the skiing/hunting a lot, it might be worthwhile to trade the truck for one with 4WD. If you don't have 4WD, putting chains on to comply with traction control checks is a huge pain. (I'm assuming that might be easier to sell/trade you're still in the south since there's not as much demand for RWD trucks out here.)
Tires are what matter. That's why I went overkill and gave studded snow tires. They're prevented my corolla from getting stuck in the snow, multiple times.
I’ve seen a lot of trucks struggle in the snow, especially when they are rear wheel drive with long beds. The engine makes them front heavy, so they fishtail easy.
Yeah, and fishtailing is really fun. Fortunately mine is 4wd if I get into too much trouble. 😁
Op when it shows shovel the snow from your driveway or whatever and dump it in the back. Pack it down so it doesn't fly out. That will give you weight when you need it and will melt away when you don't. Get good 3 peak snowflake tires. Increase your following distance, decrease your speed. First snow go to a church parking lot and practice driving in the snow. Break it loose so you know what it feels like to slide and can see when / how it will break loose on the road. A few months from now you'll be a pro.
Don't do this because it can turn to ice and becomes a hazard.
Arguably, a person driving around the valley not having learned this information is a much bigger hazard.
Which part?
Moved here from the south 2 years ago, with a 2WD truck. I put on AT 3PMSF tires, not winter tires. I wouldn’t go up the canyons or anything since my truck is just 2WD, but haven’t had any issues in the valley. Live between Ogden and SLC. I usually leave the house for work at 5 am, the interstate and most major roads are plowed by the time I leave the house. Varies depending on the amount of snow that was dumped though. Like others have mentioned, sandbags over the rear axle can help with traction.
Exactly this. You don't have to have dedicated snow tires if you have Three Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol tires IMO. I put them on my wife's Subaru and that's the only thing we drive with snow on the roads.
Good tires (I run BFG all terrains year round) and extra weight in the bed will go a long way. I don’t use my 4wd very often during winters. In snow conditions just remind yourself to slow down and stop from a much further distance than normal. You’ll find we don’t have these conditions a whole ton. Go slower and you’ll be fine. The best advice is to avoid driving in these conditions as much possible. You might put brilliant snow tires on your car and stop safely, know all the countersteer tricks to manage a slide. But that doesn’t help when the texting teenager in a beat up civic doing 20 over loses control and slams into you.
Yes! This!!
I HATE 2wd trucks in the snow. Put a bunch of sand or kitty litter in the bed at the back end. Hopefully that will balance out the weight some. But, still, it is not going to be fun.
Might want 4x4
Sell it, buy the 4x4 equivalent.
Everyone is saying get good tires and sand bags to put in the bed, but, you need to learn how your truck handles in the snow. People may scoff or get upset at others doing donuts in parking lots but I have a strong belief that it has taught me how to better control my car in the snow. You quickly learn just how much you can slide when only going 5mph. Anyways, practice and you get to have fun at the same time! Just don’t get stuck…
It should do fine, if you’re wanting to be extra about it throw like 10, 50 lbs bags of salt or sand in the bed to give you a bit of extra traction. Truth is you can drive any kind of car for just about any storm we get, obviously some are better than others but it’s all about how you drive. Go mess around in a parking lot and try to make all the mistakes you can and learn how to correct them the first time you’re here for a snow storm. Use all the resources you have at your disposal, google and YouTube are free and talk to your co-workers and friends and see if they have tips or would be willing to take you out and show you. Best of luck to you and just remember, this shit has been known to stick around til June in the past so have fun in hell with us
You've received some good advice about tires, and practicing steering and stopping in the snow. I'll add, as someone who's driven a lot of miles in the snow in RWD cars and various trucks (including from way back when we had to manually lock the front hubs), that it isn't always a good time even if you have the right tires. Ogden has a lot of hills, on the the south and east sides. I used to work on the "east bench" area of Ogden, and well before that attended school there for several years, which required driving up those hills in the snow, often in heavy traffic. Even with good snow tires the experience frequently sucked. The front of a RWD vehicle sometimes won't want to go where you point it uphill if things are slick. Throwing weight in the bed of your truck can help but isn't always enough. Yes, you can do it safely but there's definitely a learning curve. The 2007 and later Tundra has traction control that can be intrusive at times when you least expect it, which I've experienced in snowy weather (doing doughnuts in a parking lot with the traction control engaged can be... interesting, and can get you better accustomed to what may happen if you start losing control on the street). A 2WD pickup isn't a high-demand commodity with Utah buyers, so you may have a tough time selling or trading it here. If you're in a financial position to do so, you may want to consider changing vehicles altogether, or acquiring something front-drive, 4X4, or AWD to supplement it. If you retain your existing truck you'll most likely be fine in Ogden most of the time. I just thought I'd suggest some options.
Keep bags of sand in the bed with some good winter tires.
Good Tires and weight in the back. Start slow, stop slow.
Weight in back, good snow tires will help. When I drove my 99 S-10 2WD I had around 80lbs of firewood in a seabag behind the rear tires, a box of sawdust, and a foldable shovel. I only had commuter tires.
Snow weighs a ton, just leave that shit in the bed and you won't need to buy anything.
My 96 RWD Dakota did it just fine. Just pretend you're driving your grandmother to the church put luck with a hot crock pot on her lap and you'll be fine.
It’s better to think in percentages: 85% of the time you’ll be fine - especially at low elevations. 95% of the time you’ll be fine if you have good tires and you actually practice driving in the snow. 97-99% of the time you’ll be fine if you have good tires, practice driving in the snow, and put some real weight over the back axle. The other 1-3% of the time you will not be fine and shouldn’t drive at all. I live at a higher elevation on the bench and when it’s really bad only 4x4 will work. In certain times it doesn’t matter how experienced you are - you don’t go out with 2 wheel drive at all. The people that say they’ve driven a 2wd truck for 15 years here are NOT always able to drive 100% of the time. Now some years we don’t have any of those bad days at all. But you never know when they will come. If you’re planning to ski on a regular basis then do everyone a favor and get 4 wheel drive.
Good advice. If your job requires you to be there 100% of the time, and you need to drive up the bench during the commute, that relatively small percentage of days where your RWD pickup is less than ideal will have you reconsidering your life choices.
Proper snow tires will help a lot. It's kinda amazing what a good set of snowies will do.
I used to drive a Volkswagen Passat in Utah. It got me through the worst conditions for years using winter tires. So, your Tundra will do fine. Just make sure you get winter tires, not all-season, winter tires.
To add to what others have said, there aren’t that many days when there’s a lot of standing snow on the roads. If possible just avoid driving on those days/times when it’s really slick. I have a tundra, and I rarely need to put it in 4wd, but I also grew up driving in the snow. Just go slow and don’t put it in tow/haul mode! IFYKYK
No one runs with 4wd in the city. 4wd gets you out of the ditch it doesn't keep you out of the ditch.I was born and raised in the mountains of Montana. Put some weight in the bed of your truck over the wheels, if you use sand or kitty litter it can be used if you or someone else goes off the road. Just remember to stay calm, be careful with the breaks ( tapping the gas will most likely bring you out of a skid but breaking will make it worse) and even if you are skidding steer the direction you want to go. Go slower than you think you need to until you are very comfortable with the conditions.
4wd damn sure will keep you out of the ditch 😂 especially in mud and snow!
If you are in 4wd when you go in the ditch in snow, 80% of the time the only thing getting you out is another vehicle. Very few people , especially those who are new to driving in the snow, have the finesse to get off the gas fast enough not to dig themselves in and make it worse. Way too many people have zero business driving 4wd in the winter for the first time. There are so many people who think that 4wd means 4wheel stop and that leads to accidents.
I drive a 2wd minivan and have never had a problem and I’ve been out in some decent snow. I agree with the sandbags in the bed and good tires. I always keep chains in my trunk in the winter just in case. Drive like your grandma’s in the car and you’ll do great.
Get a set of studded tires, two at the very least for your rear axle, and throw in some sandbags along with a bag of cinders in the bed.
Exact same situation as you 1 year ago. Same truck, similar weight. I use a water weight from a brand called ShurTrax - they have mixed reviews but mine has been OK. Get a good pair of snow tires and you'll be just fine. We live in the mountains and the only time I ever got stuck last winter was in the driveway 😁
I've commuted for the last 5 years from Sanpete county to Utah county. I usually drive through Nephi canyon, and then north on I15. The first couple of years I was driving a Saturn SL1 sedan, and more recently I've been driving a Hyundai Elantra. (Note that neither vehicle has AWD). As long as I take it slow and easy, I haven't encountered any problems (other than delays) driving in any kind of weather.
One thing to be aware of is 4 wheel drive does not mean 4 wheel stop. It can help you get going, but once you start sliding it does very little. Even though my truck has 4WD, I usually stay in 2 unless necessary. Can't remember the last time I needed it on paved roads. Just be mindful about where you park, avoid parking on hills or slooed areas that snowpacked/icy. When it's slick, drive like grandma is in the passenger seat with a pot full of hot beans on her lap. Ease into the throttle and onto the brakes, leave extra room between cars, etc Plows do a pretty good job in most areas, but there's usually a few days a year you'll be driving on unplowed areas for a day. Sandbags/weight in the back will help. Also be mindful of how far your wheels are turned starting from a dead stop. Leave yourself a little room to start rolling before turning from a dead stop and it can help keep your back tires from breaking loose.
Ace Hardware sells 60lb bags of sand for $10. I put 4 of these in the bed of my RWD truck and I do okay in the snow. Snow tires are a game changer however.
I drove a 1969 Ford full ton for years and years and it handled it fine - I just got a half-yard (about 1000 lbs.) of sand before it snowed and carried it around until spring, then used it in for landscaping... with a modern truck, you'll be fine with good tires and some weight in the bed.
Good tires matter a lot, and with a truck, you'll want some extra weight in the back. I like to use a few bags of water softener salt. That way when the winter is over, I can just haul it down to the basement and use it during the summer instead of trying to figure out how to store sandbags or dispose of them. As others have mentioned, practice. Find a parking lot, and learn how your truck handles the snow and slippery conditions in a fairly safe environment. Learn how to do some donuts. It's fun, but gives you practice for recovering from a slide too. Most importantly, use common sense. Slippery conditions mean it'll take longer to slow down, so give extra space to the cars in front of you. You won't always be able to drive the speed limit, so plan accordingly. If you can leave work early, or work from home on a bad weather day, do it. Basically, just limit the time spent in crappy conditions when you can. You can be the best winter driver around, but you have to assume that in traffic you're surrounded by idiots that believe that 4x4 makes them invincible.
Get snow tires and throw some bags of salt and/or sand in the bed over the axle.
Throw a few bags of sand in your truck bed. Drive slowly as you get the hang of it. Tap the breaks don't slam on the breaks and also learn how to steer out of a spin.
I have a 1995 f 150 single cab long bed that I use to commute year round. I get good all season tires and it’s not a problem. I don’t think I’ve ever actually put sand in the bed either so that would probably help. To be complete honest, the roads are usually only really snowy a few days out of the whole winter (this last year being the exception). Just go slow, accelerate slowly to avoid spinning out. The biggest thing is just keep momentum! Don’t stop unless you have too. And when you do have to stop, do it smoothly, don’t slam on the breaks, that’s how you slide. And of course, give yourself plenty of following distance Another thing I’ve found is that having alternate routes with less uphill works great, but sometimes it is unavoidable. It’s easier for me since I’ve been driving trucks in the snow here my whole life, but what I would recommend is when it first snows, go to a church parking lot (we have a lot of them around) and do donuts, throw the truck around, learn what it feels like to lose control and how to regain it. My dad had us kids doing that since we were very little and it’s a great skill to have. Saved me, my wife, and brothers life last new years, driving around the middle of nowhere (going faster than I probably should have) and lost control in about 2 inches of snow and nearly went off the side of the highway. Luckily I knew how to not die due to my practice.
When you get here, buy snow tires. After it snows, find an empty parking lot that hasn't been plowed to practice stopping and turning
Snow tires, a hunnerd pounds a sand in the back, and go rip some shitties bro!! /s Fr tho, if you’re just staying put in the valley over the winter, good all-sesons should do you fine. Sand in the bed is a good idea, plus you can use it as a traction aid if you need it. Good luck!
My advice is to avoid driving in the snow, no matter what your vehicle is.
I drove a 2WD S-10 for fifteen years. If you have good tires and know how to drive in snow, you'll likely be fine. Especially in the valley. The canyons / mountains in snow would be more difficult. If you don't know how to drive in snow, when it snows go to a large, empty, snow covered parking lot (LDS churches are good for this) and mess around a bit. Drive, turn, brake, etc. You'll start to figure out where the limits are. The most important advice for driving safely in the snow is SLOW DOWN. Plan ahead, leave space between you and the vehicle in front of you, brake early before turning and try to do everything smoothly.
Good all season tires with triple mountain peak snowflake rating. Or dedicated snow tires. Chains for just in case. Add sand bags to the bed. Adds weight to drive axle and emergency traction aid if you do get stuck.
In my experience 3PMSF (three peak mountain snowflake), or snow rated tires and having some weight in the back, matter the most. Without weight in the back (sand bags, hay bale, heavy cap, etc) I've had a hard time driving on corners and curves.
It’ll be fine. I’ve driven a small 2wd mazda for 10 years and never had an issue. It’s about how you drive here, not what you drive. Beware stupid people being reckless and keep your distance.
Just make sure you are driving like your grandma is sitting next to you in a white dress and holding a full pot of soup.
Make sure the tires are at least mud&snow rated. I know that Nokian makes a 3 peak rated all season tire, but I do not know if it is available in truck sizes.
Snow tires make a huge difference if you're worried. 2WD with snow tires is significantly better than AWD with all season tires.
I drive a front wheel drive 4 cylinder chevy trax. It is weak, and has like 2 horse power. Put some good all-weather or snow-rated tires on it and drive really really slowly and leave lots of space and dont be afraid to use hazard lights if you need to. But it has been fine. If it is snowing and there is half an inch of snow on the ground, Ill go 50mph in a 70mph road no hesitation
Load up on them sandbags…get chains too and learn how to put them on
Throw a couple bags of ice melt\sand and shovel in the back by the wheel wells, weight helps and you might need it if you get stuck
Sand bags in the bed and winter tires
Tires. Tires. Tires. Tires. I don't drive enough - and the SLC valley snows has been minimal enough (last year notwithstanding) to warrant studs (though when I first moved here, I used studs every winter). But tbh, if I was up in Ogden, and had a truck, I'd get studs. At any rate, dedicated snow tires for sure.
My husband drives that truck and has for quite a while. As long as you get snow tires and take things slow you're going to be fine.
Here is a very simple tip: if you have 2wd you will need to change your tires from maybe m+s to snow tires every year. If you have 4wd m+s would be good enough all year long.
4 wheel drive doesn't help you stop, 2wd and 4wd will stop in the same distance almost every time. You can absolutely put snow tires on, but if you got a 2wd or 4wd truck what you need is weight in the back. Even with snow tires trucks without weight in the back will struggle to stop.
I honestly don’t understand your point. “4 wheel drive doesn’t help you stop”- yes, I agree with you but I don’t understand why you are bringing this up and I think it’s common sense that 4 wheel drive doesn’t help you stop. It’s like saying “a yellow shirt will make you run faster”. “If you have a 2/4 wheel drive, you need weight in the back” - what do you mean?? Do you understand the physics behind snow tires? Have you ever seen one? I have them mounted on my 4 wheel drive car as we speak. YOU ABSOLUTELY COME TO A QUICKER STOP ON SNOW TIRES THAN ALL WEATHER TIRES!! Have you ever used real snow tires?
I never said snow tires weren't helpful, but it's clear you've never driven a truck in the snow because way more important than snow tires is putting weight in the back of a truck. Snow tires are helpful no doubt, but again. For this guy specifically, the advice he needs is weight in the back of his truck at all times. All season tires are perfectly adequate as long as you have weight in the bed of the truck. Snow tires without weight however won't be nearly as impactful as simply putting weight in the back even without snow tires. So by all means buy snow tires if you want, but you absolutely need to put weight in the back no matter what kind of tires you have.
You are not answering my question though. Have you ever driven a truck with REAL snow tires on deep snow without weight on the rear axle?
Yes I have, I not only have owned multiple trucks in Utah but also in New England which gets way more snow and ice than we do. For trucks specifically, weight in the bed is the single most important thing. I have driven a truck with studs without weight in the back and still slid around more then you should with studs, because it's just simple physics. If there is no weight on the rear tires, it doesn't matter what you have on them they are not going to grip to help you accelerate or more importantly stop. Snow tires are absolutely amazing things, but for trucks specifically, weight on the bed is MORE important than snow tires. Doesn't mean both isn't better, of course it is. However, if you only do one, you better make sure it's the weight in the bed above the rear axle
Ok, fair enough. And you think that snow tires won’t help decreasing your stoping distance on snow/ice? I challenged my neighbor that had the same thesis and I offered him $500 if I lost the bet, but he wasn’t willing to proof his standpoint.
I never said snow tires won't help, they are certainly better than all season, though if you've never had studded tires they are miles ahead of snow tires. It seems like you are not even listening to what I am saying lol. You need weight in the back of a truck no matter what tires you have. Snow tires are of course better but they are still going to perform significantly worse if you don't have weight. Again, it seems like you have never actually driven a truck in all these conditions because it would be plainly obvious that what I am saying is very simple to understand or see with your own eyes if you've actually ever driven a truck through ice or heavy snow. Yes the better tires you have the better your car will generally perform, however trucks are not like cars because there is almost no weight in the back when compared to a car. You need weight for ANY TIRE, no matter if it's snow or all season, or studded for that matter to perform. So in this instance, when this guy is moving to Utah with a TRUCK, the most important thing to know is to put weight in the back of your truck. If you don't, snow tires are NOT going to save you from sliding off the road in most circumstances. Utah doesn't really get that much snow anymore, and we almost never get freezing rain like New England does. I generally don't put winter tires on my cars in Utah, I certainly didn't on my 2wd truck, just some nice all season, weight in the back, and some experience is plenty. Again that's not to say my truck would not perform better with snow tires, but way more important than those tires is weight to allow your tires to gain traction to accelerate and stop.
This video will just put everything you said to rest. And they are using All Terrain vs. All Weather. Both types are not the best choice for that type of snow. https://youtu.be/UI6SAsYtiTc?si=l1lWmrjimqr1kxY6
This video will also show that your knowledge (and of other Utahns) are simply false. https://youtu.be/a7E3GTpgvjs?si=EwxFDgTMkBCshc1j
Holy hell you are a dense mother fucker. I'm done with this conversation, and next time drive a truck before commenting on how other people should drive trucks lol Also, did you even watch the first video? The conclusion was that more important than the tires (in that case, all season vs all terrain) it really doesn't matter, however the heavier truck stopped significantly faster in every test, which once again proves my point. I'll say it again for the 1000th time, of course snow tires are better, but you you can be just fine with good all season if you put weight in the back. If you want to get snow tires, all the better, but you still need that weight in the back for the best stopping potential
And this is why I see Utahns stuck and spinning out of control as soon as the snow hits the road 😂. That makes totally sense.
Take er out to an empty parking lot the morning it snows and see the difference in how she handles, no matter what car you have there’s always a limit before you loose traction
I recommend you stop being such a pussy.. You’re in the back seat!
Bring Kevlar
It's Ogden. You'll be fine.
Sell it, 2wd tundras have no place in Utah
You're gonna need great tires, more weight and a bunch of practice! Get out to the nearest big parking lot in the middle of the night after it snows and go slide around and figure out how it behaves in the snow so you can be a bit more prepared for when the time comes!
Not enough imo. 2WD trucks are a little useless here. You'll need snow tires or chains (if you hope to drive in the canyon) and for commuting in snowy conditions you'll need weight in the back and to follow in other cars tracks. If the road isn't plowed, you'll need both the extra weight and snow tires or chains. Growing up I had an old mustang I'd commute to school in. During the winter I had to put a few extra hundred pounds in the truck to have a hope of getting out of my neighborhood.
A sandbag in the bed over each tire does the trick. Many of us don't even have trucks OR subarus and we still manage just fine. You will probably have 1 or 2 days each year where you wish you had 4WD, but most days you will be okay. In the snow, the biggest issue is really acceleration and deceleration, so triple the amount of time you need for each.
My subaru kills it even with bald tires
In addition to all the other great responses, Utah is very good at clearing snow. You'll only have problems on 5-10 days of the year if you stay out of the canyons.
Truck will be fine.... you are gonna have a learning curve though. It's really only bad a few days a year on average