Truck traction

[landingzone]

Since I know many here find themselves in challenging off road conditions, I thought I would ask for suggestions.  One of the camps that I hunt from is steeply uphill on a winding washed out access driveway about 1/4 mile long.  Last weekend I had a very difficult time making it to the top and actually needed a tow at the very top of the rise.  The stones are loose and wet leaves didn't help.  I am driving a 3/4 ton Chevy pickup with a cap.  What bothers me is that three other vehicles made it without much problem.  They included an older Mercury Mountaineer, a older Toyota pickup, and a newish Ford Escape (AWD).  All their track widths are narrower and they can more easily stay out of washout ruts.  It was suggested that I could try lowering my tire pressure to say 40 lb. (It is currently set to the recommended 50 lb. front and 80 lb. rear).  I know chains would work but would rather not go that far.  Currently my tires are 3/4 worn and not the most aggressive.  I'm looking for any other ideas that would help next weekend.

Thanks.

[PeltHunter]

Not just saying it because I drive a dodge but it has a lot to do with your truck being a 3/4 ton chevy. For some baffling reason on the 2500 and 3500 gmcs and Chevys the frames are much lower than the bodies and at the center point of the truck even though the differentials aren't bottomed out the frame actually will be touching enough to stop you or at least break your momentum if there's a hump or anything like that in the center section of the ruts. My buddy has an 07 GMC 2500 classic diesel with 33s and we were going back to a pond to camp and fish for a weekend and he was all the sudden not behind me. I turned around to see what happened and we couldn't figure it out, the diffs were clear and it all looked fine but the frame was dragging just enough that he could back out but not go forward past the hump in the trail without a little tug.

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[Legacy]

Good tires make a huge difference. Highway tires are great for the road but for offroad a more aggressive tire is a must.

[Silver Fox]

Get a 4x4 if you dont have one. 2wd are useless

[landingzone]

Get a 4x4 if you dont have one. 2wd are useless

Sorry, I should have said that mine is a 4X4.

[Sea-IV]

It also might have to do with the weight of the truck to. Every truck you mentioned that made it was 2/3 less than yours. I have a 2015 Chevy 2500 diesel which I came from a 1500 and there is a big difference in where I go now to what I used to with the half ton. More weight and a stiffer suspension mean the tires will spin much easier. Gravity is a **** especially when going uphill even in 4 wheel drive.I changed my tires just because the stock tires weren't cutting it. I paid dearly but the Toyo Open Country tires are the cats meow for me haven't spun yet and I have been through some puckering places where other got stuck. Good luck.

[BSmaster]

if your chassis is hitting that is one thing, but if you are spinning (no traction) then you need tires.  Been stuck in less than an inch of snow (3/4 ton Ford) - bought new and better grade tires and never got her stuck again.  No chains and I used it to plow as well.  Gas mileage is the only downside.  It dips with meatier tires.  Good luck.  I always ask local dealers and not the big name garages  (aka Wal-Mart) for advice and they have never steered me wrong.

[woody 184]

Dick when I had my 2001 chevy 2500 I put cooper at tires on it and that truck would get stuck in the mildest conditions. I put Yokohama geolanders from a guy named wayne wolf on county line rd and that truck was unstoppable after that. I never got stuck ever again including taking it to my buddies place in Barnes Corners snowmobiling multiple times with no problems at all. Very impressed with those tires.

Dale

[John E Powell]

With your truck, which has abundant torque, there are really only two important factors to consider. Tires and differentials. Tires are sort of obvious, but consider what you have now and how you use your truck. If you don't load it to the max, you might be better suited with tires that have softer sidewalls and a more aggressive all terrain tread pattern. You haven't elaborated on the year of your truck, but you may or may not be able to increase the diameter significantly without causing problems with the computer system on newer vehicles.

 

As for differentials, traditional 4x4 systems in trucks, as compared to all wheel drive systems (and others), often have what are called open axles front and back. The wheels are not locked to each other on the same axle so they turn independently of each other. If they were locked together, the vehicle wouldn't turn easily - on dry pavement, it would actually be hard to turn and you would feel a noticeable hop and experience poor handling as the tries break free from the pavement in turns. When turning, the outside wheel needs to turn faster than the inside wheel. It's a common misconception that 4x4s pull with all 4 tires, they really only pull with one tire on each axle unless they have some device to send power to both tires on an axle. 

 

Traction control devices like positraction, limited-slip differentials, or locking differentials alter how the open differential works. Depending on the style, some or all of the power sent to an axle is distributed to both wheels on an axle instead of just one. This is good for traction but bad for steering. You truck may already have a limited slip device in the rear axle. It may or may not be working, depending on the style, factory installed traction control differentials may wear out over time and function as if the axle didn't have the device installed (like an open axle). This would be the first thing to check. 

 

Few conventional 4x4s have posi, limited slip or locking differentials in the front. This is because they can affect the handling characteristics of the vehicle on slippery surfaces. However, front traction control differentials do provide more benefits than rear axles in 4x4 pickups because that is where the weight is.

 

Depending on the axle in your truck and the 4x4 system in your truck's transfer case, you could install a limited slip differential which would greatly improve the traction without too much of a handling penalty when the 4x4 system is engaged. If you decide to go this route, don't go for a full locking device, they're great for raw pulling power, but lousy to drive as both wheels always turn at the same speed (and this is very bad for steering and handling of your truck at anything but the lowest off road speeds).

 

I have Eaton Truetrac in the front and back of my truck and the only thing that will stop it is ground clearance problems where the axle or body hangs up on something. They're sort of old school but are a good balance between traction and handling. I can also recommend the differential from AuburnGear. They offer a similar balance between traction and handling.

 

So, in summary my advice is 1) consider the load you carry and how well the tires match your driving habits. 2) Check for and confirm correct operation of any factory-installed rear axle traction device. 3) Install a front axle traction control device offering a balance of traction and handling (no lockers). This should be all you need, but if you still need more traction 4) consider a similar differential upgrade for the rear. Remember because your truck is nose heavy, upgrading the front axle will make a bigger difference in your truck capability than upgrading the rear end.

Edited November 10, 2014 by John E Powell

[DJ 17]

Not trying to be a smart alec but were you in low gear?

[ray koziatek]

Well put john..........also a few mph 3 or 4 can make a big diff when traversing the last few ft of a hill,dont be banging yer head on the cieling by going to fast,but keep a varing throttle and minumize tire slippage..If ya try to baby every hill it will bite ya in the arse in those conditions..trust me i have only owned 1 wheel dr full size vans for the last 36 years and have been on some pretty bad areas in my hunting ,playing adventures...jumper cables and a good tow rope are "staples" in my van and back in the 15 in tire days chains were as important as a gun ...now i just call my brother for the "good stucks" to pull me out..

[TileMan Dan]

Get yourself a new set of tires. Think quality and an all terrain thread. I run Firestone Transforce AT on my 2012 2500hd and never have problems until wear is about where you are at. No problems on highway but wet grass will make the tires spin with only 1/4 thread left. .

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[John E Powell]

Not suggesting you've got bad recommendations on tires, owned and loved a set of geolanders myself, but check out tire rack's site for good comparative testing and recommendations. With tires, what was great a few years ago are often just good tires today. I've never had a bad set of tires based on their recommendations.

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[landingzone]

Not trying to be a smart alec but were you in low gear?

It is an automatic but in the lowest gear as speed was fairly slow.  I did not have it in low range and don't think that would have helped.

[John E Powell]

Low range probably not unless you were spinning your tires from too much pedal.

I've done a fair bit of off roading, trail riding, and even hobby level off road racing. The problem with 3/4 truck is that their suspension is designed to carry heavy loads. This extra capacity comes at the expense of suspension articulation. Articulation is the ability of a suspension to flex as it follows the ground maintaining close to equal tire pressure. With 3/4 ton trucks, articulation is poor and on uneven heavily rutted roads tire contact pressure on one side can lessen to the point that it will spin freely with very little power applied. This is why I recommend the differential upgrade because it will more equally distribute power to the tire with high contact pressure instead of sending all the power to the tire that turns more easily, that being the one that is spinning and not grabbing. With an open axle, the power goes to the tire with the least resistance, not where you want it the tire with more resistance from traction.

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[bondouley]

Good tires make a huge difference. Highway tires are great for the road but for offroad a more aggressive tire is a must.

its that simple. Good tires equals good traction

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[JimB]

Someone has to be the smart ass here...may as well be me.

 

Save the $600 you will drop on new tires, park your truck at the bottom, and give someone $10 for a lift to the top.....

 

[landingzone]

Don't want to do the tire thing just yet.

 

Someone has to be the smart ass here...may as well be me.

 

Save the $600 you will drop on new tires, park your truck at the bottom, and give someone $10 for a lift to the top.....

 

Above is definitely an option under consideration.

 

For this weekend, I'm thinking about dropping rear tire pressure from 80 to 50 and front from 50 to 40, plus add 400-500 lb. in tube sand over the rear axle.