2wd in the snow

[86c10]

I've got an 86 c10 2wd 305/th350, all stock that runs good and I don't have a lot of money in it, just gets used for home depot runs and such. I don't have the money to buy a 4x4 before this winter and probably won't before next winter either. I still need to be able to get through some snow now and then. I'm thinking about an ez locker over a limited slip mostly because I wouldn't have to pull the carrier. How do the ez lockers handle on the street, is  the truck going to be a pain to drive in the snow? My plan would be to put snow tires on and a couple hundred pounds in the bed in addition to the locker. I'm no stranger to driving in the snow, I'm just looking for a cheap 2wd set for this winter in Oklahoma and the following in northeastern Illinois. Thanks for the help. 

[big bear]

i wouldnt go over board man. some weight in the back and an alert driver, you will be just fine.  4x4 is nice, but  not a for sure thing.  you know as well as i do, they can go off the road, get stuck, ect ect as well.  i live here in ohio, the snow belt, and by no means do we get the most snow in world, we get hammered  plenty though. and, ive driven 2wd trucks through it  time after time.

[Elpresidente]

I put an Limited Slip in mine, its just nicer to have all year round.
Then I put some All terrain T/A's on, and put about 150 pounds of sandbags in the box. It made a huge difference in the snow, I was able to take the truck places I wouldn't even consider before.
I did it 'cause I was fed up with getting stuck all the f**king time.

[PromiseKeeper]

Just be careful of what you put in the bed for weight. I used to stack some firewood on the back until someone pointed out that those chunks of wood could become projectiles through the back glass in an accident! Sandbags are safer. If I wasn't hauling, I'd just shovel a bunch of snow in the bed. When the weather got nicer, it melted

The slickest thing I've seen was a guy's truck at work had some kind of weights made to bolt onto the rear axle. He had about 200# right where he needed it and it wasn't in the way.

[zieg85]

I have a brick box that is centered over the wheel well.  I put some cinder blocks in there.  I also have steel studded snows on back on my C10.  Hoping for a posi unit someday for the C20.

[bake74]

     Sounds like you are on the right track.  All the advice is correct about min. amount of snow and 2wd.  It wont help if it is 3 feed deep, but a little yea.  And as stated, driving technique is 90% of any given circumstance.  You give an experienced driver the same vehicle and make up as a 16 year old driver and I would bet money every time on the experienced driver.

[86c10]

I grew up north of Chicago and have driven a lot of 2wd vehicles in the snow over the years, most of the time it was salt/dump trucks, so I know that weight in the bed can get me a long way. I also know that weight and an open diff will only get you so far and sometimes all you need to get out of trouble is some help from that other rear tire. I've heard that lockers in short wheel base vehicles, like a wrangler, can make them hard to handle in the snow. Has anyone had any experience with one in a long bed 2wd?
 

[Elpresidente]

Its works great, but the rear end slides alot if you're not careful.
Im from northwestern Ontario, and alot of people swap out open diff's for lockers/limited slips for winter driving, we must be doing something right.

[86c10]

Its works great, but the rear end slides alot if you're not careful.
Im from northwestern Ontario, and alot of people swap out open diff's for lockers/limited slips for winter driving, we must be doing something right.

Is the sliding predictable with a locker once you get used to them? I've driven cars with limited slips and I'm used to how they handle but have never driven anything with an ez locker type set up. 

[velojym]

. If I wasn't hauling, I'd just shovel a bunch of snow in the bed. When the weather got nicer, it melted

Work smart, not hard. It's nice when your ballast unloads itself.

[mach1mustang351]

I've had good luck with my F350 in 2wd.  I have a good set of all season tires and I am very attentive to the truck and how much pressure I'm putting on the loud pedal. 

[Blazin]

Yeah cinder blocks, and wood are not good. Years ago a guy from my town slid off the road and hit a tree, a few of his cinder blocks came through the back window. One of them fractured his skull, and took his ear right off the side of his head! They re attached it, but to this day its not right. Still kinda mangled looking!

[Irish_Alley]

i know my big truck with 38x16x16 when i broke the front shaft it wouldnt do anything in the snow it had a locker so both tires would just spin on the slightest smooth spot, should of seen me after work when i filled up the gas tank i almost got stuck at the pumps. my little c1500 with a open rear and good tires didnt have any problem as long as the roads didnt have 6+" of snow. i was driving my little truck more than my big one. the tires i know played a big part of this there was just so much rubber with my 79lwb the weight was spread out to far then with my 94swb with 235/75/15s just tore up the same snow my big truck was getting stuck in

[malibu795]

yes locker or any traction device is predictable when working right.
good tires alone cane makes night and day difference. a tire that has alot sipes(most at tires) will work better then a big block tread (most mt tires)
weight
buckets of water std 5 gl is 42lb when full.
they make water bladder that will fit in the bed and can add some 800lb.
weight makes big differences, i have a 900lb concrete block i secure to the gn plate when it gets bad its enough difference to make 3' drifts seam like 1'ers

[Elpresidente]

I prefer sand bags, only because if you do get stuck you can cut them open and throw the sand under your tires for a bit of traction.
And yes the sliding is easy to get used to. its not really a problem once you know how it handles.