I read so many people have so many issues that it's scary. A couple nights ago I took the JKL and the wife it was purchased for out for a dirt road drive. We travelled down a road where we knew snow drifts had been but expected the drift to be gone and it wasn't. I drove the JKL into the drift at about 30 miles per hour only to be stopped short of the other side. This very moment I wished I had put that shovel in it that I had put off. I got out and looked at the situation, it was buried in the drift and the dread set in. I got back in the JKL and put it in 4 low, reverse, it grabbed snow and dirt and plowed its way out of the mess I put it in. That's what it's for. Now I won't just go try to stick it again but there must be others with experiences that made them proud of the Jeep. This was with just the stock GoodYear passenger tires.

 

30mph into a drift?!

I grew up in Marquette, MI which if you don't already know means TONS of snow in the winter. (It's in the upper peninsula) I would NEVER dream of hitting a drift at 30mph and don't recommend it. At that speed, you can pack a ton of snow around the engine under the hood and not even know it's there. If it packs around the radiator fan, it won't spin, and you're going to overheat. As the radiator heats up, that packed snow will quickly turn to ice. Good luck getting it out without damaging the Jeep unless you park it someplace it can thaw out.

In summary, do NOT drive into deep snow or drifts at speeds over 10mph (even that is fast). If you get stuck at 30mph, it'll take a LOT of shoveling to get free, and the risk to the Jeep is just too great. Besides, what if there is a huge rock, stump or log under that snow?

Tom
Bryson City, NC

 

Am I ever glad that I am not the only one that hasn't upgraded his tires- Ilike them. I have the stock Goodyears and have twice been in a situation where only a JEEP would do.

My son and I went snowmobilling on the Holland River. Where we park there was no room in the parking area so we had to make our own spot in the forest area. 4hi and dragging a trailer we busted drifts and dragged our undercarriage in the snow. A little slippery but no problems. I figured we would just back carefully out.
After our ride (that was a great day) somebody in a pickup thought he could do as we did but couldn't. He also parked blocking our exit. We pulled the trailer and ourselves up some sharp hills through the forest to get out- no big deal in 4lo-kind of reminded me of driving a tractor (real slow). The looks on bystanders faces as they spun their tires and here we were walking our way through snow not touched by humans this year.

The standard tires are good enough- try them and if you get stuck THEN upgrade. You might be surprised what they can do.

 

Still have the stock tires on mine, haven't taken it through anything more major than a Maine winter & a few dirt roads. The goodyears work fine!

I really want black wheels, and will probably get some nice tires for the summer, but if I end up wearing out the stock tires before I replace the wheels, at least I got use out of my initial purchase!

 

Fear of snow drifts????

Last time I checked we all drove JEEPS not some rice rocket!

I gotta say that I hit em hard and have never ever (okay maybe once or twice) paid the price. There is something about causing a huge plume of snow as you pound through it that make my testerone elevate.

If it gets stuck or snowed in, no big deal- ITS A JEEP!!!

Tellling someone that they can't hit a snow drift is equal to saying that we can't go offroad at all.

That's my 2 cents.

 

Unfortunately for your testosterone levels, he's right. If there is a rock or log, or even just a very frozen snowbank hiding under that snow drift, and you hit it at 30MPH, you're talking (at the very least) destroyed suspension components, setting off air-bags, injured passengers if they aren't wearing their seatbelts, etc. Same goes for driving through water of unknown depth.

There are certainly some obsticles that require a little momentum or a bump to clear, but 30MPH is insane.

-E

 

When I say I drove into a snow drift, it was an old drift, very hardened by melt and refreeze. The jeep drove over it for some distance before crushing through it to get stuck. There was never any risk of breaking anything but my pride when it settled into the icy TRAP. Then on second thought I tried to back out of the TRAP and was very happy when the JEEP backed out of it relatively easily. The next morning I still put a nice shovel in the back of it so it's there for me next time. The stock tires are doing well but I still plan on BFG's or MTR's, 32x10.5. I have TRXUS Mud Terrains on my YJ and nothing stops them but they were hard to balance well.

 

It is a beautiful thing. BTW... did you ever hear of a famous dive called the triple LynDi ?

 

I'd have to agree about not hitting them too hard. I hit a snow drift at about 25+ mph... except it was a solid ice covered by snow. I had been going through them all day with no issues. Well, to say the least, it sent my jeep flying to the air. I actually heard my passenger yell out mommy. (Now that was funny, but you had to be there) Well, it was a YJ and one tough jeep. I landed on the front wheels, the back ones hit the ground and I took a second bounce. After I came to a stop, I checked out the suspension and all was good. Learned a good leason and slowed down after that.