Lo or Hi range up an icy hill?

[yrbender]

Tried out my new bfg's in the snow last night it was really unreal. I had no trouble anywhere the only was i slid was stopping half way up my drive and it was so bad I slid down backwards. I always view driving on ice like mud so I was in lo range a buddy said I should be in hi to go up a rather long steep icy hill. I did seem like I had trouble getting speed but I made it.

Does the diff auto lock in lo range?

Thanks

 

[roverman]

I would guess hi range, snow mode. Although I don't know about the diff lock as I don't have one. The reasoning would be that you don't want to slip the tires right away and the added torque from the low gearing would probably result in that.

 

[Houm_WA]

Low Range; just take your foot out. You'd want the extra control and engine braking...even uphill. GGS mode starts you in 3rd gear and that should help with the wheelspin. Or you can select an even higher gear in Command Shift if you want. ...but let's say you're on a long steep icy hill and you lose your forward momentum and have to go back down. ...if you can manage to stop, you're going to want to go down in Reverse. I suppose that you can choose that time to select Lo-range and put it in Reverse...but it would be nice to already be there.

The diff will not necessarily be locked in Low; but I believe it would become more sensitive and lock more easily/frequently.

 

[yrbender]

great point. If going down backwards I would much rather be in Lo. HDC in reverse could it get any better.

 

[roverman]

I didn't consider the not getting up the hill part, but since I was in hi range I didn't need to. If it was particularly scary, I'd rather just ride the brakes down and let the ABS do it's job. That would be better in a hazardous situation than letting the vehicle get up a little speed and then try to slow it back down as HDC would do.

Houm, could you elaborate on "the extra control and engine braking...even uphill" comment?

Why do you suppose snow mode starts you out in a higher gear? Because you don't want to induce wheel spin and get all the fancy traction control wizardry started. If you're standing on an icy slope do you take off in a sprint or do you take careful, slow steps and gradually build speed? I suppose low range starting in 3rd or 4th gear might be the same as high range 1st or second gear. I guess the short answer is don't stop on the hill.

 

[drzjoint]

If you used your brakes to much you will be in BIG trouble when going backwards. I have never had any troubble with ICY hills and I have a steep one for my house the escavator told me I wanted it to steep and I would never get out It goes down to the house I told him I would worry about it and he just needed to do it how I wanted and MY WIFE HAS NO PROBLEM. You want just enuf power so you are not spinning and you will be fine. Use LOW if it is long and steep nice and easy with even power and dont punch it or let off and you wil be fine The vehicle will make it you just have to let it do the work for you.

 

[Houm_WA]

Extra control and engine braking:

Basically, what I mean is that in Low Range the vehicle doesn't "get away from you" and start carrying too much speed, because of the low gearing. Uphill, I think you'd want to have that torque available with little throttle input. You obviously don't want to spin tires but it would be nice to get some "go" by using your toes rather than your whole foot. I have found that I can simply control the vehicle much much better in low range because the response is more sensitve.