Hi guys,
This is my first winter in the XJ and CO just got rocked with a light dusting of snow. Coming from a turbo ford mustang + General Altimax Arctic studded tires -- the Jeep totally sucks!

My problem is probably a attributed to wide 33x12.5 mud tires (Wild Spirit TXR)'s. Not the best tire, but this guy seems to love them in the snow;
http://www.yotatech.com/f2/tire-revi...5-16-a-127975/

I have about 40% tread remaining which sould be good enough for mid-speed street duty, but I have been sideways all day going through intersections where the snow gets built up. Is it OK to run the 231 T-case in part-time 4-Hi at about 30mph? I was told not to unless it was on straight road (where it doesn't really help me).
Snowy on-ramps really scare me (lots of high-speed highways in Colorado), and I have avoided the highway until I get a bit better feel of the Jeep's capabilities.

Will the 4wd help me sharpen up the turning in those situations, or will it just damage my NP231? My roommate has Bizzaks on his Jeep but I don't really have the cash for new tires right now. Turns and stops on a dime though! (and he has full-time 4wd in his WJ)

Wondering if a 242 would be a worthwhile swap for me as well.
Share your winter driving tips and keep me around for another year of random noobish questions, and feeble attempts to add tech info to CF!

 

you can keep the 231 in 4wd as long as you want and as fast as you want; provided the surface you are on is completely covered in snow.

 

And don't drive faster than you are comfortable. Having 4wd doesn't meant you have fly down the highway.

Signs on off ramps are recommended speeds when weather is optimal. If the road is covered in snow, just slow down. If you get sideways 4wd will not save you.

 

Have you noticed that Denver has a giant proliferation of offroad vehicles, but everyone balks at <1" of snow? Seriously the worst drivers I've ever seen.

My lady passed every single person on I-25 today, and she has a FWD Golf. LOL!

I'd say throw a bag of concrete, sand, etc in the back if you don't carry alot of payload. It will help give the rear end some more traction. I juiced it last year turning a corner and did a 3/4 spin. I was going maybe 10mph and I have street tires on mine. RWD is a ***** sometimes. You could go to a thinner tire for the winter to get down to the street.

Best way to get a feel for your truck is to get it out of control. It's a shame driver's education in the states is as poor as it is. As Top Gear or similar showed me, the rally racers all come from countries where they are taught how to maneuver.

But yeah, take it easy. Just be cautious and normal. I grew up in new england, I'm used to this snow. Been figuring out how to not crash since I was 15.

 

Dude I've lived up in summit for 20+ years. Now I'm down a tad bit in elevation, but whatever..
I like to run 9.5' tires threw the winter, cause I feel they cut thew the snow better. The wide mud tires are for floating in soup. Not a good combo with snow, slush, and ice.
Best advice I can give you is try to trade them on CL ( there's pretty of wheeling' folks in your area. Also put it in 4hi ( when starting off ) at stop lights and what not.
I was a tow truck guy for a few years, but before I started throwing cars on the flat bed and running them up and down vail,Eisenhower, Hoosier,...... They took me out to a empty dirtparking lot with a nice fresh blanket of snow, and had me slide that truck every which way to get the " feel " and to see if I could do it. Point is you can do the same with your Jeep. Just take it easy and the rest will come

My favorite thing about the xj is how nice it slides sideways

 

Ok hold on. One thing at a time. First, since they have 40% you can defy start investing in maybe duratracs.

Second, since you have the 231, its time you learn how to drive a jeep. As rude as that sounds you'll be fine if you learn how to properly shift. Its true the 231 is only meant for slippery roads but if a tires it ****ty guess wat even on lightly we roads you can run it and have slippage.

The 231 can be shifted on the fly. At any legal speed just let off the gas, pull the lever to 4hi and put foot back on gas and drive. Go to a parking lot when it snows and practice.

There's a point you get to, specially with offroading, when you can shift in a blink and shifting to 4lo becomes nothing at all.

One thing always is be careful of tight turns. If you feel the jeep "hopping" then its starting to bind. This is bad. Left of gas and straighten out as safely as possible.

You'll be fine. I've had my jeep with bald wrangler street tires through a blizzard and kept better traction than subarus. Its about your skill

 

Best tip I can offer is stay home and off the roads....

 

On icy/snow covered roads:

1. Coast through turns, do not use the throttle during turns. You should be going slower anyway, but using the throttle while going around a curve, even in 4WD, can cause you to slide through the turn.

2. Brake in straight lines, avoid braking while turning whenever possible. Anything you can do to avoid changing the rolling force of the tires while turning is good. Sometimes you HAVE to use the brakes in a curve, but try to slow down BEFORE a curve whenever possible so that you can just roll through.

3. If you lose control, keep your foot off the brake - the steering wheel is your best friend right now. Just correct your steering until it's pointed straight, and THEN you can slow down. DON'T stomp on the brakes as soon as you feel traction loss.

4. If you find yourself sliding toward a curb, assess the situation before you react - what's over the curb? If the answer is "Nothing, just a parking lot/grass", then steer so that you roll OVER the curb instead of hitting the side of your wheel against it. If the answer is "People or objects", then turn away from the curb. You're gonna probably damage your Jeep a bit, but it's much better than going over the curb.

 

Ha, I kind of made it sound worse than it is. Was just super icy this morning, and I have always rocked RWD, but something a bit more nimble (and not 6ft in the air). I have also lived in Colorado for 8 years or so, and hit the slopes every blizzard we get

I was mostly looking for tips specific to wide *** tires. Might just start saving for some duratracs. I just drove around a snowy field and they do great in the powder, just not so good on icy roads.

The tires I have on dont really like to turn, and I can feel the fronts skidding/skipping around at 45mph when I go around a hardpacked/icy turn in 2wd. I'll try it in 4-hi and see how it handles it, it just sounds like I am being rough on the T-case when turning through intersections in 4-hi (kind of slow), so I'm still kind of hesitant to run it in 4-hi too much on the street. I have about 60lbs of gear + a 31" spare that weighs quite a bit, so I do have some weight in the rear. I usually keep the tank over 1/2 full also.

People drive up right up my *** when I am doing anything other than light-speed over here, but slow down to a crawl when it starts raining (I am from FL originally). F'ing weird.
I have never gotten stuck in a Mustang yet either, though the Jeep has the ground clearance thing going on for it (Call Mr. Plow, cause thats my name. That name again, is Mr. Plow!).

 

Here in Alberta we get that kind of driving 6+ months of the year...those wide tires wont do you any favors at all on the ice, your weight is spread out over way too large of an area...my xj is still stock height, so im running 235/75/15 wrangler territorys that I studded...shes almost ready to climb trees now...

adjust your speed for the road conditions, and as stated before go to an empty parking lot and pretend your 16 again...drift and donut to your hearts content, youll learn the feel of the jeep and know how to react appropriately if or when a compromising road situation occurs...

 

This. All of this. When I was younger, my Dad had a 96 XJ with a NP231 and a manual and we did exactly this during a freak Knoxville blizzard - practiced. I'll never forget him going around a corner at opposite lock in 2wheel to only conquer the same corner like a champ in 4hi. Made me a Jeep believer instantly. It's all in how you operate them.

Watch this video for more tips (mainly because I made it in college and just remembered!)

 

Ok a little more.

Front range drivers SUCK big time!!!!!! I-25 is a parking lot not a freeway IMO
Next, white cars/trucks should be outlawed in sertain areas. Why you ask? Well every time we have " white-out " conditions ( in the towing days ) I would always show up foe a head- on collision and a white vechical would be part of another vehicle. CAUSE KNOW ONE CAN THEM ( contrast/lights is important in a white out )
And rember front mangler's don't know how to drive .

 

I literally have no idea what you are saying.