Safe to drive this fast in 4lo?

[Breezy]

TRANSFER GEAR RATIOS
LO 2.48:1
HI 1.00:1

GEAR I
gear ratio: 2.86
mph/1000 rpm: 2.8 LO, 6.9 HI
max test speed LO: 17 mph@6200 rpm
max test speed HI: 43 mph@6200 rpm

GEAR II
gear ratio: 1.62
mph/1000 rpm: 4.9 LO, 12.2 HI
max test speed LO: 30 mph@6200 rpm
max test speed HI: 75 mph@6200 rpm

GEAR III
gear ratio: 1.00
mph/1000 rpm: 7.9 LO, 19.7 HI
max test speed LO: 49 mph@6200 rpm
max test speed HI: 115 mph@5850 rpm

GEAR IV
gear ratio: 0.71
mph/1000 rpm: 10.0 LO, 27.2 HI
max test speed LO: 68 mph@6200 rpm
max test speed HI: 115 mph@4250 rpm

The thread I found this info on:
http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=5624

For instance, I go to school at Michigan Tech in the UP of Michigan and we get like 250+ inches of snow a year. If I'm out playing on the unplowed roads, which I do every snowfall, should I just leave it in 4hi and let TOD do its thing, or would it be okay to drive around in 4lo on roads with snowpack and 1-2 feet of powder on them? I've been a surbaru guy for a long time, so I'm not sure how to utilize true 4x4 in the snow.

[Triathlete]

In 4lo I have gone 40-45 and the vx sounds like it is working way to hard...plus your gas mileage would definately be in the single digits!
I think I'd stick with 4hi unless you thought there was a chance of getting stuck.

[deermagnet]

There's really no reason to stress the system by driving long distances or high speeds in 4-lo. I've got thousands of miles behind the wheel of a VX in the snow. Mostly on plowed roads, but I like to go out in a storm and have fun. When I had A/T tires I would go up steep, unplowed hills in both hi and lo. Mostly I just keep it in drive and let the TOD engage when needed.

You really only need 4-lo on steep, unplowed hills or in very deep drifts or spots you may bog down. Just stop and use 4-lo if you're not sure. You'll figure it out when the storms start. A/T tires make a huge difference, but they wear out much quicker and are not as smooth and quiet as less aggressive tread. The VX does very well in the snow with something a notch or two below A/T tread.

If your ABS still works, you might wanna pull the fuse to disable it in the snow. Our ABS makes it very difficult to make a quick stop in the snow and it can get you in some real trouble. Experiment with it in the first snow so you don't get surprised later.

Mark Griffin (a VX lifer) :_steering

[deermagnet]

And get plenty of pics when the snow starts. The VX loves posing in the snow.
We've had the wettest year ever recorded in PA. Hopefully it'll continue and we'll get lots of snow here and the UP.

http://www.wtv-zone.com/markg/imags/541.jpg

http://www.wtv-zone.com/markg/imags/533.jpg

http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/mgpa/img/vx5/1375.jpg

Mark

[atilla_the_fun]

http://www.farmersalmanac.com/weather/2011/08/29/2012-us-winter-forecast/

I find this to be pretty accurate! It predicted last year's MN, and the year before that the heavy snow in MD and VA

[Riff Raff]

IIRC, I believe the VX Owner's Manual talks about the Max Speed in 4WL and I think it's around 60 MPH max (I'll have to verify that fact with the actual O.M.).

My method of driving in the snow is to cautiously drive with prudence in normal 4WH (TOD) and feathering the gas pedal at all times. If the scenario gets very dangerous or becomes very hilly with steep accents and decents, then I pull over/stop and engage 4WL and continue on at <40 MPH (in 4WL) and then later re-engage 4WH (TOD) when the road becomes sane once again and levels out flat.

My very best advice is to have a set of Snowflake/Mountain rated tires on your VX. Since you're VX is 2000 model, I assume you're running 18" rims. Here are probably the two best 18" A/T tires for the VX and are Snowflake/Mountain rated:

A. PRO-COMP - All Terrain in 285/60R18 (31.3" O.D./43 lbs)

B. General - Grabber AT2 in P275/65R18 (32" O.D./44 lbs)

:bgwb:

[atilla_the_fun]

The Nitto Terra Grapplers are also A/Ts that are supposed to have good to great snow traction, but are not snowflake rated.

[VX KAT]

http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/mgpa/img/vx5/1375.jpg

Man, this is one of my all time fav pics Mark!
Sometimes I miss growing up in PA.

[Breezy]

Thanks guys. I actually was reading up on VX KAT's stuff and decided I wanted the Cooper Zeon LTZs. I found an evenly worn set with 18,000 miles on them for just $100. They still look like they have great tread life on them. I should get them on next week hopefully. I believe those are M+S rated, right? Anyone have any experience with the Zeon in snow? I'm so excited for winter. I've been running a Subaru Impreza the past 3 or 4 years and we bundle up, grab tow straps and go cruise the backroads every time we'd get a good snowfall. I really enjoy just pulling random people out of ditches. My problem with the Subaru though became a lack of ground clearance and just not enough power coming from the 2.2 horizontal 4. I'm expecting quite a bit out of the VX from what I've read so far. I just haven't seen it myself yet. CAN'T WAIT!!!!

[Breezy]

Oh and the Zeons I got are 285/60R18 so they should be the exact same as VX KAT's that she just sold :)

[tom4bren]

I always get a kick out of people putting a 4WD in 4LO for snow. Snow is all about traction and too much power can actually be detrimental. As long as the TOD is operating as advertised, you'll get the same traction as 4LO so save it for rock crawling.

X2 on disabling the ABS for snow. I almost hit a tree once (not in the VX) pulling out of my garage because the front tires were on ice & the rear wheels were still on dry pavement in the garage - front wheels were locked & sliding on the ice whilst the rear wheels were still pushing it forward. Luckly the hand brake was ... well, handy.

[Breezy]

I don't think my ABS works lol. I've read all the threads and have decided mine went bad and the LED on the dash burned out or was removed. Either way the ABS doesn't function.

[Gussie2000]

My ABS litght came on since last year,can't care less about it so simply went ahead & twist the pin related to the light in the module.

Here in the once upon a time great apple sanitation crew & their plow trucks does pretty well covering our vehicules with the plowed snow ( I'm not proud about it ),one morning during last winter i had to shovel plowed much snow in order to reach the driver's door handle.

The weight of the plowed snow shifted the VX about two inches towards the edge of the curb ! oh new york,new york !

And since the snow is plowed quickly i just turn on the winter mode.not much of a excitment though

[JAMAS]

I have a set of Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armors....S/M rated.....Quiet too....hence the name.. LOVE 'EM!

Seeing those pictures gets me excited for winter. Hope we have some big snow this year.

[PittVXr]

The only time I have used 4Lo in the snow was to c r e e p down a hill that had not been plowed, but had been well traveled. The snow had been packed down pretty well, so it was almost as slick as ice. In 4lo and the tranny in 1st gear I could go about 5mph down hill. It allowed me to stay in control. For everything else in the winter, the 4hi TOD does just fine.

Max speed of 68mph in 4lo??? I don't know about that...

[Etfren]

My only time I have driven a VX in snow I used 4-Lo the whole time. Totally stock with not-so-great street tires on some old logging roads that hadn't been plowed and hadn't had to much traffic on them, so just 2 grooves cut out. Got stuck going up a hill in normal TOD mode so that when I put it into 4-Lo and just left it. Tried winter mode for a bit but that was way worse than normal. Maybe good for light snow on pavement, but useless off-road in snow.