XLR8R

P.S. If you don't want to know everything about vehicle braking, skip down to the middle of the page...

BearKiller

Thank you, Mr XLR8R, that is a very informative link.

When I have more time, I intend to read it all.

XLR8R

I'm sure you'll enjoy it... fascinating stuff!

Texasimport

Take it slow. . . . I have pulled a 7K lb 26 ft toy hauler in some pretty crapy stuff. From high mountian passes to national forest goat trails.

Know when to pull over. . . . . . .your truck will tell you, listen. . .

ontos

I haven't read all the posts here but have read most. If this has been said.....
When you are all done with your trip, wash off the salt, then wash it again. Underneath. A short trip on salted roads is all it takes.It will find all the places and cracks to hide and rot the truck and trailer.

jiMMyCTD

so ive read 2-3 pages on here and havent seen any recovery posts yet. By recovery i mean if the rear slips our from under you whats teh best way to save or re-strightn the load.

The other weekend i was towing bout 6k and knew the icy sections as we came in on them. Next day they were way worse and i hit the road in just 2wd(i know shoulda used 4) i turned down my comp box so it didnt spool quick and on one turn i think i let off a lil to early cuz the trailer pushed the rear out to the left so i leaned on the pedal some and it came back but sailed right through to the right. I jammed the trailer brakes on with the manual lever and corrected with steering and goosing the throtle. It came right back to center but i think it was just luck.... Any insight would be great..

jiMMy

Patrick Campbell

I am sure this is not exactly PROPER, but the first time I got caught going about 70 mph and hit ice... I was pulling a friend's car and started swaying all over the place. I let off, put it into 4 HI and eased back on the fuel... it straightened me out then I slowed down

ontos

Whole new topic for us north latitude folks: 4wheel vs 2wheel.
I don't mean ability to go in snow, but to control in a slide, and ability to steer.
Exhaust brake?
Go slow and recovery is something you get to watch someone else do.
My High School used to take driver ed out on a frozen lake. You can power out of a skid, or steer out, but front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, four wheel drive, standard trans, auto trans, all have different characteristics. Not to mention a PU pulling a trailer. Oops, forgot the posi axle.

AKDODGE

I drive on ice every winter, no chains no studs. don't jump on the pedels, don't drive to over confident (poop happens)
don't panic when sliding with a trailer. apply the go pedel and steer to the edge of the road to get your trailer wheels in the soft stuff if you dont have trailer brakes. If you have them practice using them before you are on the ice.

greatwhite

Question was asked, What do you do to recover? Easiest way to visulize this, is to think of your truck and trailer as a chain. You can't push a chain straight, but you can pull it straight. From either end. First rule, you are out of shape, so it is slippery. LITTLE inputs. Add some throttle, drag the TRAILER brakes onlt a little, and it will come back. If you Grab a whole bunch of trailer brake, it will go the other way. You don't want to lock the trailer up. This works to straighten you up in a trailer swing or jack-knife situation. They AREN'T the same thing. Jack knife means the trailer tries to push the truck sideways.

Highway tractors have ABS. So do most newer highway trailers. If you have hit the brakes on your pickup hard enough to activate your ABS, your trailer brakes are locked. This won't be good.

Anticipate what's coming. Run slower than you would on dry pavement (duh), leave extra room, and remember to make small and smooth inputs (throttle, steering and brakes) and all will be good. You can go down a hill a lot slower than you want to many times. You may or may not do it once if you're going too fast.

The most important thing to remember is that most times, it's not what you do that gets you into trouble, it's what the idiots around you do. Drive your own vehicle at a pace that feels safe to you. I don't chain my truck. If the roads that bad, why would I want to be on it? Let the idiots play together out there. I'm safe and sound in the parking lot. No shame in using your brain.

XLR8R

Excellent chain analogy!

Eskimo

Threshold braking is great, but every production car lacks an item that is VITAL if you want to outbrake an ABS-equipped vehicle - an adjustable proportioning valve to control F/R brake bias.

I'd really like to see someone with a fixed proportioning valve outbrake an ABS-equipped car, most of them now having electronically adjustable proportioning that utilizes the ABS sensors.

Let's say, 3 tests. 1 in a straight line, 1 into a gentle curve, and the last into a sharp curve.

That said, the system on my '98 sucks. But ABS and drums have never worked well anyway.

Sprinter17

About the ABS, a spinning wheel has 0 traction, and ABS prevents this, it 's a good thing but hard for some people to get used too.I've seen plenty of wet road tests, same vehicles,same tires, and the ABS will stop 15 feet shorter every time , and neither vehicle started going into a spin, the ABS vehicles just stopped shorter period. I watch several of these videos when I was a GM tech., they did this on their test tracks, it was actually pretty cool to watch. I even have ABS on my FJR1200 motorcycle, its a such an improvement
for riding in the rain, you can stab the brakes and not slide out.

wilderness

If it's not freezn' out you can use one of those little sprinkler tractors that water the lawn and follow the garden hose back and forth. Just park over it and run it for a while. I don't have the salt prob. in the south but it's handy during a muddy deer season. I also have one of those primeable squirt bottles that I fill up w/ warm soapy water and cover the bottom.

As for the chain push and pull Greatwhite, that was a good perspective. But if you are in a situation where you are alone and have to pull or push something you can put a good tight fitting length of schedule pipe over a chain and it will make it ridgid. And technically push with a chain.