Wet roads-how to handle

[bdd123]

Hey guys, just joined the forum and need a little input. If this question has already come up, I apologize and please direct me to the appropriate thread.

I just took my first trip to the mountains, it has been about the second rain of the season so roads were pretty slick. I was in 2H the whole way since I was on paved road. I took a curve a little too fast and lost traction. Fortunately gained control/traction back quickly and took it easy from there.

But is there any advice for driving/maneuvering through wet windy mountain roads everyone else seems to be taking these turns a lot faster than I was with no problem. I know you don't want to be in 4H on paved road so I was just curious of how you guys handle wet roads.

Thanks,

 

[Madcowranch]

You have to steer with the throttle. Give 'er enough throttle to kick the rear end out, countersteer, then control your line by feathering the skinny puddle.

 

[Bulletnjm]

The general rule of thumb is to just slow down. That being said, there are some people who drive in 4hi in the rain with no issue.

 

[Ditchplains1]

bdd123,
My son can verify that wet /snowy roads can be a handful without weight on the back. Our trucks are nose heavy and like to wag their tails. With proper tires ie NOT bald, the equalizing factor is to put enough weight in the bed to balance the weight distribution. In my 2004.5 Dodge 3500 SRW long bed crew cab I put 420# of sand each winter...(6 x 70# sand tubes). That balanced the Dodge out so that I rarely unintentionally spun the rear tires.
SCREW or SCAB? I would think the SCREW would need 2-300#; the SCAB somewhat less....
Eddie

 

[Backinblack]

If you're running stock BFG's, swap them out for something like Goodyear Duratracs. On wet roads the difference is night and day BME.
You could sipe your tires also. As stated above weight in bed really helps.

 

[bdd123]

I just got it brand new in September so tires are still new. I figured general rule would just be take it slow. I guess I just got a little bold taking the turns. would the hill descent help at all in going back down the mountain or is that only for off pavement? I was just using the down shifting on my way back down to control speeds. Thanks for the replies!

 

[Wilson]

Do the race car maneuver the new tires have oil on them to take out of the mold, also when driving if you let of the gas fast it will slow the tire rotation ever so slightly cousins back spin there for lose of traction on slippery roads. My wife had mine sideways in a bridge at 1500 on the odometer. I put duratracs on and have had good luck.

---------- Post added at 06:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:59 PM ----------

Hill descent is a down hill cruise control if it's slipery I don't ever sugjest cruise control. If you are going under 5 mph hill desent would be good in slippery conditions, read your owners Manuel for proper instructions.

 

[RaptorOO7]

Heck, I found out this past week on just dry but cold roads that a little too much of the right peddle and the rear tires want to spin, it can get crazy or fun in the rain and light snow.

Best thing is to slow down a little and take your time, especially around other traffic, wait till you get out somewhere without other traffic and it's safe to experiment, which you should do to truly get an idea of what your truck is capable of.

 

[Ruger]

bdd123 wrote, "I took a curve a little too fast and lost traction."

This is not a Raptor issue because it is possible to overdrive any vehicle in any weather and road conditions. This is a driver skill issue. You over cooked a curve. Don't do that. Drive the conditions. When in doubt, tell your testosterone to pipe down.

 

[Deleted member 12951]

Do not use hill descent unless you are going really slow and usually when its steep, it uses brakes and engine braking. When I was in Colorado in the winding mountains roads, I went to manual shift mode to keep the gears low and drove within the conditions. Who cares if someone else can take a corner faster....