what is the best nanny setup for driving on snow covered streets

[JP7]

The Raptor is flat out amazing in snow, you just have to learn its not a 1980's f150. Where you shove it in 4wd and give it hell. You have to learn the technology and trust it (to a certain extent). Definatly, taking it out and playing with the different settings and figure out what works for you.

This is my second winter with it and I'm still learning - but I agree GJM.

It will surprise you sometimes, as I can get both rears spinning on a hill without T/C kicking in.
And as I drive in T/H ass mode {sidetrack hijack - someone really needs to come up with a 'smilie' TOW/HAUL/ASS} all the time, be wary of high speed downhill shifts as if the terrain is icy and lumpy, you could find yourself sideways. Don't ask how I know.

Seriously, to any of us that have to deal with snow, and driving on highways at full speed - the electronics are different than any truck I've been in. I had a high speed mishap last winter trying to pass a Cherokee on the highway. Gave it too much gas and went sideways in the turn - but the electronics kicked in and ABS'd the front tire that was on the turn side - and it straightened me out quickly. Because I wasn't used to it, I had already counter steered - but that wasn't necessary, and so my countersteer almost caused me to wipe out the other way.

Moral of the story is - play with the damn thing in every condition you possibly can so you can have a comfort level with all conditions and all settings electronically.

 

[Droid]

The best way to figure it out is to play with your truck in a safe environment.
There is a thread somewhere in the Offroading section where IRONMAN posted a chart about what everything does electronics-wise.

If you are a old-school off-roader then turning ORM on and fully disengaging trac control will make the Raptor perform like you're used to. Although it does sand-bag the gas pedal, but that's another thing to learn.

I pulled a truck up my driveway yesterday which has 2 s-turns and a 15% grade. I left all the electronic shit on, and muscled through it without the nanny controls kicking in.

The truck is smart as far as traction goes, and you need to play a bit to figure out where you need wheelspin will be better or just let the truck do the work.

I totally agree on the playing-with-it-in-a-snowy-parking-lot routine. Find a good location when it's DRY that you know is free of obstructions (curbs, parking stops, lightpoles, other fun hidden things) and that you can get some good speed in with a big safety margin. When I first moved to Illinois way-back-when I did this a good bit in my 2wd Ranger and then 4wd Z71....learned a hell of a lot. It's very important to know when it's going to let go and how to get it back before you need to do so.

With regard to the Raptor...which I've yet to have in snow...
Does the traction control light blink on when it's doing independent wheel braking and what-not? I'm in socal, so no snow here (at least at sea level), but I've played around with mine and it seems to behave like a standard tail-happy pickup truck (albeit with a bit more balanced) in the wet. I have had the back end break loose in a couple (deliberate) quick turns in the wet with all the nannies supposedly engaged and the stab control didn't seem to perform any corrections at all, had to countersteer until the nose became pointed in the direction of the inertia again. This is the first vehicle I've owned with anything more than ABS.

 

[Squatting Dog]

Here is how Ford's activetrack with RSC is supposed to work.

The ABS module watches the steering angle sensor, yaw rate sensor, wheel speed sensors and the brake input. The module is comparing the driver’s requested steering against the body’s response to that request. If the body does not respond to the driver’s input, or the driver does not respond far enough to the body‘s movement, then the module will apply and release the brakes as needed to use brake-steer to correct the body’s movement. Imagine what would happen if the rear of the vehicle were to begin to slide in a turn and begin to spin the vehicle around. The module would see the driver’s request for steering direction. It would see that the body of the vehicle has suddenly taken an exaggerated course, and it may also notice a sudden speed value change in the rear wheels. It would then “know” that the driver has entered a slide. At that time, it would likely apply the brakes to the wheels on the outside of the turn to help prevent the vehicle from entering a 360 degree spin-around.

Now, image a similar case, only this time it is the front wheels that break traction and the body of the vehicle is not responding to the driver’s demand to turn. The module would then “know” that the body is moving in a straight line when the driver doesn’t want to go straight. It would then likely apply the brakes to the wheels that are in the inside of the turn to brake-steer the body into the driver’s desired course. Now, imagine a system that also has RSC ability. If the driver enters a turn that is too sharp for the speed, then the ABS module will “know” by watching the roll sensor that the vehicle may be entering a rollover situation. In which case it may take measures to quickly slow the vehicle down.

To be aware of and compensate for the driver’s brake pedal efforts, the ABS module watches the brake pedal switches in the active brake booster. The module is aware of the combined brake hydraulic pressure created by the driver’s pedal efforts as well as the module’s own brake efforts by watching the brake pressure transducer. If needed, the module can command ignition timing retard and induce misfires as needed to lower engine torque during an IVD or traction control event.

The module does not just sit there and wait for something to go wrong before it reacts. If it did, then it would likely respond too late. It is constantly measuring the body’s roll-rate in turns. It decides when the vehicle is in a situation where rollover is possible. It will then take needed actions to reduce the engine torque and change brake torque as needed before it is too late. So if the vehicle bogs, skips and slows down going around curved interstate exits ramps. It could be a problem with the roll-rate senor or it could just be that the ABS module is trying to save the driver’s life.

 

[Ruger]

That's very, very good for 5:49 AM, Mr. McManus. Thank you for the explanation. You've earned your coffee, sir.

 

[JP7]

I'm gonna skip GJM's post as I haven't had enough coffee yet to interpret that one.

But Droid, the electronics on this thing when there is zero traction are interesting to say the least. My street is typically hard packed snow in winter, as it is one of the last to be plowed. I can floor it coming out of the driveway cranking a hard right turn, and the truck will fishtail - yet within a second, the electronics cut power and ABS hits a tire and the truck straightens right out before going more than 30 degrees off the intended direction.
That's at slow speed.

Last night coming home I pulled out to pass some slow idiot and I was doing 60km (35mph?) The tranny hit 2nd, and I had two wheel peel all the way up the hill which was wet, but not snow covered. It was kinda cool, but the electronics didn't react as I thought by killing power or hitting ABS - maybe it was because I was in a straight line.

So play with it - what I have found is that I never really trust the electronics, as they can sometimes work in your favor and sometimes not.

 

[JP7]

That's very, very good for 5:49 AM, Mr. McManus. Thank you for the explanation. You've earned your coffee, sir.

(pictures GJM passed out with face on keyboard)

 

[Squatting Dog]

(pictures GJM passed out with face on keyboard)

I actually did this last night and I knew it was more than 160 characters. So I copied it to notepad just in case tapatalk wigged out when I submitted it. And when I hit submit there was only the first sentence. So I dicarded the post, and tried it this morning and it worked.
Definately have a love-hate relationship with tapatalk!

 

[SPRSNK]

You are not a better driver than modern ABS, and you can not apply the brakes individually to straighten out a slide.

Yes, I am a better driver than modern ABS and traction control. BUT, I am trained for it. Having the T/C and ABS in full effect has thrown me into a boulder because the computer didn't like the 4 wheel drift sideways I doing (desert, smashed A Arm and cracked frame. Driver error because I did not take into consideration that all the damned nannies were turned on).

IMO for the average person, leave your shit on, turn 4wd on and drive slow. There is a time and place to go nuts. The street isn't one of them.

 

[6.2]

Agreed ^




-Sent from my iPhone

 

[swoop1156]

Yes, I am a better driver than modern ABS and traction control. BUT, I am trained for it. Having the T/C and ABS in full effect has thrown me into a boulder because the computer didn't like the 4 wheel drift sideways I doing (desert, smashed A Arm and cracked frame. Driver error because I did not take into consideration that all the damned nannies were turned on).

IMO for the average person, leave your shit on, turn 4wd on and drive slow. There is a time and place to go nuts. The street isn't one of them.

So wait...you know about threshold braking, apexes and shit like that? I love knowing how to drive without nannies. I hate technology and dealing with it daily in my career further makes me believe that technology is becoming smarter than the humans using it.

It's really sad to see all the things that sell well, flourish and become popular are the things that make human life more lazy.

I love driving and "******** around" or "getting-to-know" your vehicle is a MUST to know how it's going to react.