I'm talking to someone about trading my fiero for a 2wd suburban I would prefer for this time of year. Though I'm getting alot of crap that its not 4x4 so it will be **** in bad weather. Anyone have experience with this (94 1500 2wd suburban) . I'm not looking to drive in bad weather but if snow hits I wanna be able to get home as it starts to lay on the ground probably most would be inch or 2, with very few hills.


I believe with the wheel base and weight it should be loads better than the fiero plus the rear differential i believe locks.

My brother owned a 2wd Suburban for twelve years. He lived and worked in Mt. Clemens area at the time. He said there were a handful of times he really wished it had been 4wd. Nevertheless he was never stuck. I live a couple hundred miles north of there and drive a 2wd truck with no issues at all. Really good snow tires-NOT "all season" are what works for us. I have Summer rims and tires and Winter rims and tires. Extra weight such as a few bags of tube sand from Home Depot are a good idea. My work tools provide enough weight to give me good traction. I can go through a foot of snow like nuthin'.

quote Originally posted by hammer: My brother owned a 2wd Suburban for twelve years. He lived and worked in Mt. Clemens area at the time. He said there were a handful of times he really wished it had been 4wd. Nevertheless he was never stuck. I live a couple hundred miles north of there and drive a 2wd truck with no issues at all. Really good snow tires-NOT "all season" are what works for us. I have Summer rims and tires and Winter rims and tires. Extra weight such as a few bags of tube sand from Home Depot are a good idea. My work tools provide enough weight to give me good traction. I can go through a foot of snow like nuthin'.

We don't get snow that bad, and if we did I wouldn't be out, mostly this is for if it snows up at my girlfriends when I am there. Her mom hasn't warmed up to her having a boyfriend yet though her brother can have a girlfriend (one of those things) so i'd like to get home if it starts snowing. Or at very least if its that bad I can pull over and sleep in the back.

You're not in a location where you get those ice storms or a lot of slush are ya? That stuff will put ya' in the ditch faster then snow will. This Sub. doesn't have over size or big wide tires does it? Those are what ya' don't want....

quote Originally posted by hammer: You're not in a location where you get those ice storms or a lot of slush are ya? That stuff will put ya' in the ditch faster then snow will. This Sub. doesn't have over size or big wide tires does it? Those are what ya' don't want....

All stock, i have no interest in large tires or Big lifts. We get some slush but no big ice storms, and I drove my fiero in slush and controled it was just more scrarry than i would like.

Deep slush is always bad....long as there is some good tread on the tires, should be ok.

We now drive a 94 burb, first one was an 86 burb 2 wheel drive, and we drove that thing the first years we moved back to Maine from TN. Never got stuck but once and that was during mud season. The trick to driving any rear wheel drive is the tires and weight over the drive wheels, we always kept a couple of bags of sand in the back of ours, just in case.

You never know, even when it is 4 wheel drive.

Just get the biggest lugged tires you can find, I like wild country tires with a serious lug pattern, mud and snow I believe. They are also stud-able if you really want to make sure you can go anywhere. We had the 86 2 wheel drive for ten years and like I said only ever got stuck but once in those 10 years.

Steve

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Technology is great when it works,
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quote Originally posted by Phirewire: I'm talking to someone about trading my fiero for a 2wd suburban I would prefer for this time of year.

How long have you owned a Fiero ? I don't have snow issues to contend with but have read on here many times over the years that the Fiero performs well in the snow.

Four wheel drive is overrated unless you're in some REALLY deep snow or you're up and down dirt roads/mountains. I have a 4wd Blazer ('04). I've had it 4 or 5 years and have had it in 4wd less than 1/2 dozen times. (The Suburban is just a 4 door Blazer on steroids.) I live in northern Indiana and we get enough snow. If you (or your girlfriend) lives out in the boonies, down a muddy road where nobody plows, 4wd is important. If you live somewhere else, I wouldn't worry about it. Like others have said, make sure you have some weight over and just in front of the rear axle. Do NOT put the weight behind the rear axle as that will take weight off the steering axle. With a Suburban, you probably won't need any extra weight. I keep a bag of generic cat litter in the back of my Blazer on the off chance I need to spread some on the ground on an icy patch. (I toss the unopened but generally beat up bag every season. $4 for a little extra piece of mind.) Finally, keep in mind that 2wd v. 4wd doesn't mean jack on ice.

2" of snow? eh.... any vehicle will be fine... even your Fiero

I drive my 4x4 '92 k1500 truck in 2wd most of the time here in the snow belt. I put it in 4wd just to keep things working, otherwise, 2wd. No weight in the back, but I have Winterforce tires, which make a big difference. These are snow/ice tires, not all-season tires. I do keep them on year-around, but that is because I only pull a boat in the summer with it. I have a set of winterforce tires on my Aztek, and I leave them on year around and they really haven't worn any worse than any other tires. So, if you want good traction in the snow, get winter tires.

In MI, you can't run studded tires on the roads and mud/snow tires (with big lugs) are ok for deep snow/mud, but you want the technology of a winter tire, which is an aggressive pattern, sipping (?), and softer compound.

You will probably run into more ice than snow if you only get about 2". So, just drive carefully. Also, get wintertires on all four wheels, as you need to be able to steer and stop

quote Originally posted by cliffw: I don't have snow issues to contend with but ...

... but heh, it is snowing now in Kerrville TX.

You'll be fine in a 2wd. Like others have said - its all about the right tires & weight over the drive wheels.
I drove a 2wd S-10 thru a couple of Maine winters with no problems. Good tires & weight in the bed was all that little truck needed.

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86 GT
87 coupe restoration project.

With decent tires I would think you will be fine. Especially if you spring for some snow tires.

I used to drive my Wrangler around primarily in 2wd when it was snowing. It was fine. I typically reserved going to 4wd only for deep snow, or extremely bad conditions.

I had a 4wd suburban and with good all season tires and the 4wd was nice. Put winterforce snows all the way around and went the next 2 winters without even putting it in 4wd before I sold the truck. So IMO 2wd, + snow tires.


Pete

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88 3800 turbo...10 sec Quarter Mile Member.

You can definitely get around, but I hated taking off so slow from slippery intersections when I had my Suburban that I'd usually push the button to put it in 4WD to get going, then disengage it.

If you're more patient than me, you should be fine.