Durango Mom owns 4x4 without traction control/4LD, steep, dirt, icy driveway, traveling w/ infant and bun in the oven, and often afraid to leave house.  What is the ultimate fix for this vehicle's lack of limited slip differentials?

And/or is there a/the best snow, climbing (w/studded snow tires), icy, safe vehicle?  

studded tires can help... sanding/salting your driveway will help... as for you slipping when you get out... they sell slip on snow chains for your feet through cabelas... they've got several different designs... as for a best vehicle on the ice... that's up to each person... i've heard that the jeep grand cherokee is really sure footed for a family vehicle... or a subaru... if you want to switch to a car...  

you want to stay out of low range on icy conditions,
the increased torque to the ground causes you less control of what little traction you have. limited slips will make the vehicle much more inclined to spin out sideways, especially for slow and unsure drivers.

use 4 high and put tire chains on the front tires when needed, very light braking and gas at the same time when slowing down or stopping.

unless you're experienced and a semi aggressive driver there really is no particular vehicle that will do better than another, definitely safer.

for experienced idiot sticks like myself, We can take your neighbors front wheel drive with bald tires and a set of chains and go any where on the snow and ice and then some than most people could or I should say would go with a well equipped 4x4 truck or SUV.  

mudb8-.:
you want to stay out of low range on icy conditions,
the increased torque to the ground causes you less control of what little traction you have. limited slips will make the vehicle much more inclined to spin out sideways, especially for slow and unsure drivers.

use 4 high and put tire chains on the front tires when needed, very light braking and gas at the same time when slowing down or stopping.

unless you're experienced and a semi aggressive driver there really is no particular vehicle that will do better than another, definitely safer.

for experienced idiot sticks like myself, We can take your neighbors front wheel drive with bald tires and a set of chains and go any where on the snow and ice and then some than most people could or I should say would go with a well equipped 4x4 truck or SUV.

I do fully agree that posi, a locker or LSD is not a asset on icy roads. I do not agree at all with this chains on the front tires thing, even on a 4x4 (unless you have them on rear too) Not sure were this concept started. Maybe because engine is up front and more weight is there and such but then you have to have it in 4x4 to use it and with 4x4 comes some directly control issues on ice too. You want chains on rear of a RWD or 4x4.  The reason for this is two fold, first they are your PRIMARY drive wheels and second you want to keep the rear end behind you at all times! When you brake with chains on rear, it will not swap ends while with chains on front it can. Studded tires work really well. My wife has a 4 cyl 5 sp 2wd Cherokee and it wears a set of studded snows in winter (and has all but the first year we bought it new) and it is very predictable on icy roads with no tendency to trade ends ever. It kinda freaked for people out where she works in that a few had 4x4 Cherokees and Grands and put them in the ditch in 4x4 on ice and she plugs along on worst days in 2wd without problems. They trade4d off 4x4's for FWD cars and she is still driving her Cherokee. Also on car/drive type. There is one that is clearly superior stock and that is a FWD (front wheel drive) vehicle. They are very forgiving on ice and do not tend to spin out. With a set of studded tires on it it would be the ultimate ice car.  

awds as most small and mid size suv's are, tend to spin the front tires as their primary drive is the front on acceleration and its a much more secure with the front chained cornering and braking as more brake power also goes to the front. if the rear is coming around a little throttle takes care of that problem, for a full size or even a jeep for that matter, I'm not gonna say its better to have them on the front, thats what works best for me and most other people, it is better to have them on all four no doubt.  

mudb8-.:
awds as most small and mid size suv's are, tend to spin the front tires as their primary drive is the front on acceleration and its a much more secure with the front chained cornering and braking as more brake power also goes to the front. if the rear is coming around a little throttle takes care of that problem, for a full size or even a jeep for that matter, I'm not gonna say its better to have them on the front, thats what works best for me and most other people, it is better to have them on all four no doubt.

Been there done that. It is far more important to keep rear end behind you than gaining a little extra stopping power. Also the theory of trying to power out of a rear slide is silly in that the last thing you want to do is speed up (especially if you are trying to stop to begin with!!!) Again if you have any drive at all on rear wheels you want them on rear. Also 4x4 drive reduces skid control on ice because when you turn your tires cannot all turn at different speeds in a turn when they are locked together in Tcase (axle have different rolling radius in turns) so the wheels must slip some and with front chain in 4x4 the rear tires must slip and increases tendency to swap ends. Actually, with chains on the rear of a 2wd, you do not even need 4x4 at all in winter in even the worst conditions. Studded tires do not do too bad either. BTW, I carry a set of chains in my plow trucks for severe condition and when I use them it is on rear tires. (I might note that my trucks are always ballasted in rear)  

i can see where this is going, do you want cream and sugar for your coffee or just black?  

mudb8-.:
i can see where this is going, do you want cream and sugar for your coffee or just black?

No it is just that I have run plow trucks in the worst of conditions for well over 20 years and have driving without mishap in winter conditions much longer. I know what works and works well and I have seen many in the ditches over the years with what they thought was best and was indeed not. In recent years I have seen far more 4x4 SUV's in ditches in winter than FWD cars. There is a mind set with some of them that 4x4 makes you invincible on ice when noting could be further from the truth. Number one priority in any 4x4 or RWD car on ice is keeping the rear and in the rear and chains on front will not do that.  

you said it yourself, the fwd aren't the ones in the ditch. That's the reason for the crack about the bald tires and a set of chains on a fwd car.
the 4x4 definately gives a false sense of security, people forget they may have to stop or slow quickly. on the awd's such as my 98 2500 hd suburban and every other awd car and suv I've been in the front tires pull on acceleration the rears follow, unless it's in 4h not awd the front tires spin not the rear. when stoping quickly even in wet conditions the front can tend to skid even with anti lock brakes. same goes with the older full time units, thats one reason they are surefooted and steer well.

Anyhow thats the how and why I chain up the front, Ive driven as many miles on ice as I have dry pavement, likewise.  Keep up the good work, I've gotta find me some cream.  

In order to be a true AWD, there has to be a differential off some sort in the transfer case, not clutches the come in and out like with GM 4x4 auto trac systems. I have a old true AWD/fulltime drive system on my old J20 Jeep truck. It has a Quadratrac Tcase in it and it could power wheels at differing speeds in turns and bias power when need be to axle with more traction. It could be locked into a conventional 4x4 drive system too. It was/is the exception to the rule on 4x4 drive on slick pavement and performed really well driving and plowing under the worst conditions and I rarely needed to lock it.  (it is a shame that Detroit does not offer a modern version of this today rather than the clunky auto trac systems that is simply conventional 4x4 drive on and off) And once again your logic on chains in front has two big flaws. First you must be in 4x4 to use it for propulsion (which means axles/wheels  cannot track of ground speed all the time and must slip which means lost traction and control) and second it will do nothing to prevent you from trading ends on slick pavement. RWD with studded tires or chains on rear is far more predictable that 4x4 with chains on front and will offer no big surprises driving it. The added rear traction gives you the shuttle *** or pendulum effect with the mass in front of the added traction keeping it straight, especailly when slowing down.  

your right about the t-cases, I'm sticking the the front, I'll wait up for you when you get to far behind. if i had all that ballast i'd want the rear chained up to keep it from swaping ends to.lol  

You mean when you are far behind on loose it on a icy curvy down grade and figure out that you need them in rear first on a RWD or 4x4 vehicle  

thats long past since I quit putting them on the rear!  

I think you two got off to an argument and forgot about the initial question.

Chains suck at higher speed on a paved highway, and a pregnant woman traveling with an infant is not going to want to get out to put them on and take them off.  Before getting studded tires, check with your state laws to make sure they are legal.  I live in Minnesota and studded tires have been illegal for a very long time.  Proper tire selection helps too, such as Firestone Blizzak (softer compound and lots of serrations). For your own driveway, extra sand/gravel on top of the ice will help too.  

I'll be the one... Snow? What's snow? lol