S10 2wd in snow
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Once apon a time...
The only country with FWD was France. The Citroen was the first FWD buggy... like back in the late thirties. Traction avant.
RWD vehicles worked fine with real snow tires.
S10 = weight in back and some real snow tires.
Believe it or not, the skinnier the snow tire, the better the traction.
My plow rig had 6.70 x 15s on it (way skinny).. not even radials. You couldn't stop it.
I say - have fun in the snow.
The only country with FWD was France. The Citroen was the first FWD buggy... like back in the late thirties. Traction avant.
RWD vehicles worked fine with real snow tires.
S10 = weight in back and some real snow tires.
Believe it or not, the skinnier the snow tire, the better the traction.
My plow rig had 6.70 x 15s on it (way skinny).. not even radials. You couldn't stop it.
I say - have fun in the snow.
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16,795 Posts
Bald tires give poor traction even on 4wd
ALL terrain tires aren't meant for snow either.
For a few years now a few companies have been making winter rated all terrain tires designed to be better in snow.
My current favorite winter/ all terrain is the Goodyear Duratrac because it has met the required standards to be dual classified as both an all terrain and as a winter tire. Only size they come in that would fit a 2wd S10 is 235/75/15 and they're around $185 each++.
They also look a lot like the old fashioned snow tires. Not like those funny Blizzak's with no tread that the Lexus crowd loves.
LSD would also help. (No not that LSD)
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ALL terrain tires aren't meant for snow either.
For a few years now a few companies have been making winter rated all terrain tires designed to be better in snow.
My current favorite winter/ all terrain is the Goodyear Duratrac because it has met the required standards to be dual classified as both an all terrain and as a winter tire. Only size they come in that would fit a 2wd S10 is 235/75/15 and they're around $185 each++.
They also look a lot like the old fashioned snow tires. Not like those funny Blizzak's with no tread that the Lexus crowd loves.
LSD would also help. (No not that LSD)
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355 Posts
How much weight are you running? You can pick up a 70 pound sack of tube sand at Lowes for about $5. I'm running 350 pounds right over the rear axles, with Yokohama Avid Touring S all seasons.
When I lived Up North and had a Brand New 95 2wd 4.3 with 5speed manual i carried 10 bags of kitty litter (cheaper the better) in the bed and bout 2 snow tires on old steel wheels. never got stuck in snow and when i needed traction on the ice... Busted open some kitty litter! worked Great!... Now I live in Ga... It snows once every 6 or 7 years so....
you need to look for a tire that has a M/S rating- mud and snow and 300 to 350 lbs is about right.And remember- when the ARSE come round- put feet on the ground(floor)- the petals are NOT your friends- let drag and gravity straighten you out.
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7,603 Posts
How much snow we talking? In St. Louis I get away with decent all-season tires (skinnier is better, I run 205/65r15) and an unloaded bed. Of course it's not a go anywhere vehicle like that, but gets me to work and back.
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349 Posts
I live in the north east, haven't had snow in a few years, couple of storms but nothing like it was in the past. I still use full snow tires on my original wheels and keep some weight in the back 300-500. I've been out in the snow in all seasons sometimes 4" plus (not worth the hassle if you own snow tires), knowing how to drive in it makes a huge difference too. Like jayhawke said letting off the pedals when the tail comes around, and also i always keep in mind it's not how fast you can go in the snow it's how fast you can stop and turn. That being said i always make attempts to keep my momentum going starting after a stop can be a pain sometimes especially if you're on an incline.
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2,066 Posts
An LSD in the rear end, M/S rated tires preferably 205 width, and for years I used about 250 lbs of sand in two Rubbermaid bins set into a 2x4 frame, worked great for me for a long time. Eventually I switched to ice winter tires (lots of sipes, small blocks) because in the GTA we'd get a lot of freezing rain, black ice etc, and less actual snow.
The LSD made a huge difference, I had an open diff for years, and had an auburn put in, worked great for as long as I had that rear end. I wouldn't drive any truck 2wd without an LSD now.
The LSD made a huge difference, I had an open diff for years, and had an auburn put in, worked great for as long as I had that rear end. I wouldn't drive any truck 2wd without an LSD now.
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284 Posts
I had a 1971 VW Bug that I had 80 series bias ply summer tires that winter could never stop , it cut thru the snow with ease an when you looked at the path you cut , it looked like two pizza cutters went through the snow !
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Not to hijack this thread but what is involved in putting an lsd into a 95 s10? I have a 95 short wheelbase regular cab with a stock 4.3. I really like the truck but I just can't drive it in the rain. Seems like an LSD and some better tires and maybe bigger wheels might help?
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4,772 Posts
If you pay a good shop to do it a good limited slip will cast about $900 to 1,000 new installed. If you buy one from the JY it would be cheaper but require a rebuild and installing isn't for amateurs as it requires special tools and experience or you end up with a noisy rear. Personally I like the Eaton TruTrac as it doesn't require special additives and no clutches to wear out.
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2,863 Posts
A good drivetrain shop shouldn't be charging you more than 8 hours of time to do anything on an axle. I had mine completely redone with new gears, locker, axles, seals, and labor was only $240. Total was over a grand, but they at least matched the prices I could find online for all the parts.
I went on a trip to MI with a brand new set of Michelin LTX MS2s on my old Suburban and they were very impressive in the snow. The day after I got there from FL I had the opportunity to unstick a MI native in a much more aggressive lifted Dodge truck with ATs on it. We were both impressed. I could accelerate and brake pretty hard before losing traction. They last a really long time, ride great, and they are quiet too. They don't look cool, but I will keep on buying them as long as they make them. They are now called 'Defender'.
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2,066 Posts
Typically, putting the truck on axle stands, taking the wheels off, unbolting the rear sway bar if applicable, unbolting the cover, putting truck in neutral so diff can be rotated so that the cross bolt and center clip can be removed, then pushing both axles in slightly, removing the c clips, and pulling the axles out, undoing the differential retaining caps, fussing around a bit with a small pry bar to work the differential loose (sometimes they're a bit stuck in the bearing seats), carefully removing the differential taking care to keep the left and right separate. In some cases there are multiple thin shims, in others there may be just a single thicker shim, important to keep them ordered to their respective side.
Unbolt ring gear, transfer it to your new differential, torque it up, press on new differential bearings (old ones cannot be re-used), and basically reverse the process to reinstall.
Its a pita to do under a truck on the floor, I've done it on the floor once, on the bench once, and I've paid a shop to do it once. If I ever do it again I'll just pay the shop again. The differential with ring gears aren't light and its easy to pinch a finger putting it back in, given the lubricated nature of the thing it is also easy to drop it on your foot by accident...
As @goes2fast mentioned, the eaton trutrac is generally considered the best limited slip differential for open replacement as it is a helical gear design. The factory LSD, along with auburn, and eaton's "positrac" are all centrifugal clutch design. That being said, unless you're using a junkyard unit, wearing out clutches isn't an issue for most owners in the lifetime of their trucks, or their lifetime. I put over 100,000mi on my auburn with clutches and I checked it before I removed the rear, still locked at spec and never had issues.
The factory "G80" RPO code simply refers to having a limited slip. GM used the same RPO for a few vehicles. S10's came with Gov-Lock LDS's known more commonly as Gov-Bombs, very few junkyard units are functional and best avoided. The F Body camaro's used a different differential commonly referred to as a Zexel/Torsen (Zexel being the former company name prior to Torsen), these were far superior, and even used are generally good with few issues and are still readily available:
GM 10 Bolt 7.5"/7.625" Torsen Posi Differential Carrier 28 Spline Used
GM 10 Bolt 7.5" and 7.625" Torsen Posi Differential Carrier 28 Spline Used
www.hawksmotorsports.com
Thats what is involved, but unless you're mechanically inclined with access to common shop tools etc, having a shop do the job is the way to go. This is a few difficulty steps above being able to do your own brakes kinda thing.
The change in pinion depth and backlash comes mostly from the ring gear thickness differences between ratios, but when re-using the same ring and pinion, usually the pinion depth and backlash doesn't need to be altered. If you're going to change ratios at the same time to say go to 3.73's or something, then yes you definitely need a shop as measuring backlash and pinion depth isn't for the inexperienced.
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