Duallys better or worse in snow??

I'm thinkin', and I have a 3500, that you have the weight distributed over a wider area....4 tires instead of 2.....and this would make the dually less capable in the snow. My house is on a well and I have a water-softner/filter and need to keep salt on hand to add to the softener. This salt comes in heavy plastic bags in 50 & 80lb sizes. I use 10 bags in the back of my dually and it's like there isn't anything back there...especially the 50 lb bags. To make things worse...well maybe not that bad.....is the fact that there is no locking diff. in the front this would help a bunch. Also, the tires on mine ain't that great in mud and snow (Wrangler AT/S). My $.02 worth.
JP

I haven't owned one myself personally but basically, the outside tires are going to drag you around. The rears don't come close to tracking with the front whatsoever...

I don't know about the snow but in mud it seems the rear tires are right on each edge of the front track. This allows mud to flow between the two rear tires as opposed to flowing in front of the rear tire in the front track. As far as which is better well who knows. I am sure there are advantages/disadvantages both ways.

Duallys are just as good in the snow if not better than single tires.

I may not drive my current dually in the snow but I drove two 6.5's from 1993 to 2001.With the right tires and rear I hardly needed 4x4. The added weight and the 4 narrow tires made for MORE contact on the road surface.

My Friend (tractor trailer driver/owner) only buys a two wheel drive for added fuel econo.Has never had ONE problem in the winter.

I drove a single rear 2500 WT in 95 for about a year after my 93 6.5 was stolen,while waiting for my 98 and hands down in 2 wheel drive the dually would walk away from it.

You have to remember it isn't one big wide wheel back there.Good All season to a traction tire are a gimme

My 02 cents

The taller more narrow the amount of rubber you can put on the ground the better. Dual wheels spread the contact patch out and put more rubber onto the road than a srw tire width being the same. Most times you arnt comparing same size tires though....dualy tires are generaly thinner but when you add the 2 thin ones you still genneraly have more width than most SRW. You see plow guys pulling 2 tires off the back when the snow strats flying, must tell ya something

If you are runnning a good tire though I wouldnt say that the difference will make you suddenly unsafe. And even with a dual if you throw some weight behind the rear tire and run some good tires she will go like a tank

You are both full of it. More rubber to the ground isn't necessarily a good thing in snow. However I have owned a 2WD dually for the last 7 years and with good all terrain tires on it I had very few problems. I usually have at least 500 lbs in the back. My new used truck is a 4WD because it was a good deal but if I was ordering a new truck I would have gotten a 2WD.

Jim

Duallys suck in the snow. Too much contact patch is not necessarily a good thing.

These trucks cost too much to drive in the snow, no matter what configuration. I drive the landrover to work when the road is white. If you have room for sandbags, do you really need an 8foot bed?

I throw about 1000 lbs of sand bags in the back and never have a problem with my dually. The weight also makes the truck rider better. Hardly ever use 4x4 unless I am pulling someone out of the ditch. Alot of it has to do with the driver capability too.

Hop

Notice those saying they suck aren't drive one? Floating on top of the snow gets you where?

The tire MUST clear the snow and bite to where the traction is.Weight over the front wheels in four wheel drive works why?

Narrow tires are best in the snow why?Where is the contact that gets one moving in the snow?

Hoot as usual you are full of Censored

Lived in Summit Co with duallies and I din't get another dually untill my move away from the snow country. A few things do help like those mentioned above. In my case, living off-road by miles from hwy9 on the Lower Blue tires seem to help the most along using 4x4 till spring thaw like mid May. Having to plow my and at least my good neighbors roads took a toll, especially tires. So I got to try a few and my best luck has been with the michelin m/s 10ply. I learned to drive a bit less spirited in the winter months without any problems. Interestingly I'm Denver today with my dually, setup the same way, will see how goes it .

good luck

IMHO if you are driving on packed snow and keep your head out of your Censored it doesn't make much difference. I never have gotten either of my CC long wheel base duallys sideways driving around Denver on snow and ice while watching other cars fall of the road. The length helps a lot.
Now in deep, 2' or more, untracked snow I would take singles any day as with the dually you need to break more trail. Same goes when trying to get to hunting camp in the mountains, those wide wheels don't fit the ruts worth a hoot. Back when I was a kid the mail delivery guy in the country in west Nebraska would get out his modle A to make deliverys when the snow would get much over 10". The clearance on that car and those narrow tires let him go where our old 2wd pickups would get stuck.

Just my opinion... don't make it right.

hoppyinak:exactly:

Duels are much better in snow then singles. I can plow with Duel in 2wd. You can't with single in 2wd. My Duel plow trucks plow get stuck less then the singles.

Need tall skinny tires 235/85-16

hoot said:

Duallys suck in the snow. Too much contact patch is not necessarily a good thing.

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WRONG
I will never buy a non duel plow truck again.

Turfmower said:

WRONG
I will never buy a non duel plow truck again.

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Thank-you

Regardless it does take some driving skill in the snow .Take this from a guy who parks his 4x4 in the snow and drives a limited slip studded rear wheel drive car that passes front wheel cars on hills! :exactly:

The only thing that ever stopped ( or should I say didn't) stop my duelly plow truck with a 2 yd. sander was rain on top of 2" of ice . Then I put the chains on and went for another 6 hours:grd:

whatchya all need is a good old fashioned tug of war. settle it once and 4 all. myself i have a dually, mostly cause of the boat and camper. hardly ever get snow here so it hardly makes much difference for me.