Heading to Tahoe for 1st time - advice?

I prefer to keep my 9.5's at street pressure on snow. This allows the narrow footprint to dig in and grab rather than having the tires up top and floating you all over the road.

I don't know where this 4 low in snow comes from.... My preferred gear for trail running on snow pack is 3rd low. This gives me the rpm range to crawl along or to punch it and still have git up and go while limiting my top speed. It is easy to get going too fast on snowmobile packed snow.

Watch out for the brakes when in 4x4! Stay off them if at all possible. If you lock up the front wheels on ice, all 4 will lock up which sends you to the low side of the road faster than you can blink.

My CJ7 with it's 33x9.5 BFG muds holds traction great on snow covered roads up to at least 55 mph so I have no issues keeping up with the semi tractors. I use 4 high on the main roads...

I have seen a whole bunch of broken off cross members, bumpers and bent up bars that happened when the tow hitch was uses as a snatch attachment point. Including mine when I used it to just give a YJ a 'little' tug out of a snowbank.....

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >

I have used a class 2 hitch to pull stuck Jeeps many times and never had a problem. If you can get a shackle in where the ball attaches, that would be best, otherwise, loop it around the hitch frame.

BTW.. how are you liking your Jeep over your (RIP) Mustang, JD?

HTH

Carl

Will do, Mike. Shouldn't have to brake going that slow, unless someone else's lack of control and common sense becomes a concern.

Very much. Jeeps don't go very fast, which keeps me out of trouble. I now know why Jeep doesn't have a racing team. The TJL's with all the goodies and hardtop are a LOT of fun, and I have found out that chicks dig Jeeps.

I figure that in snow where traction is going to suck pretty badly anyway, a class II hitch should be enough, but just wanted to make sure. Not sure if I'd use it on a dry surface with good traction though.

If I can find one, an elongated D-shackle placed through the hitch receiver where the ball mount pin normally goes might be an even better idea, provided I can find one that will fit tightly and is rated at 3 tons or better. Time to hit OSH or Harbor Freight for that one.

Still working on a HT lift. I'd use rachet straps, but they can only lift it a few inches before the rachets bind up. Looking to lift it over 2 feet up, so an electric winch will probably be the answer. Spring is just around the corner!

Thanks for the help guys.

JD- Have you checked into getting a hi-lift jack? Incredibly cheap and effective when properly used, easy to mount and store, either on the hood or either bumper.

Carl

Go to Harvey's on Friday night for the all you can eat seafood buffet. Don't gamble more than you can afford to lose Enjoy yourself.

Kate

I use it all the time on downhill slopes to keep my speed down without using the brakes. My 35 MTs like full pressure on the road, don't want to float on the slush, but my Jeepster is pretty heavy. Off-road, air down low, no point punching thru when it's mud underneath. Simple rules for snow. Drive as if eggs were on the pedals and you don't want to break them. Easy and gradual changes in speed. Avoid obstacles like flatlanders playing in the road, rather than crash trying to stop or slow for them. If you hit one, too bad, the CHP wont mind much. Put an extra 200Lbs in the back, used sandbags, iron, or water. Cable chains suck. I only use them on cars where clearances won't allow real chains. Be carefull, we have had snow down to 500 feet last weekend, but yesterday the snow level was about 2500. It's unusually cold and deep right now.

I've been looking at those, Carl. They beat the little OEM bottle jack under the seat hands-down. I'm pretty sure Harbor Freight carries them. I also found my big-ol' 4-guage jumper cables, and I'll take those as well. They're way too big to fit in a toolbox, but have come in handy before. They're big enough to directly fire up a Semi.

I might even find room left over for a suitcase and guitar. :)

Oh yeah Kate, the buffet's are always a draw for me. I don't gamble, but the eatin's always good up there. They usually have to roll me out of the place.

-JD

You'd do well to avoid like the plague the Chinese-made hi-lifts as can be found Harbor Freight. Spend the extra few bucks on the real thing. Got mine at Tractor Supply Co. for something lile $52.

I would suggest a Google search in this news group over the past 4 years or so for "hi-lift jack". Now repeat the search for "widow maker" and see how close they correlate. You sound as if you intend to use the hi-lift to replace the bottle jack - don't! That sucker can maim or kill you in a flash.

Just my opinion, but a high lift jack, better known as a 'widow maker' has no business being anywhere near a Jeep. It is best left on the farm where it isn't as likely to kill or maim someone.

I carry and recommend a small hydraulic floor jack. These can be had in the $20.00 range and in my case it fits perfectly behind the passenger seat on top of my X wrench for tire lugs. They hold in place tight.

Reality says if you have a flat tire, you only need to jack up the axle the height of the sidewall or 6-8" to change the tire. You 'don't need to be jacked 4' up in the freakin air hanging on the end of a metal stick. That is one benefit of having a solid axle, you only need to jack it an inch or so up to take off a tire.

Same for sticking logs or rocks under a wheel that has dug a hole. Why jack 4' in the air while praying the damn thing doesn't tip over, when the floor jack under the axle can whip it up a foot fast to have room to stuff.

And then the poor farmboy figured out that he can also use the sucker as a 3' winch rather than spend money for a cable pull or 'come-a-long'. Come-a-longs aren't expensive either.

Remember the old style bumper jacks? You don't see them sold or used at all on modern equipment. They were just plain too dangerous.

So for the price of a 'real' floor jack and a hand winch vs a high lift or jack all, you can be safe and have the 'correct' tool for the job.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >

I used one to pick up and level a shed once. Like everything else, they have their place.

Earle

They work great as the farm tool they are. I have used them to raise a building to put new footings under and to raise one to get a lowboy under to move it and to pull posts out of the ground. I also hear they will raise a boxcar so you can slip new wheels under it.

Mike

Earle Hort>