winterize...help

[808derek]

well its getting colder everyday here in wa. and being form hawaii i never had to deal with such cold weather and the affects it has on a truck. i was wondering if i could get some input on what to do... i mean, i havent got the slightest clue on what to do in this type of weather. what would be the best way to make my truck run better in this cold weather.

[stump runner]

so ....................... what are you driving and what exactly is it doing?
most important - make sure you have an addequite antifreeze mix in the radiator. you can get a cheep float tester from any part store.

any time a rig starts running rough i'd start w/ basic tune up (air filter, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, set spark timing, and check timing belt tension) if you're having a hard time getting it up to temperature change the thermostat.

by the way welcome to the mainland. it's bound to get alot colder in spokane before it warms up again.

[808derek]

ah i forgot i drive a 83 hilux i love the older style body type. anyway i have changed the plugs cap rotor and wires. just never timed it. today i changed the thermostat but now im gonna flush the cooling system anyway anymore tips would be much appreciated thanks

[Le_Roi]

the only thing i ever do is anti freeze and i run a thinner oil during the winter and a thicker in the summer other then that i just run as is and thats in an 84 4runner

[bbagwell]

I just make sure I have a good mix of anti freeze and water. If you want to use your windshield squirters put the blue stuff instead of water or else it will freeze. I keep a can of de icer handy too in case my doors freeze shut or the locks are frozen.

[808derek]

ah thats a good idea with the deicer and how to keep it if ur locks frezze up, i just went and picked up some coolent so tomarrow ill flush the system and mix it say 75 coolent 25 water. another thing ive been wondering if tires in snow? ive got bfg at but i wanna get some kind of mt. how do mt handle in the snow and whatever else winter throws at you? sorry for all these question just im new to this crazy stuf they call snow

[stump runner]

for packed snow tires w/ lots of siping are best (lots of biting edges)ask at the tire store to see studless snow tires and you'll see what i mean. for trail blazing you need a large contact area with deep tread but here's the catch,if somebody else has been through or you don't make it you'll want the siped tire. i've found a good compromise to be mt w/ center lugs siped by the dealer. don't sipe the side blocks to avoid chunking. les schwab does siping, so do many others.

for the anti freeze mix most brands recomend 50/50 read the label

[bbagwell]

My BFG MT's do good in the snow. I had them siped this year, haven't tried them in the snow since I got them siped.

[808derek]

sweet thanks guys for all the info

[mauibuilt_diver]

hey im from hawaii too! maui though...

[808derek]

chee pono! rep the 808 i got a friend on maui stanceford fuka is crazy but then again eveyone i no from maui is crazy u crazy too? nah nah jus jokes

[mauibuilt_diver]

nah not crazy....jus know how to have fun!!!

[teeter8922re4x4]

My BFG MT's do good in the snow. I had them siped this year, haven't tried them in the snow since I got them siped.
what is this siped action you speek of?

[stump runner]

siping is when the tire dealer cuts the tread surface into smaller blocks causing the lugs to be more flexible and gives more biting edges to the tread

you can learn alot here. other companys also sipe, just new that i could find info from these guys.

http://www.lesschwab.com/videos_siping.asp

[Le_Roi]

does siping lower you tread life?

[stump runner]

schwab claims that it extends tread life under normal conditions, however i suspect that durring harder wheeling a bit of chunking (bits of tire ripping off) is to be expected when a spinning tire encounters rocks, sticks and mud.

[Le_Roi]

thats what i was thinking but i figured id ask