How will this setup be in snow?

[72k5]

I spent most of my time in the big snow country of CA, and I lived in Gunnison, CO for some years where I had plenty of opportunity for cold weather testing. At the time, I had a Eaton posi in the rear of mine, and a Torsen in the front. I find that lockers or limited slips front and rear makes the vehicle too skittish to drive in 4wd on most paved or plowed roads. The thing will pull hard left or right as it sees fit. Of course, if traction is good enough to cause problems in 4wd, you don't need 4wd, right? But it is a pain when conditions are right on that margin.

Off road, no question- lock it up and it will go like hell.

I don't like wide tires in the snow. I have a set of 255/85R16 MTs (studded) that I much prefer. If it wasn't for the off-road use, I'd pick a less aggressive tread pattern - something between a MT and an A/T. Particularly with wetter snow, wide tires suck. I have often seen a set of 1250 mudders or A/Ts struggling to stay on the road, while a passenger car or SUV with stock all-season tires motors past. And if you hit a good strip of slush with the wide ones at speed - hold on!

Personally, I think if you want to improve the on-road manners of your rig, and try to keep the sheet metal straight until spring, forget about diffs and invest in a good set of real winter tires. Diffs do nothing to stop slides down hills, or avoid trees and errant vehicles. Better yet- if you can- get a good set of tires AND the lockers. Then you have 2wd for on road, and 4wd as a backup and for off-road, plus the good tires that make the whole thing much safer when you need to stop or turn.