........Would 4 hi work on the street 35mph or their about in ice and snow better than weight in the back is still my question?
IMO, 4 hi would work on the icy/snowy street at the speed you mentioned (<35mph). Again, IMO, the straight-aways are not the potential problem, rather the corners/turns. ⬅ In those situations, I would pay close attention to the front tires and make sure they have the ability to 'slip' like they're designed to do. In mud, sand, ice, & snow the front tires 'slip' in turns, but on hard ground, the front tires will 'bite' in a turn (and makes the front end 'clunk'). This should be avoided, if possible.
The 'clunk' is the binding of the
front driveshaft and the rear driveshaft
when in
4wd. Turning in
4wd causes the
front and rear driveshafts to be turning at different speeds. Soft/slick/loose ground makes for good turning in 4wd.
As far as the weight on the rear axle goes, I am still a believer in it. When I was a kid, we would throw a thousand pounds of cow feed into the back of the 2wd p/up and drive it up and down hills that some people say isn't possible. We only did this when the 4wd was not available, and we [try to] keep our roads in good shape with the bulldozer. One example of this is when my Granddad & I ran out of gas in the bottom of the canyon. I walked out, loaded the 2wd with weight (and extra gas), and went back for my Granddad.
Yes, traction control has come a
long way, but 500# is still 500#, respectfully.