this is more of after the fact type question...of what should I have done...I'm sunny Southern California person =)

I just got back from Mammoth, Ca



Problems encountered:
- hard starting in the morning..(weak battery?)
- rear window froze to the rubber (at bottom of window) so I couldn't open rear gate
- with cables on (rear wheels) and 4wd engaged...there was a death rattle from the left front tire area. Initially, I thought the shock had come loose/off. w/o 4wd it was less but still there. Chains off and the roads cleared...no rattle...would bad ball-joint cause this? or A-Arms?
- At initial start, the pulleys squealed like crazy until warmed up. Should I have sprayed some grease on them?

What else should I have done to prep for cold weather?