Weight in the truck bed for winter

[Zero]

I think I'm going to put a short piece of railroad steel between the fender wells of my Silverado this winter to improve traction. When I mentioned this to a couple of guys I work with, they told me to put it all the way in the rear of the bed next to the tailgate.

IMHO, it would make more sense to have the weight directly over the rear axle would it not?

 

[SrDriver]

I am from Wisconsin and in the Winter months just put some sand bags in the back of the vehicle.

More wight = more gas usage. This way when the weather improves simply remove them.

 

[Astro14]

Actually - I agree with your friends - what you're doing is shifting the weight distribution on the wheels, increasing it to the rear. By putting the tie to the rear, you will get more shift in distribution, e.g. a 200lb tie might increase the weight on the rear wheels by 250 lbs if it's all the way back - and that's a good thing for balance/traction...

 

[The_Jeff]

Certainly try it both ways. I'm not good enough at physics but I'd worry about a "pendulum" effect from an uneven lump of mass way out from the center of rotation. IOW it would work great for you for a while then suddenly start whipping you around. Naturally that's when you'd decide you overdid the weight.

To see this in action spin a hammer while sliding it across a smooth floor. But with a cast iron engine in front of the other axle, your rail would probably help. In short, try it out on a deserted parking lot to see how it breaks free.

 

[TallPaul]

Every time it snows, I shovel a lot of snow into the back of my truck. Great traction.

Sand is good to keep in the cab, a small bag full, so you can throw some under that spinning tire. Works wonders especially on ice.

Not too fond of the railroad steel idea as it could come through the back window in a collision.

 

[bullwinkle]

If you have an EXCESSIVE amount of weight in the back, it will make the back end more likely to come around on ice-but IMHO there is NO substitute for winter tires, preferably studded if your state permits, on (at least) the rear of a 2WD/RWD vehicle.

 

[HerrStig]

I always found that a full gas tank helped on RWD vehicles in snow, but but with a limited slip dif if you spin both rear wheels you lose directional stability in a hurry. You have to lift in a hurry to get the rear back in line. On a dry road you can control rear end "sway" with a heavy load by raising inflation pressure, but that doesn't work in snow.

 

[meep]

the farther back the weight, the more affect it has both in terms of weight over the rear, and the shifting of 1/4 of that amount off the front.

but, the farther rearward you go, the more tail happy it can become. but it's got to be a lot of weight to really have any bad effect.

 

[SuperDave456]

I've used 2 bags of sand in the past with good results.

I have a friend who now drives around, year round, with 2 bags of sand in the back due to the increased control it gives him.

Edited to add: I'd put it in a net as far back as possible. It better offsets the weight in the front due to the engine.

 

[4ever4d]

I use an empty, clean, plastic 55gal drum laying on it's side at the tailgate strapped down for security. Fill with water and leave it in until warm weather then use the water on the lawn, granted i do live in the SE though. I am only lifting an empty drum into and out of the truck. This works for me but i also don't need my truck on a daily basis as i am sure it kills the already no so good fuel mileage of my one ton truck. I estimate it weighs around 330-335 lbs. and have not had any problems with stability or traction. The drum on it's side with the large bung up and small one down makes for easy filling and emptying and leaves room for expansion as the water will freeze solid.

 

[Dakota1820]

I had about 4 sand bag in my truck last winter it really didn't help a whole lot. only 200 lbs but it wasn't an amazing difference. the chevy cheyenne with 200 lbs in the back did about as good as the ford truck i had in the past unloaded. fords are really planted for some reason. if you need traction i would put atleast 300lbs back there. and i would you steel. i would us sand bags or something along those lines. then if you get stuck the sand can help the spinning tire get traction.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: 4ever4d
I use an empty, clean, plastic 55gal drum laying on it's side at the tailgate strapped down for security. Fill with water and leave it in until warm weather then use the water on the lawn, granted i do live in the SE though. I am only lifting an empty drum into and out of the truck. This works for me but i also don't need my truck on a daily basis as i am sure it kills the already no so good fuel mileage of my one ton truck. I estimate it weighs around 330-335 lbs. and have not had any problems with stability or traction. The drum on it's side with the large bung up and small one down makes for easy filling and emptying and leaves room for expansion as the water will freeze solid.


Water is 8 lbs gallon. So its heavier than 330-335 if filled and a real 55 gal.

 

[dparm]

Yes, over the rear axle is the most logical.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Remeber you have to accelerate that weight. Wouldy ou rather push a fat kid on a sled or Lil Jenny?

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Remeber you have to accelerate that weight. Wouldy ou rather push a fat kid on a sled or Lil Jenny?


Sometimes without any added weight in a pickup... you won't go at all.

 

[Mr_Incredible]

If you put weight behind the rear axle you will lighten the front end. Simple leverage principle.

I put weight (sand bags) on or slightly in front of the axle. If the snow is really bad or it's icy and I go all the way up to 700 lbs I'll place some weight up in the front of the bed to help balance the load and add some weight to the front.

I made a little frame out of 2x4's that keeps the sand bags from sliding all over the place. Be advised, when the sand bags get wet they WILL freeze and become solid lumps sliding all around the bed of the truck. There will be no using any of the sand under any tires when it is frozen solid. If you have a smooth bed (no ridged liner) they tend to slide sooner.

You're looking for balance as well as simple extra weight.

I would never use pieces of steel unless it was bolted down with grade 5 bolts and then welded to the bed. Deadly missiles, I think, since steel would slide all the more easily. Sandbags are too, but if you want weight you have to do something.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: Mr_Incredible
I would never use pieces of steel unless it was bolted down with grade 5 bolts and then welded to the bed. Deadly missiles, I think, since steel would slide all the more easily. Sandbags are too, but if you want weight you have to do something.



I can verify that sandbags are safe.

I was hit from behind in my pickup, by a texting moron doing 45 mph. I was at a dead stop, trying to make a left hand turn.

I had two of the long narrow sandbags from the local hardware store in the back of my truck. They were in the woven bags, similar in material like the cheap blue tarps that one can buy.

All they did was bust open. The bags split open and nothing else happened. They moved less than a foot.

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
... but with a limited slip dif if you spin both rear wheels you lose directional stability in a hurry.
Yep, that is why I am perfectly happy with my one-legger (open differential). My uncle optioned limited slip on his new truck some years ago and I heard my aunt complaining about how easily the tail end would go sideways. I bet he bought limited slip thinking he would have better directional stability as well as traction.

 

[mechtech2]

It should go back as far as possible. [concerning snow/ice traction]
Why?
Because over the wheels is a one to one advantage.
Back further increases leverage, and you get more bang for the buck - more weight transfer for better biasing, and more actual pressure on the rear tires.

 

[hattaresguy]

On my truck I want to lighten the front end, my weight distribution is probably 65%/35%. I put sand bags as far back as possible, trying to move the weight back where it counts.