Do you put weight in back of your truck?

[MaineTaco]

i use a suretrax water bladder that is made to frez (fucked the SP) works good and adds about 3-400 lbs

[Capita]

I use studded tires and 4wd in the winter. No need for weight with 4wd here. I find added weight really makes stopping distances increase by a great bit.

[surfsupl]

Its a damn truck.................why own one if you dont use the bed.....I cannot stand the all show no go trucks................

[t-com09]

i got a 4x4, but a little weight in the bed never hurts

[aww1970]

on the snowy/shitty days I just make the ol' lady ride in the back. Plenty of weight.

[OffroadToy]

In addition to the weight of the Snug Top canopy I use a couple bags of sand.

[piercedtiger]

Originally Posted by surfsupl

Its a damn truck.................why own one if you dont use the bed.....I cannot stand the all show no go trucks................

WTF? This is about added weight just for traction in winter, not if you ever carry anything in the bed.

[xsvtoyz]

winter is coming! I usually just put the wood I was unable to split or too lazy to work that hard to split in the back. the odd shaped and knotted pieces till its across the bottom and call it weight. Seems to work well enough. 2wd pre-runner is not your friend when it ice storms here in Ok. Supercharger is going to make it a little more challenging.
Slow and steady.
I always wonder if you really start to lose it does the weight start to play against you? as in an object in motion tends to stay in motion thing?

[Capita]

Originally Posted by surfsupl

Its a damn truck.................why own one if you dont use the bed.....I cannot stand the all show no go trucks................

But this is a about adding weight for traction. Nothing to do with all show no go. I indeed use my truck. I carry a lot of stuff. But in the winter I find weight hurts with stopping distances. I still use my truck as it is intended and I'm like you, I hate when people buy a truck just for show

[T0LLPHR33]

my dad purchased me a water bag that supposed to sit over your rear axle when driving through icy and snowy conditions...but I usually have my snowboard equipment all in the bed of the truck...I just throw it in 4x4 and I'm good to go...no weight added in the back of my bed...never used the water bag yet...its still in the package that it came in...haha

[TL697]

I keep (4) 60lb tube sand bags between the bed extender and the tailgate...

I'm surprised how many of you say that you don't need ballast weight because you have 4 wheel drive...

My 4x4 truck handles 10x's better with the ballast in the bed...

I also live at 9500 feet in the CO mountains...

[Tacoyota]

keep rpm.s low / lower tire psi. I'm 40 in summer , go 28-32 in winter or so,/ Snow tires / full tank when reasonable. /4wd.
Weight is good too , but try the easy stuff too.

[piercedtiger]

Originally Posted by TL697

I keep (4) 60lb tube sand bags between the bed extender and the tailgate...

I'm surprised how many of you say that you don't need ballast weight because you have 4 wheel drive...

My 4x4 truck handles 10x's better with the ballast in the bed...

I also live at 9500 feet in the CO mountains...

I don't because it just slides around. Don't have a bed extender, was too lazy last winter to build anything to hold it, and was fine without the weight. If it started getting squirrely I just put it in 4wd.

My *real* problem in the winter is stopping! The ABS sucks on snow/ice/sand/gravel or any other loose material. My tires would start acting like a stone skipping over water if the ABS kicked in. So adding enough weight to notice (180lbs wasn't enough apparently) would make things even worse I thought. Now I have an ABS kill switch so if the roads are iffy I can slide to a stop instead of the ABS slide-roll-slide-roll-slide-rolling me into a ditch or another car.

[Tacoyota]

Originally Posted by piercedtiger

I don't because it just slides around. Don't have a bed extender, was too lazy last winter to build anything to hold it, and was fine without the weight. If it started getting squirrely I just put it in 4wd.

My *real* problem in the winter is stopping! The ABS sucks on snow/ice/sand/gravel or any other loose material. My tires would start acting like a stone skipping over water if the ABS kicked in. So adding enough weight to notice (180lbs wasn't enough apparently) would make things even worse I thought. Now I have an ABS kill switch so if the roads are iffy I can slide to a stop instead of the ABS slide-roll-slide-roll-slide-rolling me into a ditch or another car.

when you can't stop because abs kicks in(been there too btw), you really need to think of getting traction so it can work, think chains or snow tires. There is good all season and all terrain tires rated for severe winter driving.

[piercedtiger]

Originally Posted by Tacoyota

when you can't stop because abs kicks in(been there too btw), you really need to think of getting traction so it can work, think chains or snow tires. There is good all season and all terrain tires rated for severe winter driving.

I'm not going to chain up every day. Not when I drive on mostly paved roads. Not even sure if that's legal. And the problem isn't just snow. I've noticed it on gravel, loose dirt, snow, ice, wet asphalt sometimes.... I normally just threshold brake to keep the ABS from kicking in, but sometimes when I'm braking for a stop sign, red light, or car a few feet in front I don't have time or space for that. It's just easier to flip the switch and lock the brakes up if needed. Generally I don't even lock the brakes up. I can just apply more brake pressure than I could with the ABS enabled because it releases the brakes sooner than it really needs to.

I'd like to get a set of chains for winter off roading since the only "trails" are seasonal use roads that don't get plowed. After a couple warm days they turn to ice trails. I made it half way up one, but almost slid all the way back down. Chains and the ABS turned off woulda been much better.

[Tacoyota]

yea, i was generalizing based on the thread being winter/weight.
I watch people go up Mt.Hood for winter sports, and almost every weekend they are not ready for the grade/pass areas. Some are so stupid and rude,they go around someone who slid into the guard rail, because they know if they stop they cant get going again. The problem is they go into opposing traffic to get by.

[sweater914]

I don't live in the mountain so I can't comment on the steep grades that people in the mountains experience, however in Grand Forks the city doesn't use salt. The roads become hard pack snow/ice. I've used Blizzaks exclusively for the last 4-5 winters, the difference between all season's and dedicated snow tires is tremendous.

Many people around town use sandbags to add weight to ass end of their pickups. Personally, I think it's stupid. It's a band aid solution to the real problem, the wrong tread compound for conditions. People add the weight to increase traction for acceleration and at the same time increase their braking distances. What's more important in winter, stopping or accelerating?

[MAXTacoma]

After doing a 360 on the express way I no longer keep my truck in 2wheel when it snows.... any accumulation and 4x4 it is.... i guess weight would have kept me from doing the 360...

[Tacoyota]

that hardpack snow/ice is what gets em , the grade is about 7% which is quite common. I'm using one from Les Schwab called Wintercat for a snow tire, havent had em on that hardpack yet to judge em, but i agree with you on the dedicated winter treads.

[AlerAero]

Up till last winter I had a Ranger 2wd truck. She weighed 1000# less then my nice new Tacoma so I'm not sure how my new truck will be like but shes 4wd.

A few years back a got a hold of some solid steel drain grates that were being taken out of an old maitnance building. They are 3" thick by foot wide and 18 inchs long. Not sure what they weigh but its got to be a good 80# each I usualy have 2 of them in the back in a plywood-2x4 tray tied down. I also have a tool box in the back about 70# all together it did a great job!

I'll see what happens this winter, how she handles but as I am in Northern-most part of Vermont and travel into Canada alot I will have weight in the back, but don't think i'll need more then 2 as my Bakflip adds about 80# and I will have my tool box. Before I only had a soft tonneu on the old truck so I will play around and see what I need!