Snow Tire Recommendations???

I was suggesting a couple hundred pounds of weight in sandbags to balance weight distribution.
Snowmobiles in the bed is totally another thing.

 

Toyo observes in 265-75-16. I've had the blizzaks and several other dedicated winter tires, I think the observes are about as good as you'll get.

 

I used to do 200lbs patio slabs and strapped them down over the axle with a sheet of plywood.

4x4 is inevitable, and its safe to use in bad conditions.

My rule is, if you feel safer in 4x4? Use it. Period. Toyotas dont explode in 4hi at 70mph, you can search on here and transfercase failures are stupid rare.

 

Last year someone posted a picture of their differential that looked like a prop from Alien. Seems the wife had "gently changed more than once between D and R". Few here bought the story.

 

sled was just an example.

 

What is the origin of this often repeated advice to place the weight directly over the rear axle?

If the goal is too increase the front/rear weight ratio, the weight should be placed as far back as possible.

Personally, when I did bother to put weight in the back (past 2wd trucks), I just tossed it in the bed with little care where it landed. It worked fine.

 

No idea but it’s been around forever, makes sense and works. The rear end of the truck is super light meaning the drive axle has much less traction. Balancing the truck front to back makes handling more predictable and adds traction to the tires that need it.

 

Pendulum effect, you want the mass closer to center, ideally over the right tire.

If you've ever driven a porsche (rear engine) or audi v8 (front engine past front axle) you'd feel the difference of mass.

So if you want straight traction, hang the weight off the back, but for cornering you dont want to add unneeded mass to the edge of the truck, as fishtailing is a big reason we put weight in the first place.

 

Never had a problem, but I done drive my truck like a Porsche especially on snow/ice. Either way, I don’t to l there is anything magical about the area above the axle.

The point of putting weight in the back is get enough traction to get out of parking spots, intersections, etc., not improve handling, albeit weight in the back will help prevent losing traction at higher speeds as well.

 

Ooo, Porsche! My kinda thread.

 

You asked for the logic. Of course its fine to hang the weight back or we'd never be able to tow in the winter.

Honestly I found audi v8s worse in than 4wd porsches. Understeer is just ass.

But the old rear engine 2wd porsche? No f'n way I'd drive it on snow.

 

I've driven almost every variant of Audi available except for their v8/v12 offerings. All garbage imo.

 

I got to drive a RS5 tuned for 600hp+ and it was fun, but thats 1 of many disappointing models.

I'd rather have an AWD camry, its not pretending to be anything.

 

Weight on the drive tires helps. I was leaving the home of a friend that was in a hollow/small-valley in Indiana. Ice/snow made the exit up the hill slick. I watched a RWD Mustang try 3 times, sliding back down to the bottom even with a run-up on the flat. I took one try in my front wheel drive Corolla and was spinning a little at the top of the hill but made it.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V1UCvg7wVdM

 

I don’t think that is in debate. My question is about why people often recommend putting the weight directly over the rear axle.

 

Love my nokians, had them on my ranger and Subaru, did great in moderate winter conditions

 

Those are the driven tires if not in 4x4

 

Back in highschool I ended up having to reverse up a slick hill in my corolla because there wasn't enough weight over the front tires to keep grip going forwards aha