Bed Weight for Winter Driving?

I've never put weight in the bed of any of my trucks - 4 of the over the last 30+ years of driving all in the Northeast. On those that didn't have a cover, I'd actually remove the snow after learning the hard way what happens when you leave it there allowing it to melt and refreeze over a few days. Eventually it starts to slide around and having a couple hundred pound block of ice banging against the tailgate and then ramming the front of the bed twists it up pretty bad. A good set of snow tires in 4X4 will get you through most situations. I currently run studded snows on all 4 since CT changed from sand/salt to mainly liquid rust.

 

When we got the 6 inches two weeks ago I had no weight in the bed and it did fine. I don't know where you're at in South Central PA but I can't think of anywhere you'd need chains unless you're on some serious back roads. As long as you drive carefully the truck handled fine (IMO).

 

It's not for around here, it would be for the infamous "Tug Hill" area (around my hometown) and the remote areas around the Adirondack Mountains in way Upstate NY. Contrary to popular belief, these areas can actually get more snow than out West on some occasions. I'm familiar with driving out West, the Rockies, the Sierra Nevada but to this day, the worst "white-out" I have ever been in was downwind of Lake Ontario.....

 

Not at all.

Take a woman's regulation size shot-put and spin around with it in your hand.... You're friends won't even get off the couch.

Now, attach it to a piece of rope and swing it around. watch them flee, screaming in terror, wondering if you have lost your mind.

It's the same thing as watching that idiot on the snowy interstate "whip-sawing" off the pavement (2WD or 4WD.... doesn't matter) because he loaded weight in the back bed right at the tailgate or, the loose snow shifted towards the back end of the bed....

Fun with physics.

I'm taking your advice on tube sand, well placed, but NOT back by the tailgate.

The whole purpose of this thread was to simply ask if somebody had gone to the extend, like an episode out of "Big Bang Theory" to figure out perfect placement of weight/distance from C.G., half tank of fuel, two passengers, to balance out the truck because, oddly enough, the absolute worst vehicle to be in when the snow starts flying is;

A PICK-UP TRUCK!

 

Polar or Area moment of inertia has to do with ability of a beam to resist torsion or bending, which has nothing to do with what you just described.


Shot-put? wtf?

The added weight is to put more mass on the rear wheels, for traction, not to provide better c of g, or polar/area moment of inertia, so your question makes no sense.


Please elaborate more on polar/area of inertia factor, in case I'm wrong.

 

No problem...

For anyone that's actually following this thread out of raw, sheer boredom, for your edification;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_moment_of_area

Unfortunately you just referenced something from structural engineering, just one isolated point of polar/area properties and physics.

I'm in a dynamic state in the Tacoma when it's moving, not static. Inertia is changing constantly, I'm trying to minimize the effects as best can be.

Out of sheer, raw boredom, I guess I'll compute the best bed weight/placement for a 06' Tacoma 4WD w/median fuel, two occupants for myself and get back with the results... If anyone actually cares.

Merry Christmas everybody!

 

I have 4x4 but keep about 160 lbs in the box over the rear axle so I don't have to use 4x4 all the time in the winter. 160lbs is a little light I would suggest upwards of 200lbs. But of course most importantly get winter tires.

 

I take that as a no.

 

Always keep gas full, sandbags, studs, ?????

profit?

 

I would like to throw out a math/physics question;
For every 5 MPH I slow down, how much less weight do I need in the back of the truck ?
Not wanting to sound mean spirited, I have never seen a stopped car fish tail. With the exception of Emergency vehicles, if 4WD, snow tires and a backup set of chains aren't enough, better planning is the next option.

 

Weight is generally always a negative, at any speed, in any land vehicle. You're a genius at bringing up the topic of "better planning" and I have had at least one occasion, cancelled plans because the conditions of roads/interstates between the camp & me were.... foolhardy...


After entering the Adirondack Park, the state road will end, the county road will end and then there's a dirt road - might even be a beautiful sunny day in the Adirondacks but the chains have to go on and you wish the truck had been designed more for 50/50 weight distribution. For my purposes, bed weight & chains is not for driving to the mall to pick up a candy bar in a blizzard - it's just to get that last quarter mile of un-plowed private road to the doorstep. The added weight is not for the New York State Thruway, I'd rather not have it.


If you have to resort to chains on a public road and you're not with law enforcement, emergency medical services, DPW, or military or essential services (hospital workers) - you really shouldn't be out. With modern weather forecasting, there really isn't any excuses anymore.


Very sorry about the state police officer that was killed the other day up near Albany in bad weather conditions.

 

I have tried indexing a lot of sources and find it impossible to acquire the weight distribution for a Tacoma V-6 Access Cab 4WD.

Edmunds mentioned distribution briefly for the double cab (56/44) so I'm assuming the distribution for the access cab model is worse.

Before I go to the trouble of measuring myself - Anybody out there know off-hand?

 

Has anybody else noticed how much smoother the ride is when you have about 200 lbs of weight in the bed? It sure helps with mine.

 

Ditto to all the above, 4 (70#) bags, I place them right behind the cab (access cab) with a mat they do not move. & with the suspension upgrade, it really smooths out the ride. I rarely have to use the 4X, & we get a lot of snow & ice also. jmop

 

It's definitely smoother. I have also noticed whenever I have bed weight, a harmonic oscillation of some sort (kind of like a wheel slightly out of balance) goes away.


I have also found it very curious that Toyota does not recommend different tire pressures for the back wheels vs. the front - I'm assuming that they are assuming you will inevitably have a load in the bed....

 

There's a bit of a difference between winter driving and needing chains. If we're talking about blazing through lots of fresh snow on an unplowed road tires, chains, and weight are key. So is a limited slip or a locker. I personally don't run any weight in my tacoma because I don't need to. I run General grabber HTS' tires which are pretty mild but are great in the snow for a non-snow tire.

However I also have an 89 toyota pickup that I used to plow my driveway. It's got an AAL in it and the torsion bars are cranked up a bit to deal with the weight of the plow. 31" 10-12 year old pirelli scorpion A/T tires on it that are like new tread-wise. I was constantly getting stuck. So about 6 years ago I loaded the bed with probably 1000 pounds of old pavers I had stacked up under my deck. Pretty rare I get it stuck now and I'm sometimes pushing a foot or better of heavy wet snow with it. Open diffs too.

 

Mine really rides nice with 1000lbs in the bed Generally have 280lbs in the bed for winter driving, yes it is smoother.

 

Congratulations tube sand guys! You got the perfect mix!

Started out with trying to correct a distribution back/front was 57/43 running half tank fuel and one passenger.

Roughly 300 lbs. of anything that is not going to become a dangerous projectile at an impact (that's a hint to secure it or get a bed mat), center placement longitudinally and within a foot of the cab (end point of ballast)

For those of you who think "Polar Moment of Inertia on Vehicles" is an imaginary friend that I, Cornell University, University of Southern Illinois, Formula One Racing, CarAndDriver Magazine and other lackluster organizations have made up on a whim..... Put the weight wherever you want - right back at the tailgate would entertain your fellow motorists on icy roads...

 

It is simple there is a switch on your dash turn it.It puts your truck in 4 wheel drive it also works the other way.SLOW DOWN!!!!I never put weight in my truck and I get more snow where I live then 95% of the people on this site.If you are 2 wheel drive then your screwed!!

 

When you suggest "tube sand" is this something special or just a regular bag of sand?