Adding weight to the bed

What are some good ways to add weight in the back of a truck to keep it from sliding?

 

What do you need the weight for. Traction in snow?

For winter I just buy traction grit tub sand bags and I built a box out of wood to keep them from sliding around

 

I used to know a guy that had a high HP ford lightning, he had a water bladder in the bed of his, similar to this: http://www.autoanything.com/hitch-bed-accessories/65A2868A0A0.aspx .

 

I like those water bladders a lot more than my set up. But then it only costed 25 bucks with all the hardware for mine

 

I was thinking about this the other day (we actually got some snow in Dallas if you can believe that).

Good handling cars try to put most of the weight in the center of the car to increase the yaw rate (ability to turn) of the car for better handling. Would that mean the opposite is true? Basically, putting the weight all the way up at the end of the tail gate would make the vehicle harder to turn due to inertia and therefore keep the rear end in check?

 

I don't know, I live in very snowy central NH and I don't ever add weight to the back of the truck. On purpose anyway.

 

I always carry around two 60LB sand bags, for both the added weight and for emergency traction-type situations. I secure them in the back corners using ratchet straps and the rear D rings.

 

Don't you think it will take a considerable amount of weight to gain good traction? Is it worth the poor handling and worse gas mileage? I just lock hubs in before I leave the house and put it in four wheel when it starts slipping for a bit.

 

Nope

Yep

 

This is my ideal solution too. Those bed bladders might be neat but you can't empty them onto a patch of ice to gain more traction. Sand seems to be useful in more ways than one!

The issue here isn't traction for getting up hills or driveways. It's to prevent the rear from kicking out AT SPEED. Once that starts to happen you're not going to be able to throw it in 4WD and save yourself. You're already screwed. So it's best to keep it from happening all together.

(I say all of this like I live somewhere that gets REAL snow lol)

 

^Frame can't support that much weight. Also, unless you have a large turbo diesel swap you're not going anywhere.

 

I seriously doubt any noticeable change in mpg's at all and if your truck handles poorly with just a couple hundred pounds in back there's something wrong with your springs and/or shocks.

 

Yep , whatever you do , don't take any passengers if you don't want your truck to handle like shit and your mpg to plummet

 

I shoveled the snow from my driveway into the back of my truck. Worked like a champ. Got up and out of my 'hood no problem this AM. Best part is, no unloading, shall be 70 by early next week.

 

thats what i usually do.

 

I second (or third or whatever) the sandbags option. It's what I used to do when I lived in Alaska and always worked. Spread a layer of bags out in the bed to distribute the weight evenly and you're good-to-go not having to worry about them sliding all over. Plus if I had a problem, I had lots of it to use for traction to get unstuck.

Some people will say kittly litter, but that's a horrible option IMO. Mainly because of the mess it makes, but it also costs more and requires more bags to obtain the same amount of weight as the sand.

 

I had a 3/4 inch steel plate cut matching the bottom of the box .I had handles and bolt down hardware mounted to it so its bolted in using 4 of the box bolts . Its heavy enough to assist with traction and the box can still be used . Weighs about 250-290 pounds .
All the guys up here have similar plates in their trucks . They work very well for traction in the snow and ice
I remove it in the summer .

 

Sand bags from HomeDepot.. $7.00 each.

 

I've only ever needed weight in the bed when my tires were old/shot.
I had 3 sand bags (tube sand - 75lbs each bag) that I used. Bought somewhere locally.

But since I got new tires....I haven't needed anything.