Snow and ice does weight help?

As you know the back end of a older standard cab Tacoma has no weight, does throwing some weight in the back of the bed help? I was toying with the idea of buying sand bags and putting them in the back about 400 lbs worth.

My issue is to and from work i have to drive over a mountain and it has it's own weather pattern on the top about 3,400 feet. Going up never seems to be a issue it's always going down as i can go very slow not using the brakes as it's a manual and the back end will break free causing me to go sideways!

My concern is if i add 400 pounds to the back that is also a extra 400 pounds of force that needs to be stopped.

I run wrangler duratracs and we don't get much snow anymore seems to be more ice/snow over the last few years but they are calling for it this Sunday.

 

Put 200 lbs of sand or cat litter in plastic tubs over the rear axle. That’s what we do for ups trucks.. put them in the tubs so they don’t make a mess if they spill, I put 100 pounds of salt in the trunk of my Corolla over the rear wheels just for the extra weight and in case I get stuck, I could melt the snow..

 

Typically, weight will help the go and hurt the stop, so go easy with the added weight. Not sure of the dynamics with using the tranny as the main braking method.

Try two 50 pound sand bags, in the bed, right over the rear axle.

 

Neutral while stopping going downhill also relieves the push from the drivetrain, but remember you’re in neutral in case you need to make a sudden adjustment.time your stop lights, look 20 seconds ahead and no tunnel vision. I worry most about being in a left turn lane while adjacent traffic is turning right..

 

Hopefully your Corolla is an OLD rear-wheel drive model. Seems they have been front-wheel drive for about 20 yrs or so.

 

You REALLY don’t want to be in neutral while going down a slippery hill. Leave it in gear and keep off the gas, and those rear-wheel drive axles will actually HELP you keep the tailgate behind you! That’s how 18-wheelers keep their trailers behind them when going down a slippery slope. They just touch the rear brakes, and that slight drag at the back will “almost always” keep that rearend behind ya!

 

You've got the right idea. Take it slow, add weight, use engine braking as much as you can before using the wheel brakes. If you have a 4x4, keeping the truck in 4 and in gear while braking will reduce the chances of any wheels locking up (just be careful to not stall the engine).

400lbs might be more than you need, but sand bags are cheap so not much harm in experimenting. Put the weight directly over the axle to get the most benefit.

A thick horse stall mat is another good, fairly cheap way to add weight without eating up your bed space. Trim it to fit around your wheel wheels with a utility knife: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/4-ft-x-6-ft-x-3-4-in-thick-rubber-stall-mat

If you can spring it, a dedicated winter tire (like a Blizzak, or even a studded tire if they're allowed in you area) will be a huge improvement over any all-terrain. Even Three-Peak Mountain/Snowflake tires are mediocre in the cold/wet compared to a dedicated winter tire.

Chains (I like https://peerlesschain.com/) or AutoSocks (https://autosock.us/, never used but reviews look good) are cheap insurance for occasional use, but only worth the trouble of stopping to install and remove them when conditions are sufficiently bad for a sufficient distance.

 

I made this little rack to keep the sandbags over the rear axle, and then loaded up 6 - 40lb sandbags. Made a world of difference

 

Neutral is your worst case scenario if your load keeps pushing you, at least downhill on ice. I’m talking from a delivery truck experience though these Tacoma’s might have a little bit better handling capabilities lol

 

It’s front, it squats the rear down just enough, brings it a little closer to the ground. It’s old..

 

For those concerned about a mess, concrete bricks (cinderblocks) work just fine and are easy to remove and store. 30-35lbs/$2.50 each, certainly beats cat litter

You can even redistribute some weight off the front if you put it nearer the tailgate than over the axle

 

@Red_03Taco's idea is pretty slick.

I just go with (4) 60lb bags of sand in between the wheel wells. Need around 200- 250lbs back there to really plant the ass end of these trucks.

 

But a cinder block can't soak up your spilled oil in the off-season...

Sand and cat litter also make good traction aids when applied on top of a slick spot. Nice to have the option if you're in a pinch against a bad driveway, parking lot, or side road.

Then just shovel some snow in to replace the lost weight

 

I put five 70 lb sand tubes in the bed last winter over the axle. No bed sag noted. It definitely made a difference on the start-offs with light snow on the road. (1-4") (The weight also really improved the ride.) Above 5" I would usually be in 4WD and everything improved: getting underway especially, and stopping. I manually shift down on hills when needed. The auto-LSD, traction and stability control handled everything well, including the rear wheel side-slipping (swing-outs) you get in 2WD on take-offs. I also brush the snow on the roof into the bed all winter when we get it for added weight.

 

I had over 100lbs of camping gear / bed platform in the back of my ext cab 6' bed at all times while living in the Eastern Sierra during the record winter of 18/19 - the added weight definitely helped.

 

I would reccomend checking your tire pressures. A lot of places set them way too high. Most of these are 26-30psi per the door. A lower tire pressure can help get more grip on the ice.