How much weight for traction?

[Skippy722]

I usually stack 10-15 40lb bags of softener salt all the way back in the bed. One, it’s good ballast, and 2, the chunky salt makes a decent traction aid if I get in a pinch.

Same here, though I got 50lb bags. Works great as weight for the truck, ice melt, and of course the water softener!

Loading all of that by yourself does suck though…

 

[Delta]

I put about 300lbs in my old second gen Tacoma. That combined with 4WD it was an absolute tank.

I haven't done that with my newer Taco as it's a 4 door short bed, so there's more weight twords the rear compared to my old access cab with the longer bed.

My old 2WD S10 with a Detroit style lunchbox locker was still useless with 300-400lbs of sand in the back. It was a 4 cylinder so it was just slower to getting stuck

 

[Delta]

Same here, though I got 50lb bags. Works great as weight for the truck, ice melt, and of course the water softener!

Loading all of that by yourself does suck though…
View attachment 130720

Salt pellets > solar salt. Just saying

 

[01rangerxl]

more weight = more to stop.

Generally I'd say 300-400lb. is plenty

too much and you have that much more weight to stop and turn.

Not exactly scientific evidence, but my 2wd Explorer is roughly 400 lbs heavier than my 2wd Ranger, most of that in the rear, and has much better traction in slippery stuff.

 

[Skippy722]

Salt pellets > solar salt. Just saying

The pellets are horrible for ice melt applications, it’ll work if you need to get up an incline though!

 

[dishdude]

My old 2WD S10 with a Detroit style lunchbox locker was still useless with 300-400lbs of sand in the back. It was a 4 cylinder so it was just slower to getting stuck

I'm surprised, I ran my 2WD S-10 with the 2.2 all over hilly Western PA when I was in college installing satellite dishes. Studded snow tires, a couple boxes of coax, equipment, tools and ladders strapped to the cap - 1,000 lbs? I had no problem going anywhere even in the worst storms that had snow packed on the roads - I joked the engine didn't have enough power to spin the wheels

My god that thing was slow but I have a soft spot for those little trucks.

I don't know how familiar you are with Pittsburgh but the first time I drove it loaded up on the Parkway East I was headed outbound towards Monroeville on that steep hill between Edgewood/Swissvale and Greensburg Pike and I thought the transmission was slipping it was so slow! It had to downshift to second to maintain 60 and was barely able to keep speed. I bought another one out here and loaded it up with tile when we remodeled the house, I was trying to get on the 10 going up a ramp with the AC on and wasn't sure I was going to be able to get it up to highway speeds!

 

[ripcord]

Shovel the walk and driveway into the bed of the truck. The snow adds weight and melts when you don't need it any more. .

 

[Delta]

I'm surprised, I ran my 2WD S-10 with the 2.2 all over hilly Western PA when I was in college installing satellite dishes. Studded snow tires, a couple boxes of coax, equipment, tools and ladders strapped to the cap - 1,000 lbs? I had no problem going anywhere even in the worst storms that had snow packed on the roads - I joked the engine didn't have enough power to spin the wheels

My god that thing was slow but I have a soft spot for those little trucks.

I don't know how familiar you are with Pittsburgh but the first time I drove it loaded up on the Parkway East I was headed outbound towards Monroeville on that steep hill between Edgewood/Swissvale and Greensburg Pike and I thought the transmission was slipping it was so slow! It had to downshift to second to maintain 60 and was barely able to keep speed. I bought another one out here and loaded it up with tile when we remodeled the house, I was trying to get on the 10 going up a ramp with the AC on and wasn't sure I was going to be able to get it up to highway speeds!

I'm very familiar with the Pittsburgh area. Lots of steep hills in that place!

My S10 was even slower since the previous owner put in 3.42 gears to try and get better gas mileage. Thing was a turd, but I loved it.

The lunchbox locker was probably hurt me more in the snow. I live in a mountainous region with lots of curves so it looked like some Initial D video game navigating in the snow!

 

[zray1]

It depends on the size of the car and the existing weight distribution front to back ratio. Every vehicle will need a different added weight.

Example: I bought my ‘02 Jaguar XKR five years ago from a private party who lived in Iowa. I drove up there in a rented SUV on a frigid Jan 2, very cold but not much snow on the roads . It’s about 400+ miles from my home in NE Oklahoma. By the time I made the deal and turned in the rental it was snowing and sleeting heavily.

My first drive was to Wal-Mart. I put four 50 lb sand tube in the trunk and was good to go. The car is pretty small , and already has a nearly 50-50 weight distribution. It didn’t take much more weight in the trunk to give me some added traction.

During the trip back home I passed numerous 4x4’s in the ditches. Some people could wreck a tank.

It’s amazing even people with the fancy 4 wheel drive and snow tires don’t know if you lock the brakes you lose ALL steering input.

Z

 

[Quantico]

I do 4 to 6 cinder blocks in my f350 superduty. Its 2wd but way heavy. Cinder blocks are 60 lb each in my store. That works great in wisconsin winter for me

 

[Dadillac]

I have never added weight in a pickup for traction. Never had a real issue either. Plus when it snows the bed fills up. That is all the extra weight that is needed.

Don

 

[chrlsful]

I like posts 15 & 29: #15 Q is between deep sno (on/off rd) and 'slippery' on the pavement. Many use 'pie cutters' (tall/skinny).
The other is... use amount of weight that's in the frnt end (~ motor weight or around 450/500 + lbs) as this creates equality of
frnt/back, on each axel (for traction/steering, safety).

 

[Jim K]

I way 180 pounds but this guy said he gets good traction also.

 

[Cherrybomb]

I'd find a farm scale,weigh your front axle,weigh your rear axle,get the difference, put that in the box ahead ahead of the rear axle, you will be surprised what balance does to any vehicle when conditions get bad,

 

[ARCOgraphite]

You have to accelerate that added mass - this is a self defeating proposition!

Air down the rear LT tires at least 10-15 psig from max load. Then maybe add 100-150lbs far back at the tailgate. Better to have a "barbell" mass distribution - it's more stable and rotates slower.

I recall my old '95 7.3L F350 powerstroke 2wd std cab long bed was a handful in the rain. Never winter drove it.

- Ken

 

[Broo]

I have a 2006 2WD Ford Ranger which I have been driving in eastern Canada winters for 12 years.
I have snow tires and put 6 concrete landscaping tiles on the bed floor, that way the weight is distributed evenly and that doesn't take much cargo space. I don't know their exact weight but it's probably 200-300 pounds total. A couple years ago I also added a camper shell for the winter in order to keep the cargo dry during that season, but it also weighs quite a bit, maybe 150 pounds so it adds to the tiles. A 4x4 would of course be better, but I get by with what I have.

 

[eljefino]

Better to have a "barbell" mass distribution - it's more stable and rotates slower.

No! It'll kick out! Ideally you want that weight pushing down on the tires, so they cut down to the road, without having any leverage to spin the truck on its centre of gravity.

 

[bullwinkle]

No substitute for winter tires… Weight over the rear axle helps in snow, but ice can still cause issues even with the extra weight if the tires are too wide & not winter compound nor studs. I’ve driven fairly heavily loaded vans for a long time-I put all the heavy stuff as far forward & low as possible-if you don’t, you may find yourself sliding down the road BACKWARDS!

 

[ARCOgraphite]

No! It'll kick out! Ideally you want that weight pushing down on the tires, so they cut down to the road, without having any leverage to spin the truck on its centre of gravity.

It is adding μN at the rear tyre interface(s) through increased 2nd class leverage. Ever drive a VW beetle? Ever jump up and down on a buddies folded down tailgate to get that pig unstuck from that slush on a soft shoulder?

I will say and agree for sure that it's better for general truck bed utility and plenty good enough to box in between the wheel wells with some 2 by 6's and add your sandbags between the wheels. Then you will look like a real New Englander

 

[nobb]

On a RWD Ford Ranger with studded winter tires, at about 300 lbs or more is when I start to tell the difference in rear traction. It's absolutely beneficial IMO. The differences in braking distance are negligible so I don't quite buy that argument. Sometimes not being able to go is just as dangerous as not being able to stop.