First time 4x2 Pickup owner here....

Before we know it, that (4) letter word will be here.

Anyways, I just picked up a 87 F150 4x2 (Winter Beater/Work truck) and was wondering how these things handle the snow and ice.

I know it's best to load the bed down with weight, but how much etc, etc, etc,....

 

If I were you, i'd put no less than 4 of 5 hundren pounds. Especially in snow over a couple inches. But the real key is to have tires with good tread. I've found that A/Ts with thick ***** tend to do well. Somewhere in the 9-10 in. wide range. Just a thought. Happy mushin'

 

I've been known to load a motorcycle, about 400 pounds. Around here winter mess doesn't last longer than a week or so. I know a sensible person living further north from me who carries sand in sealed plastic bags. The weight makes a big difference and sometimes the sand can be used for added traction on ice.
One year I used a Bobcat to load my truck with parking lot ice and snow scrapings. When the weather cleared up I visited the local car wash and used the spray to slice the snow/ice into chunks I could kick out of the back. Worked great and only took a few minutes. I can only guess what other users of the car wash thought of the giant ice cubes after I left.

 

Having just purchased a '94 f-150 4x4 i wouldn't go back to 2wd... but the winters here get pretty harsh too. My old 2wd held its own just fine though, just took a few hundred pounds of sand in the back and some good tires. Good tires make all the difference in the world. I had a set of chains too, but i only used them for off-road. They took that truck further than a lot of 4x4's could go, but a pain to put on. Anyway, another key to winter driving with a 2wd is the way you drive it. Be easy on the gas and if it's a standard try letting the clutch out slowly, sometimes lugging it a bit if you're starting out on a slippery patch. Just take it easy and you shouldn't have problems. You'll pick a lot of it up after you've driven it in the winter for a while too. Hope that helps!

 

1) As others have said, use good tires. In fact, even if you have good all-season radials on, on a 4x2 vehicle you are better purchasing a set of dedicated snow tires.

2) Studs (on snow tires, where permitted) are useful in snow or soft ice, but on hard sheer ice they can actually become a liability.

3) Narrower tires will actually give you better traction in the snow. Consider a second set of narrower rims to mount your snow tires to.

4) Carry chains. In a 4x4 with good tires, you can probably get away with not having them, but not in a 4x2. I had a 4x4 that I used, with narrow tires and chains on all four points - the thing was unstoppable, save for snow too deep for the engine to plow through.

5) Carry weight over the drive axle, but don't go overboard. Too much weight can contribute to the rear end slipping off-track when cornering. Check this at a truck scale - you want the drive wheels (rear, I assume) to carry at least as much load as the fronts.

6) Don't drive in too low a gear (mistake #1 of unseasoned winter drivers). You want to shift up as soon as you can without lugging the engine in the next gear. Doing to will allow you to apply power when you need it without developing too much torque and making the tires slip.

7) Carry a small shovel, a bag of rock salt, sand, and a come-along (for the inevitable).

 

How much weight should be added in the bed ?? Say around 400lbs or so ??

 

ya, between 400 and 600lbs. should do the trick nicely

 

I agree with everything said so far in this thread. I will add, though, if you get the snow tires, get four of them. The added traction will help you steer. Nothing worse than taking a corner in the snow with street tires on the front and snow tires on the back, I might have been better off as a snow plow with all the snow I was pushin with the fully turned front wheels, ( and I kept going striaght!) If you have a limited slip axle, I would consider driving a different truck. Way to easy to slide to the side with a big engine (too much torque) in city traffic, OK for highway though. I have never had 4x4 until this spring and I refuse to drive anything but rear wheel drive. (or 4WD, no FWD at all). I don't even like to drive my wifes van (2000 honda odysea). I've had everything from a big lincoln(81 mark VI ) to a midsize granada (my first car) to a 2wd Chebby s-10 balzer, to full size long bed 2wd trucks and I have never been stuck (i know, I know.. I just cursed myself) But its in your driving ability. You have to have a good feel for the vehicle your driving, and know its limits. I live in the midwest so we usually get our fair share of snow every year.

I will commend one front drive car for getting me home one time.
I had a 95 escort gt 5speed that I drove through 110 miles of heavy snow (4-6 inches on the ground at any one point, this was also at about 11:30 at night when I started my journey, no snow plows out yet.). Long story, but I'd swear I was pushing 2in of snow with the front airdam half way home. All it had was wide performance radials, and it took me 3 hours to go the distance, but it got me home and that what counts to me.

 

I use patio stones, 2ft x 2ft to be exact. Use 4 or 6 of them, they don't really take up much space and they won't slide around.

 

I found that another good trick to know is that if if you find yourself begining to slide, sift into Neutral. That stops the power to the back wheels and helps aleviate the sliding process associated with braking too quickly.

 

I would recommend buying a pair of Michelin Alpine snow tires. A friend put them on his 5 liter Mustang and can go anywhere without extra trunk weight(in snowy western Mass.). I will be getting them for my "new" 92 2X4 x-cab Flareside,4.9L w/5spd.

 

I had a 2wd pickup and now own a 4wd pickup. I make frequent trips to maine for snowmobiling so I have some experience in this area. First off, it is pretty much a must to have a limited slip in the rear axle. My 2wd had a limited slip in the back, and my 4wd doesn't. My 4wd in 2wd can barely move itself in the snow. Having a limited slip does not make the rear end kick out any more than an open differential. I consider it a must, you won't get very far with an open rear differenial, trust me. Having an open differential is pretty much a 1wd. I had trouble this winter with my 4wd truck because it has two open differenials, I got stuck a couple times. Also, don't put the weight directly above the rear axle. You want the weight infront of the rear axle so that there is still enough weight on the front tires. It's a lot easier to recover from a fishtail than turning the front wheels and not actually turning. Also, I don't suggest studs on the tires unless you drive in the snow more than you drive on pavement. Having studs on dry pavement, really reduces traction. I was able to break traction shifting into 2nd gear with my studded tires on dry pavement. I tried to tow a snowmobile trailer with my 2wd truck, and it's pretty much impossoble. It's so "at the limit" that it's not comfortable. If you just drive the truck around the snowy roads in the winter, you'll be fine but I highly suggest having a limited slip rear axle, it's like night and day.