Originally posted by Paarrothead
Vans and pickups need all the weight in the back they can carry on icy or snowy roads. It constantly amazes me how many folks drive pickups around here in the winter with almost nothing in the bed. Hit the brakes hard on ice/snow/slush and the rear axle is guaranteed to beat the front end to the scene of the accident.. I carry a good 600 pounds in the back of my pickup from November through March. Rides a lot smoother, too.
I'll concur with that, but even cars should have some weight distribution. My open reared Granada had a couple of 50lb sand sacks in the trunk and seemed to be the only 2wd car to make the 13 miles to high school and back on a regular basis. I was an eyewitness to a 1 ton dually 4x4 sliding rear end first and taking out three cars along the way during one of those trips. A case of "the rear axle is guaranteed to beat the front end to the scene of the accident."
Add weight to the rear, it'll help a lot.
-Kerry
former 19 year Colorado resident (product of Arvada, Westminster, & Conifer)