Driving in the snow
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Senior User
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 357
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From: Lancaster, PA
Driving in the snow
Ok guys their calling for snow here in PA on Sunday so I need to get the truck ready. I have a little 98 2.5l 5spd manual with a single cab shortbed 2wd. I am going out to buy some salt bags tommorow and i am curious how much weight is good to put in the back? What have you guys used that works the best? I don't want to underweigh it, but at the same time I don't want to overdo it and unbalance my truck. thanks
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,979
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From: central ohio
i personally like to put my spare in the box, fastened to the drivers side, upright and underneath in the spare carrier put a old tire filled with sand (about 150 pds) whatever method of ballast you use be sure to secure it, if you hit the brakes hard or happen to hit something, you dont want a unsecured load hurtling forward towards the cab. before i started using the "loaded spare" i put landscape gravel in a nylon toolbox that was chained to the stake pockets.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 100
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pintopower,buy yourself the sand bags at wallmart. they are 70 lbs. ea, and cost under 3.00 two should do it, thats what i have in mine and it does quite well. but remember, it is 2 wheel drive and it will spin on greasy snow.....bob
New User
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 22
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From: Minneapolis, MN
Just remember, more weight = more traction, but remember no matter how much weight you have on turns such as on ramps you can't accelerate as much, and if you do you will fish tail. I have 4 60 lbs bags i bought from Home Depot for a total of $12, the are also long and skinny, meant to behind the wheel wells in a truck bed.
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2004
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I have a '98 B3000 2WD, L/S. I use 5 40# sand bags over the wheels. Works well for me. I also live in Pa. Hope, however, the snow goes somewhere else. Not fun anymore. Must be showing my age (57).
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Freshman User
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I have a 4x4 and I still put 210 lbs in the back. 3 - 70 lb rolls of sand. Got them at Home Depot for 3 bucks a piece I think. The only reason I use then with 4x4 is that last year we had a day where we had 13 inches of snow followed by a day of 4. On that second day it still wasn't plowed on most of the bag roads because it was so ungodly cold. Needless to say two front wheels getting traction wasn't always enough to get around that well. It's nice to have a good ammount of sand on hand to bail out others that go in the ditch or if there is a big area of ice.
Junior User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 59
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Another really good way to get some more traction is to sipe your tires. Most tire dealerships can do it in areas where you get alot of snow. I had my 33" Kumho mud terrains siped in Alaska and I liked it better than snow studded tires. It ran like 10 bucks per tire (this was about 10 years ago) It also helps the tire stay cooler by displacing heat. one more thing to think about, the more weight you put in the very back of your vehicle, the more weight gets taken off of your front end (could sacrifice steering in bad conditions if you go overboard with the sand bags) so keep your weight somewhat centered. last but not least have some fun for me, I don't get to see much snow anymore since I got stationed in Southern Cal.