Winter Weight?
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 122
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Winter Weight?
Hey all,
Just curious on some of your ideas for added weight in the bed for the winter season. I need some extra traction and I have experimented with bags of rock salt (bad idea b/c you get rock blocks) and sand bags. I would like to have something that is has a decent weight to it but I don't want it to be messy like my previous experiments were.
Thanks for the help,
Mitch
Just curious on some of your ideas for added weight in the bed for the winter season. I need some extra traction and I have experimented with bags of rock salt (bad idea b/c you get rock blocks) and sand bags. I would like to have something that is has a decent weight to it but I don't want it to be messy like my previous experiments were.
Thanks for the help,
Mitch
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 622
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From: Lincoln, NE
Sandbags work much better if you take a couple of 2x4's and make a square grid that sits with the ends holding onto either side of your wheelwells. I think I'd recommend only if you have a liner. If you dont and it slides around, by winters end you wouldnt have paint left.
How much is up to you. When I had a 150, 400lbs seemed plenty. Now theres always enough tools and what not back there, havent had to add any baggage for a few years.
Also seen using the spare as a slip stopper. Set it in the bed, put the bags on that.
How much is up to you. When I had a 150, 400lbs seemed plenty. Now theres always enough tools and what not back there, havent had to add any baggage for a few years.
Also seen using the spare as a slip stopper. Set it in the bed, put the bags on that.
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Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Flagstaff, AZ
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jan 2006
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I use solid concrete masonry blocks (between 40 and 80 pounds each depending on size). Water bags, sand bags, and salt bags all turn into solid blocks anyway during the winter, and are usually harder to move around than a regular shaped concrete unit.
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Elder User
Joined: Apr 2006
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From: Edmonton, AB
I know this may seem obvious to some, but not all know this. Put the weight as far back in the bed as possible (right at the tailgate). I know it is a pain in the *** as far as accessing the bed but that is where the weight has the most effect. If the weight is behind the rear axle it transfers weight from the front axle onto the rear. So if you add 100 lb you might get 105 lbs on the rear axle (where the 5 is lifted off the front). If you put 100 lbs at the center of the wheelbase 50 lbs goto each axle.
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Elder User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 804
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From: Edmonton, AB
Why? Remember these are nose heavy to begin with. The purpose of adding weight is to increase traction at the rear wheel. If you add 100 lb but only get 50 lb increase in traction, you are really only just carring around weight to carry weight because the truck still has to accellerate the full 100 lbs.
Nice truck by the way.
Nice truck by the way.
Tuned
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 352
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From: Kansas, USA
I use a 2 x 6 in grooves in the bed behind the wheel wells across the 6.75 ft bed of my '99 SuperDuty. This holds four 70 lbs bags of sand in place between the 2 x 6 and the tailgate. I load and unload them as needed depending on the snow storm. The bags have additional plastic wrapping to keep them dry. With side mounted tool boxes (additional approx 200 lbs) mounted over the wheels, it's enough weight with good distribution. Loading and unloading is a PIA especially now that I'm 74 yrs old and only weigh 150 lbs myself. But it keeps me lean and mean. In Kansas, we just get snow now-and-then, so unloading makes sense to me. My new Bridgestone A/T Revo tires should really add to the traction. 
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From: Sunny SOCAL!
Originally Posted by bigskymt
Us SOCAL folks don't really have to worry bout that freezing thing too much.
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Joined: Aug 2006
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From: CO
