Weight in back of your Truck

[Grouse09]

It has been snowing hard here in the NW Lower Peninsula of Michigan. My 2014 Ram 1500 is very light in the rear end.

What is the best way to add weight? (sandbags, bags of concrete, cement block)?

And how much weight is best to get traction up a little bit but without stressing the suspension, but still enough to make a difference?


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[sheepfarmer]

Kinda depends...do you have 4 wd and/or a cap on the back? My ballast of choice is something I can use later but I have a cap. 50 lb sacks of feed that don't tend to slide around are nice and can be distributed across the back. Some people have a wooden frame to keep blocks from sliding forward, but I wouldn't like concrete blocks, just imagine them flying around if you slid off
the road or stopped suddenly.

Snowing here too...nasty wreck on the fwy yesterday, and all we were getting was lake effect snow showers.

 

[Daren Todd]

Back when I lived in vermont and had a 2wd truck, I built a small wooden rack that sat between the wheel wells. The rack held 2 sealed totes and kept them planted over the rear axle. I then went to the town shed where they stored there salted sand. It was free to property owners in the town.

Filled up both totes full of sand. Sealed the lids on and away I went. Had between 300 and 400 lbs in the bed of the truck, along with a steel snow shovel Had a couple times trying to get up the mountain to get home where that salted sand came in really handy. Especially in areas where you couldn't get a running start for a hill.

 

[D2Cat]

Fill your bed with snow.

 

[edwardsonmark]

Sand bags. They can be used for traction as well if needed

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Put it in 4wd and leave it there till you don't need it anymore!

And if it's 2wd... sell it!

 

[Tooljunkie]

So, supervisor decided it was a good idea to put 12 80 pound patio block in the box of the 2wd pickup. I drove it only once. Wont turn or stop. Especially stop. What a horrible thing to drive. My empty lifted power wagon with 12.5x35" tires drove way better, but i needed 4wd due to the limited slip and the fact its light.
Put a couple hundred pounds between wheelwells, get some good snow tires and away you go. Haakapallita? Not sure of spelling, but they make an awesome tire.
Goodyear had the vectors, were awesome, not made anymore.and i dont care for the winter tires unless they are studded.

 

[skeets]

!0-4 on the sacks of sand,,, they dont move around to much and if you get in a bind they will help get you out. Now is Yall 4wd or 2 wheel? Snow tires all weather radials, what kind of truck new old, if its a new Alu ford just park it cause you would like what the salt is going to do or what its going to cost to repair the body, if somebody want to play tag in the snow,,Just sayin Maybe 250 or 300 pounds should be more than enough

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

get some good snow tires and away you go. Haakapallita? .and i dont care for the winter tires unless they are studded.

Nokian Hakkapeliitta are excellent on hard packed snow and Ice.
I go with Coopers as they are a little better on heavy wet snow, and slush.
and yes they are studded!

I've done 4wd tahoe in the past,
Me, GMC Sierra 2500HD, Z71, 4wd, Duramax, Allison.
Wife, Cadillac SRX 3.6 V6 AWD
No we are not rich or pretentious, got the Caddy for $1200 as it had a bad valve, cost $15 to fix it (super score), and I just got the truck as the Tahoe was having a rough time towing the tractor and the bobcat around!

 

[bearskinner]

Nokian Hakkapeliitta are excellent on hard packed snow and Ice.
I go with Coopers as they are a little better on heavy wet snow, and slush.
and yes they are studded!

I've done 4wd tahoe in the past,
Me, GMC Sierra 2500HD, Z71, 4wd, Duramax, Allison.
Wife, Cadillac SRX 3.6 V6 AWD
No we are not rich or pretentious, got the Caddy for $1200 as it had a bad valve, cost $15 to fix it (super score), and I just got the truck as the Tahoe was having a rough time towing the tractor and the bobcat around!

And there's a jar of "Grey Poupon" in the glovebox of the Caddy

 

[sheepfarmer]

Regrettably in Michigan studded tires are illegal. Maybe in yesterday's 40 car pileup fewer people would have died or gotten hurt with better traction on slick fwy, although nothing substitutes for slowing down and using common sense. Those sudden whiteouts are real killers.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

And there's a jar of "Grey Poupon" in the glovebox of the Caddy

Don't ya know it!
And a wolf as copilot!

 

[OldeEnglish]

I always had 2wd work trucks with 4 studded tires and a job box in the back full of heavy tools. I've driven across state and over mountains in some nasty storms where fancy 4wd vehicles were all off the highway in a ditch. I never had a problem except one time.... wayyy too much weight in the back end! Went around a corner and the ass end swung out, well it was so heavy it kept going and spun me right around into a tree. Too much weight in the back won't let you correct it if she slide out on ya.

400 lbs in a half ton close to the cab, you want that weight center balanced. It makes the truck ride smoother too

I'm really surprised you cant run studded tires in Michigan Don't you folks get hammered with lake effect snow up there like western NY? hmmm maybe not because the storms usually come in from the west...

 

[Missouribound]

Whatever you choose for weight be sure to secure it well.
Many years ago I took out my little Datsun pickup truck on a snowy night. I threw about 250# of sand in the back for some added traction. It worked just fine until I came up behind a vehicle stopped. I applied the brake and came to a stop quickly...the weight had helped.....unfortunately the bed was a bit slick from the snow and the 250# ballast slid right up the truck and hit the cab.
That was enough to dislodge me from my parked position and started me sliding into the car parked ahead of me. The moving weight acted like a slide hammer and knocked me loose from my position.
Lesson learned.

 

[sheepfarmer]

I always had 2wd work trucks with 4 studded

I'm really surprised you cant run studded tires in Michigan Don't you folks get hammered with lake effect snow up there like western NY? hmmm maybe not because the storms usually come in from the west...

We do get lake effect snows, there is another one of those big lakes on the western side of Michigan, and the northern side, and the eastern side...take your pick for wind direction

The clever lawmakers decided that studded tires wear out the roads too fast.

 

[Greenhead]

It has been snowing hard here in the NW Lower Peninsula of Michigan. My 2014 Ram 1500 is very light in the rear end. What is the best way to add weight? (sandbags, bags of concrete, cement block)?
And how much weight is best to get traction up a little bit but without stressing the suspension, but still enough to make a difference?


Like Edward said. Sandbags. 50 LBS each start with 6 and add more if needed. Braking will be effected also, be warned.

 

[Daren Todd]

I never had much luck with hakkapelitta tires on full sized vehicles. Studded on the 3/4 ton work van, and the 1/2 ton dodge and they were good on packed stuff and ice. But worthless when it came to actual snow. The treads were too close together and the weight of the vehicle would really cram the snow into the treads and turn them into slicks. After the third time getting stuck with the van, and having my boss come pull me out, they got traded. Less then 2000 miles on the tires. The 1/2 ton dodge pick up was a little better, but they got switched at the same time as the van. The Dodge was stuck twice during the same storms. Both were 2wd.

We ended up going with Kelly Workhorse and having them studded. Tread was wider then the hakkapellitta and wouldn't clog.

On a small and mid sized vehicles they were awesome tires and did really great in the snow and ice. And I ran a set on my 2wd ford ranger. Boss had ordered the sets for the work vehicles because I was having such good luck with them. Who would have thunk it

 

[Grouse09]

Thanks all. I will get the sand tubes at TSC tomorrow. Seems like the simplest way to go. Yes, it is 4wd, but doesn't start, stop, or turn like my 2007 Tundra did. No topper, but garage kept. I'm not a fast driver, but don't the like uncertainty of the handling.


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[Tooljunkie]

If you add weight, be sure to check your tire pressures. Go by rating in manual or in door jamb. Never inflate tires to sidewall rated pressure, unless you are loaded to capacity. Hard tires make for reduced traction.

 

[Yooper]

Cement blocks are a no no. A friend's wife slid off the road and went into the ditch. One of the cement blocks came through the back window and just missed her head!