adding weight to truck bed to aid traction

[zx6rrdan]

I own one. Major PITA to fill up and drain. Only weight it is adding to my truck now is in the tool box. Went back to the tube sand. Fast and easy.

Thanks for posting I was considering buying one and was wondering how fast and easy it was... good to know it's not.

 

[Base Model]

I own one. Major PITA to fill up and drain. Only weight it is adding to my truck now is in the tool box. Went back to the tube sand. Fast and easy.

I have have a Shurtrax also. I don't know if mine is a newer model but it was very easy to fill with a garden hose using the adapter. It probably only took about 5 minutes to fill. I haven't drained it yet but it looks like it will be easy by parking on a slope.

 

[darkspork]

That's true, but for about $10-20 worth of 2x4s you can just build a box that fits around the wheel wells to secure your 200#

That's what I did this winter, I was pretty happy with the results.

The further back any weight is, sure does help in the traction. It also enhances any swing in the rear end and prolongs it, something like polar momentum. Weight is better place further forward and strapped in or like that nice boxed in sand thing...

Back end only kicks out in hard turns (coming out of a parking lot for example), and when I intentionally make the back end kick out. Yes, it takes a lot longer for the back end to track straight but it's also more consistent. The amount of counter-steer and throttle needed to get the Ranger straight again was almost always the same, and to be honest it's kind of fun since it's so controlled. Before I did the sandbag/box thing the truck would either immediately track straight or do a 180 (this was with a bed full of snow one winter and a fiberglass camper shell the other). As far as weight goes it has a 50lb bed cover, 2 70lb sandbags and the box is made out of pretty thick wood (2x8 or 2x10, I can't remember) so it's at least 10lbs (My guess would be around 30lbs). So close to 200lbs.

As for the snow idea, I only did it one winter and I noticed rust at the bottom of the tailgate (on the inside). I feel that sandbags is the way to go as long as you have it secured and placed correctly in the bed (over the axle or in front of it).

 

[mn_smokeater]

Well putting in snow to add weight was a bad idea. Under the load my uneaven tires make it act squerrly as hell. lf 195/75R14 lr 205/70r14 rr 215/70r14 rf 185/75r14 are the tires on now

 

[MountainMike]

I own one. Major PITA to fill up and drain. Only weight it is adding to my truck now is in the tool box. Went back to the tube sand. Fast and easy.

I found mine really easy to fill with a regular garden hose, then in the spring to empty it I just drove up a hill opened the valve and it all drained out. That's the way they recommend to do it on the back of the bag.

Plus when it's water it is full of baffles so it doesn't slosh and then when it freezes you can still stick 500lbs worth of stuff on top of it. It leaves the bottom of the bed flat. So instead of intruding on bed space like a lot of alternatives it just raises the load floor up a little.

 

[adsm08]

195/75R14 lr 205/70r14 rr 215/70r14 rf 185/75r14 are the tires on now

Um, you need some new tires dude. Preferably all the same size.

Can you walk up to the RF or LR corner and just push down and wobble the truck like a chair with a short leg?

 

[Tdbo]

I found mine really easy to fill with a regular garden hose, then in the spring to empty it I just drove up a hill opened the valve and it all drained out. That's the way they recommend to do it on the back of the bag.

Plus when it's water it is full of baffles so it doesn't slosh and then when it freezes you can still stick 500lbs worth of stuff on top of it. It leaves the bottom of the bed flat. So instead of intruding on bed space like a lot of alternatives it just raises the load floor up a little.

Just kind of depends on how many times you do it. The first year, it was neat. The second year it was less neat and by the third year I decided it was a PITA and it took less time to throw three bags of tube sand and take them back out again in the spring than it took to fill the thing with water.
It lays flat and you can put stuff on it, but it takes about 1/2 the depth of the bed.
I'm glad that I got it on clearance and I didn't pay full price for it. If I were going to go that way again, I think that I would be interested in the bag that a previous poster had a link to and just put some patio pavers in it.
For me, I dug out the rack that I built out of some scrap 2x4 and just threw the three bags of tube sand in it. Gets me around just as well.

 

[mn_smokeater]

Um, you need some new tires dude. Preferably all the same size.

Can you walk up to the RF or LR corner and just push down and wobble the truck like a chair with a short leg?

il check...

 

[CHKNFKR]

il check...

I'm scared to read the results

 

[mn_smokeater]

Yeah it beshaky. And parked. See byuld thread fo detauks