adding weight to truck bed to aid traction

[mn_smokeater]

so i have the ranger now and being two dub drive it will not have that added traction of a 4wd so ima add weight to the bed.

question is...

i dont have sand bags so what could i use to add weight that is a good amount that wont suck my mpgs down.

i have some 5 gal milspec water jugs with some ice in them that has a bit of weight not sure how much as they have differing amounts of water in them.

would packing in snow and ice make enough weight?

 

[84stealthranger]

i took my old 7.5 rear axle and put it in the bed when it snows works good.

 

[84stealthranger]

.....except the nice puddle of gear oil in my bed now lol

 

[mp3deviant721]

Adding any sort of weight will drop your gas mileage. With that said, I have a 2 sand bags and a couple of logs that probably weigh close to 150-200 lbs each for a total of appox. 500 lbs. A good set of tires help too.

 

[mn_smokeater]

Adding any sort of weight will drop your gas mileage. With that said, I have a 2 sand bags and a couple of logs that probably weigh close to 150-200 lbs each for a total of appox. 500 lbs. A good set of tires help too.

il be stuck with the current tires i have on it now, they do have good grip seemingly.

500lbs eh hmmm

 

[Boggin]

Cutting edges from any snow plow, very heavy and don't take up hardly any space

 

[mp3deviant721]

il be stuck with the current tires i have on it now, they do have good grip seemingly.

500lbs eh hmmm

LOL. Its probably more that that. The logs are HUGE. Probably a good 16-18 in in diameter and about three feet long. They are also freshly cut too, we cut them right before it started snowing here. That probably gives it most of its weight.

 

[06RangerXLT]

im not surebout you guys, but i can take my truck up a hill with a foot of snow and ice no problem, WITHOUT any weight added. 2wd LS rear end with bfg at ko tires.

 

[7.5L_STX]

i have about 350-400 pounds of logs in the back of my f-150. helps alot. theyre not huge logs either, just standard woodstove size.

 

[CHKNFKR]

please tell me you guys have some means of securing these objects in your bed. the snow plow blades in particular.

 

[zx6rrdan]

I'm using bags of salt 20kg x 6 so 260ish pounds and stays in place over the rear axel doesn't slide much... plus side if you really get stuck you can break one open to throw down for traction.

 

[TheTopher]

Yea'...putting solid objects in the bed is a very bad idea. Rocks, drivetrain components, snowplow cutting edges...having them in the back of a truck in a car crash is a great way to get injured Final Destination-style. In my experience I just shovel my bed full of snow when we get it and my truck runs fine. I've got about 200-300lbs in my toolbox. But that's more towards the middle of the truck than over the axle. Go with sand or something similar if you want weight, but make sure it's not a big fawking solid object unless you get a big fawking headache rack to go with it.

 

[Boggin]

please tell me you guys have some means of securing these objects in your bed. the snow plow blades in particular.

Lol I never said to use snow blades, don't you know what a cutting edge is?

 

[robmedina]

I put SNOW in the back of my truck. Pack it down and it doesn't go anywhere. As the weather warms up, it just melts away. In the even of a crash (God Forbid) it becomes powder.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Yeah adding weight will decrease mileage pretty much no matter what. I would always drive with a full or close to full tank of gas if you can help it cause that will add weight and pack snow in the back like others say unless you need to use the bed. in which case I would look on craigslist for a camper shell you can put on atleast for the winter, it will keep your stuff dry and free of snow as well as add some weight (probably like 150 - 200 lbs).