Genius winter driving hack for truck owners

[85_Ranger4x4]

A Spare tire should hold about 9 gallons of water with anti-freeze
So 72lbs of water plus the weight of the rim and tire, like a tractor tire
Be 100lbs at least
And you could still use it as a spare, lol, although hard to move around, and drive slowly

Not sure how much weight the spare tire wench is rated for....................lol

I like sand, yes water resistant bags of sand, in the bed, 100-200lbs behind the axle, you have other issues if that causes steering or handling problems

2x 100-150lb cast iron rear tractor wheel weights would have about the same footprint as a Ranger spare tire...

 

[racsan]

I used to use a old 3/4 ton spare tire full of sand, rolled it on to a bathroom scale- it weighed 240 pounds. One winter it was bitter cold for a long time and snowy, had a bedliner so I backed up onto some car ramps and put as much water as would fit into bed before spilling out, In 2 days it froze solid, not sure about the weight but was alot. Ive had flat 100# tractor weights in the back before but anymore I think the ‘glass cap is enough along with my tool box in the back and good winter tires on. Too much weight and you end up with the back wanting to pass the front if you slide a little around a corner.

 

[Curious Hound]

Sand... sand is the only practical solution for winter weight.

Not sure that would help my wife.

 

[8thTon]

Not sure that would help my wife.

Sure it would - hang pictures of skinny chicks at the beach all around for motivation.

 

[Snoranger]

I get called into work as the white gold starts falling and don’t leave until the roads are white with salt residue. My only “winter driving” is the little bit of snow left in the driveway my neighbor didn’t take care of with his Bobcat.

 

[RonD]

One tip my grandfather taught me about OPEN differentials and spinning rear wheel

You can use the E-brake to transfer power from the spinning wheel to the other wheel
Tough to do on manual but doable
While wheel is spinning, the slower the better, hold e-brake release out and press e-brake pedal down
The spinning wheel will slow down and the other wheel will start to get power and if it has some traction you will start to move
Its a bit of an "art/skill" to learn but does work

 

[cbxer55]

Not that I have to worry about it much in Oklahoma. But, the few times I've needed to weigh down the ass end for traction, I just used a bunch of five gallon buckets filled with water. The kind of buckets that come with some kind of fluid in them. For me, I can get five gallon buckets at work that at one time contained jet engine lube. Fill them with water, put the lid on, open tailgate, slide in under bed cover, and drive on. I also have a rubber bed floor cover. So they don't slide around much. Five gallons of water is about 35 pounds. Last time we had any really bad weather, I had seven of them back there. That's around 250 pounds. Seven was a fairly snug fit and there just wasn't room for them to move around much, with the spare tire also being in the bed under the cover.

Yes, since I have a bed cover, I keep the spare under the cover. It's easier to get to, to check and keep it properly inflated. And should I need to use it, it's right there. But I also always have fix-a-flat in the truck, and one of them air pumps that plug into the lighter socket. The two flats I've had in the 20 years I've owned the truck, that has worked just fine. Should just ditch the spare.

 

[cbxer55]

One tip my grandfather taught me about OPEN differentials and spinning rear wheel

You can use the E-brake to transfer power from the spinning wheel to the other wheel
Tough to do on manual but doable
While wheel is spinning, the slower the better, hold e-brake release out and press e-brake pedal down
The spinning wheel will slow down and the other wheel will start to get power and if it has some traction you will start to move
Its a bit of an "art/skill" to learn but does work

My truck has an open diff. I used to have to drive 23 miles each way to work on iced roads. Never had a problem with the open diff. I've often wondered if the door tag is wrong, because the truck has never acted like it has an open diff. It's a SPORT model. Maybe it got fitted with something different, and the tag doesn't reflect it?

 

[8thTon]

300lbs of tube sand bags behind the cab work wonders.

 

[Snoranger]

I personally try to keep the weight over or in front of the axle. I find any extra weight behind the axle cause the rear to come around quicker/with more momentum when I slide it around a corner.

 

[91stranger]

Gotta love winter time on TRS where everyone has "the right way" to put weight in the bed or which tires are better.... Do snow tires do good IN the snow or ON the snow??? there's snow on the ground, here comes the banter.....

 

[Dirtman]

Snowing here so I finally took the chains off my tires. I only use them in the summer.

 

[Snoranger]

Gotta love winter time on TRS where everyone has "the right way" to put weight in the bed or which tires are better.... Do snow tires do good IN the snow or ON the snow??? there's snow on the ground, here comes the banter.....

I don’t even play with weight anymore... I put it in auto 4wd and go.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I experimented with bags of pea gravel, tube sand, and a number of other ideas. The pea gravel was arguably the best since it didn’t freeze into a lump or move, but it took up a lot of space. In my Ranger I always had a tonneau cover or cap, so one year I used bags of lead shot which worked great, they don’t move and 25# takes up virtually zero room.

Anymore though I just run good tires and whatever gear I happen to be toting around at the time. Both my F-150 and my 4x4 Ranger are running Mastercraft CT/CXT tires. They’re decent all year round but they also work great when the snow gets deep or you end up in mud.

 

[G8orFord]

I have to admit, it's entertaining reading all your posts about the best way to handle driving in the snow and ice. I, however, think it's best not to drive in the snow and ice at all. LOL

I realize you guys can't just hibernate for 3 or 4 months, so it's kinda important to prepare and do the best you can with it, but you could always move. I haven't been snowed in here in 55 years. We did have an ice storm a few years ago and needed to wait until after about 1:00 before it was safe to drive.