Winter weights for a pickup

[Northland]

Who are they trying to benefit? I'm guessing themselves. I stand by my assessment that the videos were made to advance an agenda

Agreed-I understand your point of view.

Since the videos are on a site managed by the rubber association and conducted along with the APA (auto protection association) it would be logical to conclude that they are advancing their causes of 1) having people buy winter tires and 2) promoting safer winter driving. Kinda like wearing seat belts or not talking or texting with your Blackberry while driving.

I am sure you are are good driver with lots of experience.

Last winter (started on Nov 9-Bob Dylan was in town for a concert) I slid through an intersection with my wife's winter equipped Subaru-black ice. A week later I slid through the turn-off to the country highway leading to our home. I was driving my 4x4 in 4H with my severe winter rated (small mountain snowflake symbol) tires-more black ice. I had never done that in 35 years of driving but apparently I was going too fast for the conditions. Fortunately nothing bad happened in either instance but I won't every be that cocky in my driving again.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Any morning when there's new snow or some other change in the road conditions, I brake hard the first chance I get. That helps me get an idea of what the conditions are like so that I can adjust my driving accordingly. It's not foolproof, but I think it helps.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Where I live we usually get ice followed up by 6" or more snow. My experience is weight does not really help. It does on the other hand make the truck much heavier to push out of the ditch.

The best option is good winter tires, a good driver, and 4x4.

Chris

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Where I live we usually get ice followed up by 6" or more snow.

That would suck.

We get snow that packs into ice and stays all winter, but it's not as slick and dangerous as real ice... especially when it's covered with snow. I've hit that a few times, and it's bad.

 

[Pops15]

I live in northern Illinois. We get plenty of snow and ice. Many roads remain snow packed and very slick all winter. In those conditions good tires and more importantly good driving are more important than 4WD. Where 4WD and limited slip rears really help is in the loose snow.
I've driven 2WD Ford pick ups for over 30 years. I had a 68 F250 that was fine on hard packed snow and ice but was terrible in the loose stuff. I had a 78 F150 Supercab with limited slip that was as good as any 4WD I've ever seen in the loose snow. I had an 86 F250 diesel that needed all the weight I could put on it to go anywhere in the winter. It didn't matter if it was icy or loose snow. That thing was so nose heavy it needed weight added in back. I had an 89 F250 Supercab with a 460. That thing was great in any winter road condition. My current truck is a 2000 F250SD. It was pretty helpless in the winter until I put tool boxes on it.
I use my trucks for work. I'd never consider wasting cargo space with concrete filled tires, etc. I did put a piece of diamond plate in the 68 and it helped. Loaned that truck and a trailer to a friend who promptly wrecked them. The only thing that wasn't bent after the wreck was that piece of diamond plate, but thats a story for another time.
I did have to laugh at the guy thats worried about using 4Wd in his drive thats only 3X longer than his truck. I think he needs a snow shovel and a bag of salt.

 

[aczlan]

I did have to laugh at the guy thats worried about using 4Wd in his drive thats only 3X longer than his truck. I think he needs a snow shovel and a bag of salt.

I am that guy, that truck will not drive out of a almost flat snowblower cleared driveway (no salt, but the blower gets just about down to gravel) without weight in the back or 4wd. My worry is, if it does that in the driveway, whats it going to do when it hits a patch of the road where the snow has drifted over doing 30+ MPH

For comparison, my Volvo 940 Wagon (RWD with LSD) with all season tires on it spins a little, but it drives right out under the same conditions. When I put snows on, that car it dosnt spin leaving the driveway unless I am driving through 8-10 inches in the driveway (or if I am "playing" with the throttle).

Aaron Z

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I am that guy, that truck will not drive out of a almost flat snowblower cleared driveway (no salt, but the blower gets just about down to gravel) without weight in the back or 4wd. My worry is, if it does that in the driveway, whats it going to do when it hits a patch of the road where the snow has drifted over doing 30+ MPH

Remind me... Does this truck have 4wd? If not you're going to need lots of weight, studded snow tires, extra underwear, and a tow strap. Maybe a shovel if you're ambitious.

Formula 1 cars are just not made to run on the road. 2wd Drive pickups are just not made to go in snow or slick conditions. I figure they are like motorcycle cruisers. They are real handy and have their place, but their place is just not on winter roads.

My dad drove 2wd pickups the whole time I was growing up. We got around okay, but it was very difficult. As soon as he had the budget and the opportunity he bought a 4wd truck. Now all of us kids drive 4wd trucks, and half of us have 4wd cars.

If you do have 4wd, just leave it in 4 anytime you have low traction. Seriously, the wear and tear on your drivetrain are going to be nothing compared to the wear and tear from a telephone pole through the middle of your truck. I know my truck handles much better in 4.

 

[WilliamBos]

I understand his points too.

What really annoys me, maybe it is a budget thing, but buying only 2 snow tires, whether is it front wheel drive, or rwd/4wd, that is an accident really looking to happen.

Agreed-I understand your point of view.

Since the videos are on a site managed by the rubber association and conducted along with the APA (auto protection association) it would be logical to conclude that they are advancing their causes of 1) having people buy winter tires and 2) promoting safer winter driving. Kinda like wearing seat belts or not talking or texting with your Blackberry while driving.

I am sure you are are good driver with lots of experience.

Last winter (started on Nov 9-Bob Dylan was in town for a concert) I slid through an intersection with my wife's winter equipped Subaru-black ice. A week later I slid through the turn-off to the country highway leading to our home. I was driving my 4x4 in 4H with my severe winter rated (small mountain snowflake symbol) tires-more black ice. I had never done that in 35 years of driving but apparently I was going too fast for the conditions. Fortunately nothing bad happened in either instance but I won't every be that cocky in my driving again.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I understand his points too.

... but buying only 2 snow tires, whether is it front wheel drive, or rwd/4wd, that is an accident really looking to happen.

I'm still trying to figure out why that is. I'm not disputing it at all. I just don't understand why.

 

[Northland]

I'm still trying to figure out why that is. I'm not disputing it at all. I just don't understand why.

It has to do with the unevenness of the tire treads. See
Winter Tech - Winter Tire FAQs

I do know that an AWD drive car, like our manual trannie Subaru, requires all 4 tires to be changed at the same time. Otherwise the ltd slip diffs (on front and back) may grind the tire with the most tread.

My wife recently unknowingly drove her car with a flat tire out of the garage, down the driveway and a 100 yards down the road and back. She ruined the flat from driving on it. All the tires only had about 25% tread left but we had to replace all 4 tires-6 months before we would have had to as it was almost time to put the winter tires/rims on.

Stopping distances at 50 km/h*

Test conditions

• - 20ｰ C with 3 to 5 cm of compacted snow and ice on asphalt surface.
• Vehicles equipped with automatic transmission and anti-lock brakes.
• Tests in 4-wheel drive vehicle conducted in all-wheel drive mode.

*Fournier L., Comparative Evaluation of Performance of All-Season tires and Winter tires, Ministry of Transportation, Quebec, 2002.