Weight!

[2772]

OK folks, what do you suggest I put in the back of my bed this winter? Of course its 2wd and I can't afford to be sliding all over the road this winter. So, what are my options and costly and or effective are they?
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[weever82]

All we ever did back in IL was sand bags. Cheap and easy. And make sure you have some decent tires on the back.
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[2772]

How many bags we talkin about? How much weight? How much am I looking to pay?
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[truckster]

Originally Posted by weever82

All we ever did back in IL was sand bags. Cheap and easy. And make sure you have some decent tires on the back.
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One of the advantages of sand bags is that you can use the sand to help you if you get stuck.

[dmw319]

Originally Posted by 2772

How many bags we talkin about? How much weight? How much am I looking to pay?
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A bag of sand costs like $4, get maybe 4 bags (total of about 200 lbs). thats always been good enough for me!

http://www.lowes.com/pd_10392-286-11...7C1&facetInfo=

[jsbgump]

10 bags of top soil around a dollar a bag

[geezer#99]

Don't put anything in the back that can't be tied down!
You don't want it coming thru the back window in a panic stop!
We used to build a false floor for our company trucks. Lay down a 3/4 inch thick 4x8 sheet of plywood base, use 2x4's on edge, fill with loose sand, pack it in and another 3/4 inch top sheet.
Bolt it to the floor dead centre. Never move. Still lots of room to carry stuff. Looks good.
Re-usable next winter.

[ole dollor]

also a bail of cotton works good also, or a molt bail, but in west Texas, you don't have to do this very often....

[dmw319]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

Don't put anything in the back that can't be tied down!
You don't want it coming thru the back window in a panic stop!
We used to build a false floor for our company trucks. Lay down a 3/4 inch thick 4x8 sheet of plywood base, use 2x4's on edge, fill with loose sand, pack it in and another 3/4 inch top sheet.
Bolt it to the floor dead centre. Never move. Still lots of room to carry stuff. Looks good.
Re-usable next winter.

im pretty sure a 50lb bag of sand wont make it up to the back window but who knows.. never happened to me.

[geezer#99]

Originally Posted by dmw319

im pretty sure a 50lb bag of sand wont make it up to the back window but who knows.. never happened to me.

You'd be suprised!!
Panic stop in a truck!
Nose dives, rear comes up. Everything in the back launches towards the back window. I saw a new chev truck cab get destroyed by 200 pound box of pipefittings.
Bolt 'em down or put in a headache rack!!

[dmw319]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

You'd be suprised!!
Panic stop in a truck!
Nose dives, rear comes up. Everything in the back launches towards the back window. I saw a new chev truck cab get destroyed by 200 pound box of pipefittings.
Bolt 'em down or put in a headache rack!!

There ain't no way this would happen in my ol truck. Not with my brakes... lol

But better to be safe than sorry I guess!

[PanelDeland]

Cut a 2X12 the width of the bed,wedge it across behind the wheelwells,add bags of sand until you're comftable.The weight is better toward the rear and the board keeps it from sliding.The sandbags also keep the board in place.As an added bonus,most trucks of this era ride better with some weight in the back.If you're driving fast enough to launch anything thru the rear window in weather where you need sandbags in the rear,rethink your mental state,you may have a death wish.

[lap15]

After many years of trial and error, this is what I found works the best.
I take a thick wooden pallet, flip it over, lay it between the wheel wells, secure 2x4's to it with deck screws both in front of and behind the wheel wells and then lay as many loose bricks inside it as tightly as I can. Once you get moisture in there and it freezes the bricks will not budge! It adds a good amount of weight and keeps a low center of gravity.

[AirSpeed]

I bought a 3/4" thick rubber bed mat from Les Shwab in both my 72 4X and also in my 69 C10. The mat weighs about 150 lbs, it made a difference in both but really helped out in my C10. I leave them in all year and it really helps save the tires in my 69, they're 295/50/15 and love to spin no matter what the weather, with the extra weight they don't spin as easily and do a lot better in the snow. An added benifit is the bed doesn't make as much noise. I had to cut around the wheel wells but it was easy to cut with a jigsaw. No wet bags of sand to deal with!

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[Daves70]

We have always used a frame built between the wheel wells and used about 200lbs of sand bags.Make sure you don't put the weight at the back of the box because if you get sideways it acts as a kind of catapault effect.Put it right over the axle.If you are in snow or ice alot then you should get snow tires.Some people put snows just on the back but it does no good if you can't stop or steer. Some places allow studed tires and some don't but if you are allowed to use them they help alot.Also a limited slip rear axle helps with traction.

[AirSpeed]

Another thing that works is having your tires sipped, I used to be VERY skeptical until I tried sipped tires on my wife's car. It didn't do a lot in snow but made a very noticeable difference on ice.
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[geezer#99]

Originally Posted by AirSpeed

I bought a 3/4" thick rubber bed mat from Les Shwab in both my 72 4X and also in my 69 C10. The mat weighs about 150 lbs, it made a difference in both but really helped out in my C10. I leave them in all year and it really helps save the tires in my 69, they're 295/50/15 and love to spin no matter what the weather, with the extra weight they don't spin as easily and do a lot better in the snow. An added benifit is the bed doesn't make as much noise. I had to cut around the wheel wells but it was easy to cut with a jigsaw. No wet bags of sand to deal with!

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Excellent idea Air.
THose heavy mats should be available anywhere they sell rubber mats for horse stalls.
I used one in my truck just as a box liner.

[Hubscrub]

bag cement 80lbs bag around $4 bag. i've done it not often as we don't see much snow.

[WIDESIDE72]

I have been thinking of buying one of these.

http://www.autoanything.com/hitch-be...A2868A0A0.aspx

Need traction? ShurTrax Traction Weight is the heavy-duty friend you can count on. Unlike damaging cinderblocks, sliding sandbags or giant shifting boulders, ShurTrax Traction Weight stays in position to securely weigh down your rear wheels without damaging your truck bed.

The heavy-duty poly-vinyl bladder holds up to 400 lbs of liquid, giving you the right amount of traction. Reinforced with woven nylon mesh, ShurTrax has durability you can depend on. Going to hill country with a big load? The low-profile exterior and sturdy build of ShurTrax lets you load up to 500 extra lbs directly on top, giving you the freedom to do those big jobs with confidence.

And don’t sweat icy weather—ShurTrax is designed to freeze without sloshing or shifting. It's equipped with four solid brass grommets for fast and secure tie-down points. Easy to fill and drain for storage, you can use ShurTrax when you need it and store it when you don’t. Count on ShurTrax to keep you on track. Backed by a 2-year warranty.

[Tinkermc]

I get my weight for free, I use sno from my driveway and by the time it melts away I don't need it anymore.

[Daves70]

Originally Posted by WIDESIDE72

I have been thinking of buying one of these.

http://www.autoanything.com/hitch-be...A2868A0A0.aspx

Need traction? ShurTrax Traction Weight is the heavy-duty friend you can count on. Unlike damaging cinderblocks, sliding sandbags or giant shifting boulders, ShurTrax Traction Weight stays in position to securely weigh down your rear wheels without damaging your truck bed.

The heavy-duty poly-vinyl bladder holds up to 400 lbs of liquid, giving you the right amount of traction. Reinforced with woven nylon mesh, ShurTrax has durability you can depend on. Going to hill country with a big load? The low-profile exterior and sturdy build of ShurTrax lets you load up to 500 extra lbs directly on top, giving you the freedom to do those big jobs with confidence.

And don’t sweat icy weather—ShurTrax is designed to freeze without sloshing or shifting. It's equipped with four solid brass grommets for fast and secure tie-down points. Easy to fill and drain for storage, you can use ShurTrax when you need it and store it when you don’t. Count on ShurTrax to keep you on track. Backed by a 2-year warranty.

I would only want that if it's frozen.Having 400lbs of water sloshing around in the back of a truck would be worse than having no weight at all.

[kcsa75]

Originally Posted by Hubscrub

bag cement 80lbs bag around $4 bag. i've done it not often as we don't see much snow.

Not a good idea. I tried that and over time the moisture turned the bags of cement into cement blocks.

After that failed experiment, I went to Home Depot. They had bags of sand specifically for putting the back of a truck/car. I bought four of them for my son's S-10 for less than $15. Worked like a champ. Took them out once the weather cleared and stored in the garage till next winter.

[mrein3]

I use 500 pounds of sand to counter balance the plow I use on the front of my truck in the winter. Actually it is 490 pounds - Seven, seventy pound tubes that they sell specifically for this purpose.

I use ratchet straps to hold them on to a pallet, then I strap the pallet in the bed so it doesn't slide around.

Without a plow I'd start with three of the seventy pound bags secured over the back axel.

[midniteblues]

Originally Posted by Tinkermc

I get my weight for free, I use sno from my driveway and by the time it melts away I don't need it anymore.

I do the same just shovel it in the back and when the roads clear shovel it back out.
just make sure you use clean snow dont get any of that treated crap in there

[Twiz]

Originally Posted by midniteblues

I do the same just shovel it in the back and when the roads clear shovel it back out.
just make sure you use clean snow dont get any of that treated crap in there

Sence I havent gotten to work on the bed on my truck yet I just let the snow melt. Usually takes a while but im also a bit lazy in the winter.