Do I really need to put weight in the back of my Scab 4X4? I heard some car talk guy say that putting weight over rear wheel drive vehicles just makes it MORE likely to spin out then others state that not having weight in the bed is asking for trouble. Anyone with the FACTS? Someone must have researched this! Oh! I have the Hankook AT's if that matters.

Thanks!

Steve

 

I.ve got the Hankooks as well and I've had no problems with traction. This is the second winter in my XLT and I find the grip in 2 wheel is'nt any worse then any car I've owned over the years.

In the winter I keep it 4 wheel as much as possible. I just love the "unfair advantage" My F150 has over any 2 wheel drive vehicle.

I would recommend some weight in a 4x2, but I haven't found it nesessary in my 4x4.

 

I have never worried about weight in a 4x4.

 

More weight on the rear tires will increase what's called the 'normal force'. Friction (traction) is calcultated by this formula:
Force of friction=coefficient of friction x normal force.

coefficient of friction is the 'stickyness' of the two surfaces. Rubber on sandpaper will have a much higher COF than rubber on wet ice. Normal force is the force that pushes the two surfaces together, (i.e. the weight of your truck).

if your truck's weight stays the same, and the COF goes down (as roads turn icier), friction force goes down.

Given the same COF, adding weight to your truck will increase the normal force, increasing friction.

So when it comes to accellerating, weight will make it harder for the tires to lose traction and spin.

Now the other thing to consider is inertia. The heavier your truck is, the more force must be applied to stop it or start it in motion. There are tons of little factors that affect the over all balance of improved traction vs. higher inertia.

On average, this is how the physics tend to affect winter driving most of the time (although not all of it):
More weight will make it harder to spin the tires. Once the tires start to spin however, it will be much more difficult to maintain/regain control. So it's usually pretty much a tossup depending on your driving style, abilities, and conditions, all of which are variable.
This same premise holds true in sideways rear end skids--More weight in the bed will make the rear brakes share more of the braking load. Sideways rear end skids occur when the rear end is travelling faster than the front end. However, once the rear end does break lose, the added inertia will make it much harder to recover from.

Hope that's not too confusing...

 

when we have ice you do see a lot of little sand bags in the beds
of trucks. lowes and home depot do quite well on there sales
everyone thinks this weight work.

 

Lived in MI all my life, only owned RWD cars or 4x4 trucks. Rarely use the 4x4 and never ever put any wieght in the back of any vehicle. Ease up with that right foot and you'll do just fine.

 

I can just imagine you cruising around in an old convertible Fairlane....

 

The weight will help for sure with traction! Driving up hills or highway driving while it is snowy out. I find if you use sand bags that is the best or patio stones. Remember to reduce your speed in winter. Just because you have 4X4 doesn't mean your going to stop faster then everyone else.

 

you and me both. too many out there blame it on the vehicle and the tires... not their own driving style.


I have on occasion used weight... but that was my fault for driving in winter with bald tires (starving studuent at the time)

 

The weight will help in the initial "take off", but after that if you are on compacted snow or ice, its not usually beneficial because takes longer to stop with the extra weight in the back.