K - it just snowed today...I was at my parents house, where it usually takes me 5-8mins to get home from...I have a 2wd 5.4l...I also thought I had prepared enough for the snowfall with 200lbs of sand in the truck bed. I couldn't do more than 5-10mph all the way home. Decent sized hills were too much of a challenge and twice I had to reverse back down and quick turn into a side street...not fun. I guess it would probably help also if I didn't have Pirelli Scorpion Zero tires on the thing. Any recommendations for amount of weight to compensate for the power? My friend said that she would bring me a couple of manhole covers and that would do the trick...any suggestions?

Thanks in advance...

--Alicia

 

get some cheap snow tires.

 

The Pirelli Scorpion Zero are rated “good” at Tirerack for snow traction but it also makes a statement about light snow so hard to tell.

Do they still have some decent thread on them? 200 lbs in the bed should be enough weight to give you some decent traction. Where are you placing the weight? You want the weight right over the rear axel or behind the real axel. Your bed should have indentions where you can place a 2” X 6”.

I use to put a 2” X 6” in the last indentions towards the back of the bed and then placed approx. 160 lbs of sand (in bags) between the 2” X 6” and the tailgate and never had many problems with traction.

Do you have an open differential or do you have Limited Slip? Limited Slip helps a lot since it will give you traction to both rear wheels in slippery conditions. Open differentials pretty much suck in slippery conditions. Not sure of the cost but I believe I have read its in the neighborhood of $500 - $700 with labor to get Limited Slip installed so its something you may want to look at if you don’t have Limited Slip.

 

I'll trade you rain.

I swear, Noah is building a freaking arc around here somewhere! I saw two llamas running down the side of the interstate today on my way home from work. They were being followed by a pair of rhinoceroses!

RP

 

I wouldn't want to drive around on "performance" tires all winter in WI! Anyway, bags of sand or gravel are great to use as bed weight b/c if you get stuck and need traction you can use some of the sand.

 

more lbs in the bed or snow tires. Blizzaks (Bridgestone I think) are Artic Alpins (Michelin).

 

Thanks for the responses I had to drive my mom's car to work tonight (hated every minute...lol). The sand was placed behind the rear axle up against the tailgate, so there should've been enough, I honestly think I'm in the market for some snow tires. Do any of you know where I can get cheap 18"ers? I've been searchin' the web and being that they aren't a common size for truck tires, the ones I am finding aren't real cheap even used. Ideally, I would like to get tires and rims for winter...but my checking acct. doesn't like that idea right now...lol.
Again thanks for the suggestions. RockPick - I'll totally trade ya. I'd take rain over snow any day.

--Alicia

 

Just spend a couple nights cruzing around looking for some F150s with 16s. crank the spare down and there ya go. Do that 4 times and ya got a new set, rims and all. Chances are they will all be the same brand too..

Sled...

 

 

always remember to lock ur spares up kids, nothing worse than a flat tire and u go back to lower ur spare n the lil dingleberry is hangin loose.

 

No RP that was tuff ford running for his life with 2 gay rhino's in hot pursuit.

 

I always threw a couple hundred lbs of sand in the back near the tailgate. When it snowed I went out and put a light coat of water on the snow to get it to crust over with ice so it didn't blow out with in town speeds. That a decent set of all season tires and some patients and luck and I never lost control in a Michigan winter.

 

Do yourself a favor & get some tires. They will be cheaper in the long run than repairing the truck (or the annoyance of borrowing someone else's car to go places).

BTW, I saw that line of snow headed our way last night. Thankfully it never got cold enough for anything to stick. Today the sky is clear & blue & the sun is shining. Gotta love Michigan weather.

 

MI made national news! Our little pile up on I-75 near Clarkston that shut down the freeway got blabbed to the entire nation!

 

this morning was a rain snow mix and now its sunny, brings back the old saying, "wait 5 miniutes the weather will change"