I have a 94 Chevy 1500 2wd W/T, regular cab. I've put bags of salt and sand in my bed for better driving in snow, about 300 lbs. I put them between the rear axle and the tailgate. I live in western Maryland, we get roughly 3-4 snow storms a year usually less than 6" each. This is my first p/u so I'm wondering if that's enough weight to make a difference while driving? I also plan on keeping the gas tank full all winter. I think I have a 25 gal tank so that should help too.
That'll work.....for my old '83 Chev 2wd I used to have a couple of old Otis elevator counterweights about 4 feet long, 1 foot wide and 2 inches thick steel, 220 lbs each, and I bolted them through the box to the frame directly over the rear axle. That worked. My favorite sight is guys buying 4-5 sandbags at 7-11 and gas stations whenever we have the first major snow and throwing them in the trunk of their front drive vehicles. Really improves the weight transfer!
I drove a '77 pu for 20+ years and the only thing that I found to work was 800 pounds of weight placed between the back of the cab and the center of the rear wheel wells. I found that this configuration gave great traction and good balance to the truck.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Question about better traction Group: alt.trucks.chevy Date: Mon, Dec 4, 2006, 4:22pm (EST+5) From: snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com (testy) I have a 94 Chevy 1500 2wd W/T, regular cab. I've put bags of salt and sand in my bed for better driving in snow, about 300 lbs. I put them between the rear axle and the tailgate. I live in western Maryland, we get roughly 3-4 snow storms a year usually less than 6" each. This is my first p/u so I'm wondering if that's enough weight to make a difference while driving? I also plan on keeping the gas tank full all winter. I think I have a 25 gal tank so that should help too. Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks!
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% "Sometimes, it is better to remain silent and be thought of as a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." ~ Unknown ~
I put 20 concrete blocks in the back of my 2 whhel drive truck and I get better traction than if it was 4 wheel drive. A lot of wieght is really all you need to get through the snow.
I have a 2006 Chevy Silvarado, V-6 standard cab, 8' box, 2-WD Last winter I had 1/4 ton of sand (8 bags) at the very front of the box (just behind the cab). Without the weight the whole truck floats and doesn't steer very well.
The 6 is lighter than the 8 and the whole truck moves in unexpected directions on ice or in slush. Previously I had a 1986 GMC with a V-8 and the front would stay rooted but the rear would break free.
My present truck is a real treat on gravel washboard roads too.
They don't make em like they used to. I like the old Chevies best.
This year I have 6 bags but also have up to a face cord of birch firewood in the box most times.
One of my neighbors has two large bags of sunflower seeds in the back of her FWD Echo but she says that it helps keep the rear end from swinging around on her in the winter.
Weight is a necessary evil because you need the extra traction to get going but it makes it more difficult to stop or steer and THAT is what you REALLY have to do after all.
I'm looking at the 2007 V6 Silverado. Is yours an automatic or manual? I drove the manual and liked it, but it didn't have A/C so if I buy, it'll be the automatic version.
Just curious how it pulls off idle and at cruising speeds. The dyno charts for the V6 and 4.8L V8 show only about 20 lb-ft difference in low-end torque.
I drove 6 cyl Chevy pickups for years and the setup I found worked the best was good old fashioned STUDDED snowtires and 300-400 lbs. placed directly back of cab.I used 4 , 5 gallon drywall mud buckets of sand and ratchet straps to hold them in place. It is VERY important what ever you use for weight is SECURED or it could end up in the frontseat with you if you hit something or go off road. Putting sand that has salt in it is never a good idea to put directly into bed for obvious reasons.Keeping your tank full and adding a bottle of gas line antifreeze is ALWAYS a good idea in the winter.Short trips can turn into LONG ones sometimes...LOL....Earl
Cool...thanks. When I test drove the 5-speed, I noticed I was still able to accelerate in 5th gearfrom 55mph up a hill. I was pretty impressed by that.
My only concern with the automatic is fuel economy. I've learned how to get close to the "highway" mileage out of my Saab while off highway just through driving technique, and I don't know I'd be able to control an automatic enough to do the same.
For instance, I have a 30 mile one-way commute to work, some of it interstate, but it's usually backed up/stop-n-go. My average speed this morning was 37mph for the trip, yet I pulled 30.7mpg out of the car... Before I adjusted my driving I was getting 23mph average.
The EPA's website shows 22mpg city, and 29mpg highway for that car, so I'm pretty juiced that I've been able to see that kind of mileage.
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