Extra weight in the bed?

[Rod f.]

For those snow-zone owners out there...

I used to add a couple hundred pounds in the bed of my 2wd Canyon, but now I have 4wd and around 500lb more with my Ranger. Haven't had a chance to see how it handles in the snow yet...

With winter coming... any snow-zone Ranger owners putting extra weight in the bed?


Thanks for your time!

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[PNW_Ranger87]

I've never owned a pickup truck so I'm excited to see how it does. I played around a little in a parking lot a few weeks ago and really only put it into 4x4 for fun. I really don't like the idea of adding weight but it might be the key.

 

[I_smell_like_diesel]

Have not tried it yet but I and never have with any of my previous trucks (doesn't mean I never will though). I'll have to see how the this truck does once winter finally kicks in full swing. I've always had 4x4 pickups and always kick it into 4wd once the roads become sketchy. Have pretty much gotten used to how each trucks rear end drifts and conservatively "point and shoot" with the front end.

 

[FULLSCALE]

I won’t put any weight in at all. It would help you to get moving but all I see it as is more weight you have to try to stop. I had the truck out in some light snow, maybe 3-4” today and it did great as is, feels like it’ll handle it just as well as my old ‘07 FX4 Level II did!

 

[PNW_Ranger87]

I won’t put any weight in at all. It would help you to get moving but all I see it as is more weight you have to try to stop. I had the truck out in some light snow, maybe 3-4” today and it did great as is, feels like it’ll handle it just as well as my old ‘07 FX4 Level II did!

EXACTLY. I can negotiate a little bit of drifting and light footed take offs. If I don't have to adjust for extra weight (especially on slick surfaces) I'd definitely prefer to not have to.

 

[Ranger Danger]

I had a 2003 Tundra SR5 4x4 short cab 8ft bed (do miss that BIG BED). She could go through 2feet of snow like nothing, but boy did she step out on a slick road. I had to add weight in the bed. Short cab + long bed made her perfect for a plow, not that planted otherwise given the weight distribution. My 2018 Tacoma TRD Off-Road DCLB 6ft bed was very stable and no weight needed. Keep in mind, the Tundra only had ABS, no traction control-stability or otherwise. Snow will be falling here soon enough, will be curious how the Ranger Supercab does. Have a feeling with all the tech and fair balance of cab and bed she should do well.

Speaking of which, the 4H in 4x4 Ford's (Rangers) doesn’t this system almost work like AWD, meaning it will transfer power away from a slipping wheel, and if you go above say 60MPH it disengages automatically? I know the Tundra did none of that, nor did the Tacoma. May need to dig out my owner’s manual to confirm, anyone know for a fact here?

 

[AzScorpion]

I use to live in the N'east (51 years) and have been all over Maine and parts of Canada with my trucks and have never had to add any weight to them. Now my work vans were a different story. Usually had to load them up to get traction but you shouldn't have that problem with your Ranger.

 

[dmeyer302]

Weight in the bed is useful for 2WD because the back wheels need additional traction to make up for the heavy front end. 4WD gets to use the weight that is already there so adding more weight is just a liability for stopping.

 

[AzScorpion]

I had a 2003 Tundra SR5 4x4 short cab 8ft bed (do miss that BIG BED). She could go through 2feet of snow like nothing, but boy did she step out on a slick road. I had to add weight in the bed. Short cab + long bed made her perfect for a plow, not that planted otherwise given the weight distribution. My 2018 Tacoma TRD Off-Road DCLB 6ft bed was very stable and no weight needed. Keep in mind, the Tundra only had ABS, no traction control-stability or otherwise. Snow will be falling here soon enough, will be curious how the Ranger Supercab does. Have a feeling with all the tech and fair balance of cab and bed she should do well.

Speaking of which, the 4H in 4x4 Ford's (Rangers) doesn’t this system almost work like AWD, meaning it will transfer power away from a slipping wheel, and if you go above say 60MPH it disengages automatically? I know the Tundra did none of that, nor did the Tacoma. May need to dig out my owner’s manual to confirm, anyone know for a fact here?

I use to love to go out during a good Nor'easter! We've had some good ones at night and there's usually no one out on the roads and my F150 would go through anything. Weird that you had to add weight to your Tundra as my last F150 (short bed/reg.cab/Fx4) was a 2013 and didn't have any terrain management stuff either. I never got to use my Tacoma in the snow as I had just moved here when I ordered it.

Weight in the bed is useful for 2WD because the back wheels need additional traction to make up for the heavy front end. 4WD gets to use the weight that is already there so adding more weight is just a liability for stopping.

Plus anything you added back there is now smashing up against the bulkhead lol

 

[RoadBoss]

I had mine out in some pretty wicked snow and ice in denver last week, it did phenomenal. I even drove it pretty aggressively and it was hard to get it to slide at all (with the traction control on). All the electronics do a really good job of finding traction and keeping the truck straight. I even left it in 2wd for a little bit to see how it would do and it wasn't bad... certainly didn't have the acceleration of 4wd, but felt much more stable than any other rwd pickup I've ever had.

I do have aftermarket tires on mine, but they're aggressive/hybrid ATs (cooper ST Maxx) I doubt they're better in snow that the stock hankooks.

 

[Rod f.]

Thanks for the responses!
Good to hear that's it's not as squirrely as I was afraid of! Think I'll keep the weight out

Speaking of which, the 4H in 4x4 Ford's (Rangers) doesn’t this system almost work like AWD, meaning it will transfer power away from a slipping wheel, and if you go above say 60MPH it disengages automatically? I know the Tundra did none of that, nor did the Tacoma. May need to dig out my owner’s manual to confirm, anyone know for a fact here?

the traction control will help regulate power between rear or front tires at slower speeds, but the center differential is locked so you should still save 4x4 for loose conditions. There's videos of people launching in 4x4 and going over 60, so it doesn't automatically disengage... manual just warns about doing stuff like that since it can be so hard on the drive train...

 

[FULLSCALE]

I had mine out today in the snow and ice and the truck did great! Super controllable and feels like a tank in the snow!

 

[DBRanger]

For those snow-zone owners out there...

I used to add a couple hundred pounds in the bed of my 2wd Canyon, but now I have 4wd and around 500lb more with my Ranger. Haven't had a chance to see how it handles in the snow yet...

With winter coming... any snow-zone Ranger owners putting extra weight in the bed?


Thanks for your time!

For my 2WD Dakota, I had a Shurtrax water bag, which always worked great for me. It is tied down in the bed . Had the same one for years, even through freezing and thawing. Don't need it now since the Ranger is 4WD.

https://shurtrax.com

 

[chasvs]

A friend of mine was stationed in Fairbanks Alaska and told me how he laughed so hard each Winter when new folks who had never driven in snow before would have a new 4x4 with great traction and go barreling down the road, not realizing until they reached a STOP sign that ALL vehicles have four wheel brakes, and their 4x4 traction doesn’t help then stop one bit!

 

[Beef_Stew]

240 lbs of sand bags in the box. I've done the same routine for my past 2 Rangers and 1 F150. Makes a world of difference especially when on glare ice. My 99 and 06 Rangers with the 4.10 gears and open dif couldn't get moving with good tires and no weight in 2wd.

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