Rangers in SNOW

[Swingpure]

Drove some small unplowed cottage roads today. The Ranger did fine. I think my expectations for running in 2H on icy roads and hills was too high. I have to switch into 4H sooner than I expected. It does great in 4H, so no big deal. It might be that I did not appreciate how often my AWD vehicles, actually put power to all four wheels.

I have really good snow tires, but now after greater appreciation on how light the tailend is, I might have gone for studded tires.

On paved regular roads, it does really well in 2H.

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[Swingpure]

I apologize if you've mentioned this already, but have you added any weight to the bed? I've found that a couple hundred extra pounds (four 70lb bags in my case) gives some more stability and thereby confidence with the tail. Certainly doesn't fix the issue completely though, have to come close to maxing out the payload for that. haha

I also came from an AWD vehicle (Subaru), and FWD vehicles before that, and it took me almost all of last winter to really get comfortable with this new required RWD driving style. But I've noticed this winter I've been doing much better so far. I usually know what to expect the truck to do and thereby be ready to react appropriately to it. Usually. Still always learning though. haha

Thanks, I think I am going to add some weight. My bed extender can contain whatever I use for weight. Maybe I will get some bags of concrete mix. I will try and think of some alternatives. I have access to lots of free sand.

Edit: I just went out and checked and I can fit 6, 5 gallon pails of sand (360 lbs) in the bed extender area. I can get the sand free. If it doesn’t work, I can always use the pails and sand for other purposes.

Second edit: If 360 lbs is too much, I could just partially fill the pails and reduce it to whatever weight makes sense.

 

[seanellaz]

We've been getting hit pretty good in the snow belt East of Cleveland on Lake Erie. Got about 1,400 miles on the new Ranger and it's a tank in the snow. Great truck.

I'm jealous. I miss driving in snow.

 

[geophb]

I also came from an AWD vehicle (Subaru), and FWD vehicles before that, and it took me almost all of last winter to really get comfortable with this new required RWD driving style. But I've noticed this winter I've been doing much better so far.

This caught my eye because I had the reverse experience. Ive only had RWD then I got a new daily and it was a FWD. Went from extreme occasional oversteer with the rwd to "I can't turn!" with the FWD. The first few drives that winter were interesting to say the least. ?

 

[Swingpure]

It's pretty interesting how the types of vehicles people learned to drive with or have driven the majority of their lives dictates their driving style. There was a thread awhile back talking about which drive was the best (FWD, AWD, 4WD, or RWD) and it was insane how adamant so many people were that they're way was the best and all other ways were garbage. haha Needless to say it got a little too heated and was ultimately shut down. haha

In the end I like to say that any type of drive vehicle can be amazingly effective when in the right hands and the right tires. I'd driven my FWD Focus for miles down our rural unplowed road growing up without issue many times, with over a foot deep snow and it coming up over the hood. I wouldn't have been able to do that in the Ranger when I first got, and maybe not even now to be honest. But in the right hands (your hands probably given your past experience) I'm sure someone would've made it just as easy in 2WD in the Ranger as well. It's more about experience and technical aptitude than the equipment in my opinion.

My first new vehicle was a FWD, manual transmission, Honda Civic CVCC. While all of the large RWD cars were struggling, I would drive around with few problems, on city streets.

For me AWD’s are the way to go in most cases, I expect to do just fine in the Ranger. I will drive slower until I gain total confidence and on Wednesday, as suggested to me, I will add weight to the back of the Ranger, with pails of sand.

The big advantage of trucks are ground clearance, 4L and ELD when you get into some real tough areas. I watched my buddy in his TACO go through snow, that my old Civic could never make it.

 

[Swingpure]

Drove to town today to get the pails and sand. The cottage roads were slushy and icy. I drove according to the conditions and the truck performed 100%. It sort of made me question why I was adding the weight, but knew that it would be beneficial in more extreme conditions.

The six pails fit perfectly in the bed extender area. They were not filled quite to the top, but I figure I have 320+ lbs of weight now in the back.

Being in pails with handles, they will be simple to remove, or if I want to lighten, by taking out some sand. I have a deck that I can back up to, that acts as a loading ramp, so it would be simple to walk on and lift and walk the pails off if need be. (I.e. if I had a long drive and knew the roads were going to be good.)

The extra weight In the back gives me a free mini “level”. I drove back home with them in the bed and did not notice any negative effects.

 

[geophb]

Drove to town today to get the pails and sand. The cottage roads were slushy and icy. I drove according to the conditions and the truck performed 100%. It sort of made me question why I was adding the weight, but knew that it would be beneficial in more extreme conditions.

The six pails fit perfectly in the bed extender area. They were not filled quite to the top, but I figure I have 320+ lbs of weight now in the back.

Being in pails with handles, they will be simple to remove, or if I want to lighten, by taking out some sand. I have a deck that I can back up to, that acts as a loading ramp, so it would be simple to walk on and lift and walk the pails off if need be. (I.e. if I had a long drive and knew the roads were going to be good.)

The extra weight In the back gives me a free mini “level”. I drove back home with them in the bed and did not notice any negative effects.

Looks good, should help.

Some Std keyboard warrior nitpicks here:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Quikrete-60-lb-Tube-Sand-115960/100318522
Or something similar is what I use.

If possible, Its best to center the weight over the rear axle or slightly forward. For better weight distribution other wise it starts pulling weight off the front. Hard to do in the crew cab ranger because cab is so close to the rear axle.

Leave the weight in there until summer. Better to have it and not need it than... etc. Mpg affects are minor.

 

[geophb]

I mean technically, from a purely statics perspective, you'll get the best use of the added weight, as far as putting load into the rear wheels, by moving it further back. That's what gets a larger moment arm and forces more load into the rear wheels. Having the load forward of the rear wheels puts some of that load onto the front wheels. Granted, it's very small given how small the bed is and how little the weight can be moved around fore/aft, but still.

I'll agree that obviously at a certain point, the further aft you go, you'll eventually have 0 load on the front tires and wheelie, so it shouldn't really be done in the real world.

But if all you wanted to do was get more traction to the rear/drive wheels you should stick that load way out the back. Could even reduce the added weight to 10lbs if you had a long enough arm out the back. haha

Sorry the engineer in me couldn't let it pass. haha

Lol yes effectively turning your truck into a seesaw on the rear axle ?.
My point is to not reduce front braking traction while trying increasing rear wheel traction.

 

[Swingpure]

I am always open to advice and willing to take it if I think it makes sense. This made sense to me, so I moved the pails to the other side of the bed extender and basically directly over the rear wheels. The pails are bordered by the bed extender and a Rubbermaid container, which holds lots of essential things.

As bonus, it gives me back the bed extender area for groceries or whatever and it should help not raise the headlights as much.

Thank you for the advice!

 

[VAMike]

I mean technically, from a purely statics perspective, you'll get the best use of the added weight, as far as putting load into the rear wheels, by moving it further back. That's what gets a larger moment arm and forces more load into the rear wheels. Having the load forward of the rear wheels puts some of that load onto the front wheels. Granted, it's very small given how small the bed is and how little the weight can be moved around fore/aft, but still.

I'll agree that obviously at a certain point, the further aft you go, you'll eventually have 0 load on the front tires and wheelie, so it shouldn't really be done in the real world.

But if all you wanted to do was get more traction to the rear/drive wheels you should stick that load way out the back. Could even reduce the added weight to 10lbs if you had a long enough arm out the back. haha

Sorry the engineer in me couldn't let it pass. haha

Are you accounting for deleterious effects of increased angular momentum from a bunch of weight all the way in the back if the rear does start to slide?

 

[VAMike]

Plus, if the front wheels are in the air then you're not able to ... drive in any direction than straight ahead

Torque vectoring!

 

[Swingpure]

I showed my step son (an experienced pickup truck driver) the pails of sand in the back and said “ugh” . “Just use your 4wd and save gas and space in the bed.”

 

[FordFreak]

Anybody have some secret solution for the proximity sensors icing up and alarming every time you stop? That is extremely annoying.

 

[Swingpure]

I would expect using 4WD more often to use more gas than hauling a few hundred extra pounds in the bed. You do you either way. I'd bet if you asked 10 different "experienced pickup truck drivers" what they do in the winter, you'd get at least 8 different answers. Just read through this forum. haha That tells me there's no true right answer, and that's what I go with. haha

The weight is staying in the bed. I don’t put a ton of miles on the Ranger during the Winter, especially during Covid times, so gas mileage either way is not a big issue.

 

[IdahoRanger]

Anybody have some secret solution for the proximity sensors icing up and alarming every time you stop? That is extremely annoying.

I just turn them off.

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