5 ms·

Wouldn't the lack of weight be a factor in snow, or generally poor-traction situations? Being in Buffalo, NY I already see plenty of trucks fishtailing as it is

Wouldn't the lack of weight be a factor in snow, or generally poor-traction situations? Being in Buffalo, NY I already see plenty of trucks fishtailing as it is. Disclaimer: Truck !== Good in Snow

discardorama 13y ago
Whatever happened to putting sandbags in the back of the truck? When I lived in Buffalo, that was the preferred method of adding extra weight in the winter. Bonus: free sand in case you got stuck somewhere :-D On the flip side: how will the ever present salt affect the aluminum body?
- ericcholis 13y ago
  Yea, sandbags are the preferred method. Problem is, there are quite a few people that still think having a truck makes you impervious to poor driving conditions...and they skip the sandbags. All metals will corrode in the presence of salts. Though aluminum does not exhibit rusting like steel does, it will develop a chalky film and pitting in the metal surface when exposed to salt for long periods. I believe that this is aluminium oxide. Some reading: http://www.boatingmag.com/how-to/maintenance/protecting-aluminum-boats-salt-water-corrosion http://www.boatingmag.com/how-to/maintenance/protecting-alum...
  - sejje 13y ago
    So then the lack of weight won't really be a factor in the snow. The ignorance of some owners will be.
    - derleth 13y ago
      You have to design with the user in mind. Always.
    - protomyth 13y ago
      The ignorance is often cured by the tow truck driver explaining what you did wrong, sometimes the police if you are particularly unlucky.
  - btbuilder 13y ago
    Secondly, the aluminum coat prevents further oxidization unlike with iron.
- protomyth 13y ago
  Sandbags are pretty standard in the northland[1]. Although, some trucks (looking at you Ford Ranger / Mazada B4000) are just bad on snow and ice (described as death traps). If I still lived in a state that used salt, I would follow the precaution of getting a year round carwash pass and going once a week. Plus, a good underbody coating works well. 1) put them over the back wheel, NOT loose in the bed so they slide. Rope or bungee cords are your friend.
dded 13y ago
There's no lack of weight with the F150: curb rate appears to range from about 4700 to 6200 lbs [1]. The trouble with trucks in snow is the distribution of that weight. [1] http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/specifications/view-all/ http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/specifications/view-all/
- astral303 13y ago
  Amen, it's the distribution of the weight. Also, if there is less weight, one can use an narrower tire to provide the same amount of pressure per square inch of contact patch. In other words, less weight + smaller tire == same snow bite. Smaller tire? Cheaper tire. Smaller tire? Less rolling resistance. Lighter spare tire. Lighter truck? Better gas mileage, better stopping, better cornering. If there is a 1000 lbs less to stop on the snow, that will make a huge difference.
MrFoof 13y ago
Winter tires. Period. Too many people think that their all-season tires can do everything. They can do everything, but they don't have the dry grip that summer tires do in warm weather, and they don't have the aggressive siping, channels and the tread compound for ice and very cold air temperatures of winter tires. All season tires do everything far worse than their specialty counterparts do, and it demonstrates itself the most every winter. I drive lightweight RWD sports cars all year round, and we get plenty of snow in Boston. Never have had an issue with winter tires, and sometimes I deliberately seek out empty unplowed parking lots just to have extra fun in.
- bencpeters 13y ago
  Around here (Utah), we see TONS of people driving on the steep mountain roads in the winter with expensive AWD/4x4 cars, trucks, and SUVs that they bought specifically for mountain driving yet are equipped with summer or all season tires. Unsurprisingly, a lot of these people end up in the ditch. Snow tires really are a night and day difference for winter driving conditions - I'd rather have a FWD (or even RWD) car with snow tires than AWD with summers or all seasons. Snow tires are pretty cheap compared to body work too ;)

Wouldn't the lack of weight be a factor in snow, or generally poor-traction situations? Being in Buffalo, NY I already see plenty of trucks fishtailing as it is. Disclaimer: Truck !== Good in Snow

discardorama 13y ago

Whatever happened to putting sandbags in the back of the truck? When I lived in Buffalo, that was the preferred method of adding extra weight in the winter. Bonus: free sand in case you got stuck somewhere :-D On the flip side: how will the ever present salt affect the aluminum body?

ericcholis 13y ago
Yea, sandbags are the preferred method. Problem is, there are quite a few people that still think having a truck makes you impervious to poor driving conditions...and they skip the sandbags. All metals will corrode in the presence of salts. Though aluminum does not exhibit rusting like steel does, it will develop a chalky film and pitting in the metal surface when exposed to salt for long periods. I believe that this is aluminium oxide. Some reading: http://www.boatingmag.com/how-to/maintenance/protecting-aluminum-boats-salt-water-corrosion http://www.boatingmag.com/how-to/maintenance/protecting-alum...
- sejje 13y ago
  So then the lack of weight won't really be a factor in the snow. The ignorance of some owners will be.
  - derleth 13y ago
    You have to design with the user in mind. Always.
  - protomyth 13y ago
    The ignorance is often cured by the tow truck driver explaining what you did wrong, sometimes the police if you are particularly unlucky.
- btbuilder 13y ago
  Secondly, the aluminum coat prevents further oxidization unlike with iron.
protomyth 13y ago
Sandbags are pretty standard in the northland[1]. Although, some trucks (looking at you Ford Ranger / Mazada B4000) are just bad on snow and ice (described as death traps). If I still lived in a state that used salt, I would follow the precaution of getting a year round carwash pass and going once a week. Plus, a good underbody coating works well. 1) put them over the back wheel, NOT loose in the bed so they slide. Rope or bungee cords are your friend.

dded 13y ago

There's no lack of weight with the F150: curb rate appears to range from about 4700 to 6200 lbs [1]. The trouble with trucks in snow is the distribution of that weight. [1] http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/specifications/view-all/ http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/specifications/view-all/

astral303 13y ago
Amen, it's the distribution of the weight. Also, if there is less weight, one can use an narrower tire to provide the same amount of pressure per square inch of contact patch. In other words, less weight + smaller tire == same snow bite. Smaller tire? Cheaper tire. Smaller tire? Less rolling resistance. Lighter spare tire. Lighter truck? Better gas mileage, better stopping, better cornering. If there is a 1000 lbs less to stop on the snow, that will make a huge difference.

MrFoof 13y ago

Winter tires. Period. Too many people think that their all-season tires can do everything. They can do everything, but they don't have the dry grip that summer tires do in warm weather, and they don't have the aggressive siping, channels and the tread compound for ice and very cold air temperatures of winter tires. All season tires do everything far worse than their specialty counterparts do, and it demonstrates itself the most every winter. I drive lightweight RWD sports cars all year round, and we get plenty of snow in Boston. Never have had an issue with winter tires, and sometimes I deliberately seek out empty unplowed parking lots just to have extra fun in.

bencpeters 13y ago
Around here (Utah), we see TONS of people driving on the steep mountain roads in the winter with expensive AWD/4x4 cars, trucks, and SUVs that they bought specifically for mountain driving yet are equipped with summer or all season tires. Unsurprisingly, a lot of these people end up in the ditch. Snow tires really are a night and day difference for winter driving conditions - I'd rather have a FWD (or even RWD) car with snow tires than AWD with summers or all seasons. Snow tires are pretty cheap compared to body work too ;)