Winter is coming. You have a great Ford pickup truck that serves you well, and it gets great traction on and off the road. However, things can get dicey when your rear starts to fishtail on snowy and icy roads because the end of the bed is much lighter compared to the front where the engine sits. That’s why adding weights to the bed of your pickup can improve traction on slick winter roads.
That said, we get a lot of questions like, “How much weight to put in truck bed for winter?” and “What to use for weights for truck beds in the winter?”. Luckily, Sid Dillon Ford Crete is here to offer the service tips you need to get your truck road-ready for the winter. Take a look at how to set your truck bed weights for winter driving in Crete and Lincoln.
Are you wondering where to put your weights for your truck bed in the winter to keep your trips from Seward to Omaha safe? The goal is to put more weight on the tires so they have better contact with the road. Therefore, you should focus most of the weight over the rear axle in between the tires. Your chosen weight may slide around a bit, so consider using cargo gates or separators to help keep the weight in place. If you don’t properly secure the weights over the axle, they’re useless.
“How much weight should I put in a truck bed for winter?” you ask. Follow this simple rule: 250 to 300 pounds for a half-ton pickup like the F-150, and then 300 to 400 pounds for heavier trucks from the Ford Super Duty line. You might be concerned about the braking distance due to adding more weight to your pickup. However, modern trucks have advanced braking features and systems that alleviate this difficulty. Plus, it’s only a few hundred pounds as opposed to towing a three-ton trailer.
Weights come in cheap options for the amount of weight you’ll use. Sandbags are the most popular choice due to their inexpensive price point. You can also use cat litter, rock salt, potting soil, and huge bags of just plain dirt. However, for the convenience and price, sandbags are the way to go.
At Sid Dillon Ford Crete in Crete, your safety is important to us. Stop by for tire service or brand-new tires for your truck. Need help picking out new tires? Contact us or call (402) 826-2668 for more information. We’ll also recommend how to handle driving with truck bed weights for winter.
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