Winter tire pressure and truck bed weighting

[lethal injection]

Here is a stupid question for you all.



What tire pressure do you run front and back and due you put any weight in the bed for traction at winter?



The reason I ask is I came out of a 1500 ram with 35 mud tires on it. I kept them at 50psi with no weight in the bed and could go almost anywhere with out putting it in 4 wheel drive.



Now with the 2500 ram and stock tires I am having to lock it in just to park in front of my house, thats with 300lbs of sand at the tail gate and 80psi in the tires. I got a feeling for staters I should drop the tire pressure but am looking for suggestions.



Thanks,

 

[Gene Arnold]

I don't change my tire pressures for winter but I only run sixty psi in the backs. An old engineer told me one time that a smaller footprint makes for better snow traction. He used the narrow VW tires as an example. I wouldn't vouch for his accuracy but it kind of made sense when he explained friction, etc. from an engineer's viewpoint.



I usually have about 400# in the extreme rear. I have a 2X6 board dropped in the bed slots to keep the sandbags from sliding to the front.



Gene

 

[jgillott]

The best combination that I've found for my '01 regular cab 4x4 is 500# of sand in the bed, 50psi in the rear, and 55psi front. With that said, it is still completely helpless in the snow/ice... by far the worst vehicle I've ever driven in the winter.



Believe me, I've tried many different combinations of tires, weight, tire pressure, etc. . etc. . etc. Nothing I've done helps out enough to make me comfortable/confident with this truck in the snow. I've gotten to the point that, unless absolutely necessary, I leave this thing home when the roads are bad.



Justin

 

[Cowboy Medic]

Keep in mind mine is a dually, but I will usually run about 60 psi and throw about 300lbs over the axle and it drives very nicely all things considered. I do have to use 4x4 if there gets to be some accumulation on the roads as the wide duals just float over the snow and don't get much traction. But nice part is once I am in 4x4 there has never been anything that has stopped me except one time when I had to dive for the ditch to avoid a soccermom in her excursion who was doing a 360 in the middle of the road because she was trying to drive too damn fast. That was the only time so far I have kicked myself for not getting a set of chains, because if I had I think I could have gotten out of that as well. Wound up having to have my brother come yank me out with his dodge.

 

[juicedcummins]

I run 40psi in the front and 36psi in the rear. MY tool and fuel loaded weighs a good 500lbs and my tires wear great 1'st rotate was @ 24k.

These trucks are so snout heavy you need MORE air in the front tires if running light or empty.

 

[JLEONARD]

I run 55 psi in my studded snows and put 10 cement blocks in the bed. Works for me... even with an open diff.

Jay

 

[GO 4LO]

50 psi front and rear, 1200 lbs aft of the rear axle, secured by a rack that is chained to the rear tie-downs. Haven't needed 4wd onroad yet - the most we've seen at a time was about 10" of snow, though...

Chris

 

[EMD Diesel Power]

In my '96 2500 Reg. Cab and LSD... . I had 1000lbs in the back in one of those water bladders chained down. Ran Michelins for tires and had 65 up front and 50 in the back.



Never had problems with mine in winter..... It was also a stick.

 

[10-9jc]

Snow? Whasat? Don't allow that stuff here in So. Cal - except

in the places (local mountains) where we want to Ski, Snowboard, etc.

Seventy degrees (plus) today - locals headed to the beach for the

big surf.



Think -YOU- have a tuff time in/on the ice and snow?

Now this is not an ethnic bash, or slur! . . . . You haven't lived 'til you

see some of the local Vietnamese folks making their first [or tenth] visit

to "snow country"!! Eyes big as saucers, talking 150mph, as they

negotiate a slippery corner plastered back in their seat or clinging

desperately to the steering wheel - at the breakneck speed of 10 mph!

Juan Fangio - eat your heart out!

-ALL/ANY- of THEIR cars/trucks are the -WORST- in snow and ice!!



Anyway, remember the recommended tire pressures are for carrying the

"max load" your truck was intended for. I use 50# front and rear - just

cause one number fits all for "empty". Ballast is wonderful for sailing vessels

and Dodge trucks!

JC

 

[Sled Puller]

Dropping tire pressure is for when you want to stay on top of deep snow/sand, the bigger footprint. If you want to dig and go, you need a tall narrow tire with normal air pressure.



A Cummins in 4x2, is helpless on wet grass, there is just too much anchor up front. I would suggest a minimum of 500 pounds of sandbags over the rear axle, or behind it. Still, you have to be careful where that snout gets parked on bad ground.