Snow, does weight in the back help?

In my truck i always throw 300-400 pounds of weight in the back does it help the 4 runner to?

If so what is a good weight (lbs)? I need to buy new weights i was using sandbags for years but they busted open.

They where 50lbs each in a clear plastic bag and cheap guess i should have put them in another bag.

 

My father used to keep one or two big empty paint buckets filled with gravel/chippings in the trunk of our old Volvo station wagon. This added weight in the back and if you got stuck on ice you could throw some grit in front of/under the wheels.

 

When I had my Tacoma I had to put additional weight in the bed. That truck got slung all over the road on very windy days. In my 4Runner I haven't had that problem at all. I think it's because of the additional weight that the roof over the cargo area.

 

That is what i was wondering.

 

Yeah my Tacoma is awful with no weight in the bed, it also rides smoother lol

 

My Tacoma would get knocked into the next lane if a stiff breeze blew by. With the 4Runner, that doesn't happen. Don't get me wrong, if a strong enough wind hit it, it would sway. But it's A LOT better than the Tacoma.

The bed's on the Tacoma are composite. AKA: Very very light material.

The cargo area (plus the roof) is steel. Well, it's some kind of metal/aluminum. It weighs more.

 

4R is fine without weight in the back. I've had no issues getting going on snowy uphills (street driving) with my stock G2s and 2WD. Much better than my lighter JLUR and far better than my trucks.

 

No

 

I heard if in an accident & Ins.Co. gets wind of this they won't pay??

 

I used to put a couple of sandbags in my 4wd f150 when I would head up skiing.

 

I’d try it without weight first and see how that goes. I only hear about weight in the back being a pickup thing, especially if 2WD.

 

You shouldn’t need any extra weight. Just use 4WD and you will be fine.

 

All that, plus 4R's wheelbase is significantly shorter than any contemporary 4 door Taco, it results in very evenly distributed weight over the whole frame.

 

This reminds me how bad the Tundra rear end slips compared to 4runner since Tundra rear is very light.

It's also interesting the 4runner has almost 50:50 weight distribution front to back. Especially the ones with 3rd row seats.

 

I second this. Is it necessary? No. Absolutely not. Would it be a little better with a 50lb sand bag on each side? Probably a little. But at that point, why not just stick 'er in and out of 4H when necessary.

 

I like idea if sand available to get rolling on ice after you park and tires melt into surface a small amount

 

Better tires, and if you can’t see the pavement surface, throw it in 4-Hi.

No need to carry ballast.

 

It will be it's first snow calling for a foot so we will see.

I started putting weight in the tacomas bed because one night going down a mountain in 4WD very slowly the ass end of the truck broke free and i started going down the mountain sideways. I don't think i was even using the brakes when it happened as it's a manual.

I was using Duratracs at the time still running them. Going up the mountain never seems to be a issue it was always going down.

 

Better tires do help. The Dunlops they come with are not very good in snow.

I don't carry extra weight in winter, but I have a few hundred # of extra weight in it all year.

 

How much snow are you talking about? In 8"+ the 4R with good tires is awesome, but with that much snow, you probably are driving pretty slow. In variable traction conditions, which are common here from the freeze/thaw cycles, it's actually a pretty bad winter vehicle. Constantly switching between 2H and 4H is mentally exhausting and the slab sides with high COG makes it worse when it's even a bit breezy. It won't hurt anything to toss a couple of bags of sand in the cargo area though, so it's worth a try.

 

You need some better tires and it will become an excellent winter vehicle. Also just leave it in 4WD if the road surface is snow or wet. No need to take it in and out unless the pavement is dry.

 

Is that how you refer to yourself? LOL

 

No. I'm the dead weight in the driver's seat.

The extra weight is tools, recovery gear, and armor.

 

Weight distribution in the 4runner is a lot better than a small pickup. And just remember, anything you put in the back can become a projectile in an accident...

Better off making sure you have good tires for snow (which means NOT KO2/KO3)...

 

So two things here:

1. If your back end breaks loose with more weight back there, it becomes a much worse situation as you have more inertia to deal with (and more mass overwhelming the limited grip on the road).

2. So this is your first snow with the 4R? Assuming you have the time, this would be a great opportunity to get out and tool around (in uncrowded areas) and get a feel for how it handles empty (or with the old sand bag / kitty litter for traction). Just go with a buddy or stick close to home in case you do get stuck somewhere. It sounds like you have winter driving experience, so you're just getting a feel for the new car.

Pretty much any tires will work well on fresh powder (I got home through Atlanta's snowpocalypse in my prerunner with the stock Dunlops, so anything is possible), but once it gets compressed and thaws / freezes a couple of times, then you'll want winter or at least snowflake tires.

I would just relax, and know the 4R should be better all around than the pickup, assuming tires etc. are okay (while not getting overconfident).

 

What's this powder you speak of? Snow is wet, sticky and compresses to ice as you drive...

 

Going downhill, if you add weight to the back, you’re not really loading the back only - you’re loading the front tires as well.

More weight in the rear could make the problem worse.

I used to have an 80s Porsche 911.

Great car, but with all that weight in the back, things can get interesting.

I was on a spirited drive with other Porsches, went into a turn hot, lifted the throttle, and experienced lift-off oversteer. Thankfully I put my foot into it, adjusted the steering, and didn’t go flying off the road.

Ultimately the best solution is keep your speed down and practice your recoveries. Sometimes you need to give it a bit of the beans when your body is telling you to put on the brakes.

 

Never had any issues when I lived in WI.

You don’t need to keep switching it unless it suddenly feels like it’s hard to turn.

 

Tacos with the rear drum brakes love to lock up and slide around the nose. Used to have a ton of fun in a buddy's back in the day.

 

What's your recommendation A/T tire over BFG KO3 for snow?