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mayo
Dodge Dakota
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10/13/2004
10:26:33
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 Subject: adding weight in bed?
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Message:
Winters coming and I would like to hear suggestions as to adding weight in the back of the bed for traction. I actually broke down and bought a soft bed cover for this sucker, where in the past I just let the damn snow fill up the back for added weight.lol. Any suggestions would be helpful.
thanks,
mayo.
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peedee
Dodge Dakota
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10/13/2004
10:36:41
|  RE: adding weight in bed?
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If you do place weight in the bed, place it on top of or in front of the axle. On top of will give the most weight to the axle w/o affecting the front negatively. To the rear of the axle will lighten the front and actually cause worse traction in some situations because of proportioning more weight to the rear wheels causeing them to tend to "bog". In front of will be positive for both the front and rear. In front of will also require more weight because of distribution so then mileage becomes a factor.
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Kowalski
GenIII
10/13/2004
11:11:53
| RE: adding weight in bed?
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If you don't put it up front, make sure its properly braced. You don't want the secondary impact of whatever you are using coming at you in the event of an accident.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
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Paul
Dodge Dakota
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10/14/2004
00:46:13
| RE: adding weight in bed?
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They make fillable bladders (thick plastic, pillow shaped baloons) that lay in the bed to add weight. They have baffles so the water doesnt slosh all around and cause drivability problems. I guess you could add antifreexe so it wont freeze. I dont know the name of the product or company. Saw it on "Trucks
".
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mayo
Dodge Dakota
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10/14/2004
11:29:42
| RE: adding weight in bed?
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I'm thinking sand bags (might come in handy)...where can you get them at and how many lbs. would I need for a 4x4 in the snow? WV winters are a bitch!
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99bludak
Dodge Dakota
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10/14/2004
12:30:03
| RE: adding weight in bed?
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Well, technically you don't need any for a 4x4 unless you don't plan to use the 4wd. However, for that very reason, I carry two tubes of sand in my truck bed in the winter. One over each wheel well. I think they weigh about 50# each. I bought mine at Wal-Mart, they carry them when winter hits. Also some gas stations carry them, but for a little more cash. They do help some, but when it is really bad, I just lock in the 4x4 and go like hell. I have never had this truck let me down in a sticky situation, she's a beast!!
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RadioMan
Dodge Dakota
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10/14/2004
12:56:25
|  RE: adding weight in bed?
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I use four (4) 80 lb sand tubes over back axle.
I bought them for a home supply some years ago.
Works very well on my 02 4X4.
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Kowalski
GenIII
10/14/2004
14:24:13
| RE: adding weight in bed?
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Where is this WV you are claiming winters are so bad ? Tell a New Englander you're notwhining about winters in West Virginia, are you ? I don't need to use any weight. Don't be afraid to use your 4x4 - gas is cheaper than body work !
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
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RaZoR1
Dodge Dakota
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10/14/2004
17:28:25
| RE: adding weight in bed?
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I live in southern ontario and we get some pretty bad winters. So far i've only had to put on a set of snows. I have a 2000 4*2 auto and a kenne bell blower. Also a quad cab so i have some extra weight there. They're pretty good at plowing around my area as well they dump enough salt to turn lake ontario into the dead sea. I also don't drive it too much in the winter but i would go with sand bags if i had too. Help ya get "unstuck" if you ever get stuck.
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mayo
Dodge Dakota
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10/14/2004
20:16:14
| RE: adding weight in bed?
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Webster Springs, WV. Alt 2000+ above sea level. The only thing flat around hear is a parking lot and that's only about 50% of them. lol. Winters are pretty bad and I could always tell a difference in 4wd with some snow in the back in my old Chevy. Looks like I'm headed to Wal-mart. Thanks for the help.
mayo.
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Dan M
Dodge Dakota
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10/14/2004
22:26:52
| RE: adding weight in bed?
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The sand is also good if you get stuck and need some traction. Before i had a 4x4 dakota, i had a 4x2 ranger. I used to carry around bags of water softner salt. Then again, my parents had a water softner. When winter was over, they got the salt.
And the stuff in the red bag is good for sprinkling on driveways and sidewalks. It's rock salt which is not as big as the pellets. And you can get a 40lb bag for the price of a 20 lb bag of "snow salt".
- Dan M
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