Tundra control on icy and snowy conditions

Good Morning All,
I moved to Alaska 4 years ago from Arizona. I travel a lot in Alaska, in fact I left AZ with 50k miles on the truck and I now 130k miles. My question is simple. Do I weight down my truck by carrying 900 lbs of traction sand in 60 lb bags, to help the truck control better on icy and snowy roads?
Your feed back is welcomed.

 

900 sounds like a bit much. Maybe a couple hundred over the rear axle.

 

Curious... what have you done for the last 4 years and 80k miles?

 

If you've managed the past 80k miles without it, probably not. But yes, some bags of sand across the rear axle will always make the truck feel more 'planted'. I have a cap and a Decked system full of stuff that accomplishes the same thing.

 

I'm a photographer, and traveling is a big part of getting my photos.

 

I've always been good at navigating through bs. So what you are really saying is no additional weight is needed in the bed of the truck to maintain good control.
Thank you

 

What people are saying is you haven't given enough information. What problem have you faced over the past 80k miles that makes you think you need more weight?

Generally I have found that the truck performs best in the winter with 200 lbs in the bed. For me, that's a canopy and a few other items. But again, that varies depending on the roads being traveled (highway vs backroads), city driving, ice covered roads, etc.

 

This post seems to contradict your assertion about this?

Yes obviously weight in the back over the main drive wheels will always help but not maybe as much as driver awareness and experience which it sounds like you are doubting for yourself somehow?

If you have been navigating Alaska already for this long why dont you tell us your secrets to success there?

 

I just put Blizzaks on my truck. If I don't remember to shift to 4Hi before coming to a stop at an intersection that someone has iced up, it's touch and go on whether I can get rolling again.

Toyota, if you're reading this, the next gen needs 4Auto and an automatic locking (mechanical) rear diff.

 

Toyota, you're readying this, ignore above and add in electric locking front AND rear diffs.

 

Well I do appreciate everyone's comments. The reason I'm asking was a friend commended that weight in the bed of the truck will cause more loss of control not less. I have always added weight in the bed during the winter months. So who better to ask, other Tundra drivers. No I agree not 900 lbs, but 400 lbs seems to work for me. When its snowing so fast and heavy that it covers a big rig's tracks that just passed you 3 minutes previously, and your tires are packed from the snow you are going to lose control as the antiskid takes over. I have loss control and weight in the back of the truck may or may not be helping. I was lucky to be in and area of roadway that was very wide with no guard rails. So I just let the antiskid take over, with my foot off of the gas and brake. It became a complete 180⁰ turn around, but no other vehicles were in site and I didn't hit anything. I was only going 40 mph when I loss control. I have had the pleasure of driving in 9 blizzards in the four years and never had an incident of damage. My question was to ask other Tundra drivers, as I am always interested to learn from others. So thank you for your comments. Sorry I disappeared for a few hours, but power went out here at home, due to a storm.

 

That weight will help you get going but it’s gonna make stopping worse!

 

Agree

 

I used to carry 4 or 5-70lb tubes of sand over the Axle in my 2wd Tundra and it got me around in Colorado in the Winter but not as well as the 4wd Tundras and a Shell with a load of tools can.

I think the Driver is probably the most important tool though,speaking for myself of course.

Last year I drove a brand new Sequoia pretty loaded but pulling a small trailer through a Blizzard and Windstorm in Utah and the only thing that made it work was going slow.
There was a solid 100 mile line of us going 20mph for hours on end and seemingly every vehicle that pulled out of the line to get ahead when it seemed to momentarily clear up turned up later flipped or mashed,really every one!

 

Wow, agree on the driver, and every edge we can do to help us. As my story told I was doing 40 and that turned out to be too fast.

 

Welcome from the wet side of WA.

I grew up in the dry/cold snow of N. Idaho and when I moved here to the Cascades, I learned my lesson about how different types of snow change the driving conditions drastically. Was on my way up to Mt. Hood in the "Cascade Concrete" doing what I thought was reasonable speed in 2WD in my wife's 4Runner (it was reasonable in the conditions I had grown up with). Next thing I know we're doing circles across the road (and oncoming lanes) to end up in the opposite ditch.

22 years later, and she still hasn't let me live it down. Now I'm much more attentive to not just how much but what kind of snow I'm dealing with. That dry powder just flies away...almost acts like sand. But the wet crap we have here just packs into your tread and turns to ice.

 

Hi RainMan_PNW,
I notice you have a 2021 Tundra. Is it the new 6 cycle. Turbo?

 

The 6 cylinder Turbo is the next generation that is a 2022 model. They're not out yet.

 

Rather than add weight that will be harder to get moving, stop, and will tend to slide downhill, get some pizza cutter winter tires.

 

The local dealership miss informed me. Thanks for letting me know.
Winter tires may be a good alternative. Up here in Alaska a lot of people have 2 sets of tires, but one set has studs, which are allowed between October through April.
Thanks for the feedback

 

+1 for winter tires. We don't see anything as extreme as you in Ohio, but winter tires have transformed many of my previous vehicles from winter deathtraps to heroes. Sandbags, and their careful placement in the bed, really only improve your ability to start from a stop.

Nothing is able to improve the most dangerous aspects of winter driving (stopping and turning) like winter tires. Not 4WD, not sandbags, nothing; except speed management.

Also, the reason I mention careful sandbag placement is if you stack 400 lbs of sand up against the tailgate, well you might experience what those poor Porsche 911 drivers did in the 80s and 90s! Hanging a big weight out behind the rear axle (the engine in the 911's case) can cause funny driving dynamics.

 

Point well taken.
Thanks

 

If it was me living in a more extreme climate like AK, I'd absolutely run a dedicated set of snow tires/wheels in Winter ... Blizzaks would be my #1 choice, Hankook Pikes #2.

And I'd probably disable all the nannies as well ... that traction control can get you into trouble more often than it helps (in my experience)

 

900 pound might be more than needed, but more weight on the rear tires helps tremendously. I t helps you get going and it helps you keep going. For example if you are going up a hill and you do not have adequate weight on the rear tires it will cause them to spin and possibly the start of a spin out. Now in slick conditions with the power of a tundra you can make the spin any time...but the more weight on the rear end the faster you can go before they start to spin out. I drive a lot in winter and usually the fastest driver during slippery conditions. Always go as straight as possible, never accelerate during turns, and never use the brake if you start to lose control.

 

Sounds like I'm doing it right, thanks for your feed back.

 

I've always put weight over the back axle during the winter season. 900lbs sounds very excessive though, I use 200 to 350ish pounds. That combined with good tires makes my truck pretty solid in snow.

 

Most folks I hung out with in AK while I was up there ran with two tire sets. The second tire set as you mentioned was studded for winter. Any new studable tire will perform well. Doesn't have to be a dedicated winter only tire although not a bad idea. Many AT's are studable too. Some Coopers are studable.