Have a boss v-plow on mine no weight in the box no problems, stock tires 2nd winter in northern MN

 

18" impossible to find good snow tires, I have 17" for winter and 18" for summer. They sell allot of Mastercraft around here, I have heard they are a good tire. I have never owned a set though, I will be getting Wintercat SST for my truck when I can find a few extra bucks..

 

Hey Bob800,

Where in Northern MN do you live? I'll be up in Grand Marias at the end of December. Anywhere near there? I love northern MN so much more than Minneapolis. But I don't think I could live there full time.

Duke

 

BalogUK,
In general, I go with about 10% less payload per additional inch in tread width from stock setup. Basically if the stock tires were 10" wide with a payload of 1700 lbs, then a 12" wide tire would safely haul a little less than 1400 lbs. I don't think that is going to be a problem when putting about 400-500 lbs in the bed for traction weight. I had the same problems with my 97 when I went to a larger tire setup. I just had to learn how to drive it safely in the snow. As I mentioned before, the weight per sq. inch of contact surface of the tire is what has changed. Adding weight over the axel or just a little in front of it will help recover some the handling disadvantages with larger tires. Plus, as may will agree, a mudder just does not grip packed snow. A finer "grid" type tread, as a snow tire has, has the ability to make many smaller indentations in the packed snow to afford better traction. As you have probably read throughout this thread, there are many different way to add "stable" weight to your bed. Best of luck.

 

I would never use that water bag. NEVER. What do you get if the water isn’t frozen solid? You get 8lbs/g of water sloshing around in your bed. The trick to winter driving is constant control, having a heavy load that is uncontained is a bad idea.
400lbs isn’t too much but the problem is again; control. You have to answer for every lbs you have both moving and stopped. 400 extra pounds may help you get going but getting going isn’t the problem, the cruxes of the problem are control during turns and stops and lighter the better.
As far as no good snow tire for 18’s? I have BFG 285/65/18’s and they are wonderful in the snow. They worked flawlessly in 8 inches of snow in 4Lo getting up to our hunting cabin and worked just as well driving back to Denver on the Interstate as I passed numerous out of state morons up Eisenhower Tunnel.

I recommend using reasonable weight placed forward of the rear axle inline with the center of the truck and not expecting more than your tire can give.

 

Good point. One thing that is different with this series of truck than any other similarly classed one on the road is the dry weight. 5700 lbs of truck, wow. 400-500 lbs of weight is nothing by percentage of total. I totally agree with the "control" factor, meaning learn how to drive it safely.

300wby,
As from your handle, I suspect that you bagged something this year?

 

LOL, I'm glad someone here knows what a 300wby is! Yeah so far so good and I still have a cow Elk tag good through 1/31/06. So I'm confident of a freezer full of meet for '06.

 

Wider tires are far better than narrow, take the matt tracks for example, wider footprint, better weight distribution, you don't want to bog down in mud as thats when you have more mud to climb or push over, which is unwanted. You want to float on top and sling mud, higher void ratio's in lug patterns will allow the latter to be accomplished, a wider tire will allow the floating to be accomplished. Simple as that.

 

Glad this was posted. I'll be heading to TN to drive around in the snowy mountains in about two weeks. My lariat is 2WD 3.73LS..and I was planning on weighing the bed down with sandbags from Lowes or something..

So best place to weigh it down is across between wheel wells, right?

 

The Shur Trax water bags have baffles built in to them to prevent sloshing.

 

That may be true for mud but it's not true for snow. They're two different evils. A narrow (not talking bike tire width, just regular tire width, like stock) tire with a deep and aggressive tread is the best thing for snow. Use a wide tire in real snow and you'll get no where but in the ditch.

 

I can see the baffles, and certainly they would effect the distance the water can move and help mitigate the effect but it doesnt change the volume and overall weight of the water. The weight and mass is the same its just divided into 4 smaller areas.

 

I just lay 4 or 5 100lb suitcase weights (front hanging tractor weights) on my bed mat. They stay put and you can still use the bed

 

Exactly!

 

Another Minnesota boy chiming in with his two cents on snow travel. I have 4 tubes of 60 lb sand in my truck. I have them stacked right next to both the wheel wells right on top of the axle. When I bought my last set of tires for my truck, Goodyear tossed in a tire sipe for each one at no additional cost. First set of tires I have ever had that were siped and I definitely notice that it helps with the traction on snow and ice. I have literally driven my truck on glare ice (we have been lacking some snow the past few winters...so the lakes get like glass in the winter......) and I have had no problems grabbing the "polished surface" when I head out across the lake to find that magical spot where I will drill my holes and catch my fish.

Biggest thing is to train yourself not to "stomp on it".....finess it a bit more in the winter.

BTW...Duke, I'd love to live in Northern MN also....but trying to make a living up there is definitely tough if you belong to corporate america.