Hey there,

I bought 10 27kg bags of sand at home depot yesterday and built a box out of wood to hold them over the rear axle in the back of my 2004 dodge ram 1500 2wd to help with traction in the snow. Today I took it out and the handling felt off, kind of lose. I had trouble staying in my lane on the highway.

I didn't have any problems before putting in the sand, so I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong. Is it just too much weight? Or maybe something I haven't thought of?

Thanks

 

Putting that much weight in the bed is nothing to your truck. It was designed to carry about three times that muck. LIkely what you are feeling is the difference in ride height in the rear, it does indeed change ride quality, and steering feel. I doubt very much that you hurt anything.

 

As long as it is directly over, or just in front, of the rear axle, you should be fine. I've seen people put the weight at the very rear and that will cause issues as while it adds drive traction, it reduces steering effectiveness. It pulls your nose up.

 

yeah 600 lbs should not hurt anything, unless you had something in the rear suspension that was weak or about to break anyway...I'd just take a look at the shocks, and bushing etc....