with the possibility of snow here in the next month or so, im trying to get an answer to a few question

1) Can you use 4wheel drive in the rain? when it raining out, my back end goes all over the frekin place, just if i touch or breath on the gas pedal... any advice ??? I have a TRX 4x4 V8

2) Will the Goodyear AT's do okay in the snow, a little worried as they dont do weel in the rain

3) is there a magical answer or remedy for all of this? Keep hearing cinder block from friends, but as my bed is plastic drop in, need some ideas for the pros here

thanks gang

 

Yes, you can run 4X4 in the rain, but why? If your tires are so poor on traction with rain, 4X4 will just be twice and poor.

Personally I have never found any Goodyear brand tire that works in snow or ice. The rubber combound is better suited for dry surfaces, check the Goodyear website. They give a traction rating but don't believe them.

Hankook makes excellent snow/mud tires, have run them for years with excellent treadwear, 50K plus, with full road hazard warranty.

For weight, just go to home depot get sand bags, they don't slid around in my drop in liner or use and old inner tube slice it open fill it with sand and tie the end shut. Tire stores will usually give you the inner tubes.

 

You can also take some 2x4s and build a "frame" around the wheel wells to keep whatever you use for weight from sliding, and to keep it over the axle where it will do the most good. 2 pieces length wise on both sides of the wells and 2 short pieces perpindicular to hold them together.

The statement that traction will be "twice" as poor using 4x4 in the rain is completely illogical. In my '06 I'd use it, it definitely helps having 4 wheels looking for traction as opposed to 2.

 

sliding all over in rain? Sounds like your tires are garbage... where I live we get a LOT of rain and i've never had an issue. I wouldn't run in 4wd in the rain, slippery/snowy roads yes but not in the rain.

 

Put a waterbed mattress in the bed and fill it with water.

 

I used to run 400lbs of bagged water softener salt in my F150 in the winter. With the ram I figure I'll start at 300lbs and see what it needs.

After having a pool table moved, I decided that what would work great is a couple pieces of pool table slate on the bottom of the bed - no real loss of bed space

 

If I still lived up north, I'd be looking at one of these:

http://trucktoys4less.com/sure-trax-traction-aid.html

 

When I lived in Upstate NY I had a Dodge Dakota with the V-8 and I build a box for the back. Basically I went to Lowes and bought one sheet of plywood and a 2x4. I then cut the sheet of plywood in half and placed it between the wheel wells in the bed. From there I cut the 2x4's to the width of my bed. I attached them to the piece od plywood that was the bottom and then placed it in the bed of the truck. I then took 200lbs of old lifting weights and put them inside the frame I just build. I then put the final piece of plywood on top of the frame and secured it down. The whole box was only 5 inches tall and only covered the part of the bed that was between the wheel wells. I didn't like the idea of not being able to use my bed so this worked perfect for me. I was able to put whatever I wanted in the bed and I had the weight directly over the rear wheels. I never had a problem with the rear end spinning again and it was great in the snow. Oh I also had BF Goodrich Longtrails on the truck as well.

 

I have a granite place I'm going to go to and get some bigger scrap. Put that in the back and I should be good to go.

 

I had to put 700 lbs in my Dakota 2wd man that was bad.