I just have one 60lb bag in mine I'll throw right over the axle as well as my Hi-Lift.

 

250lb of sand and pea gravel in a wood-frame setup like some of the other guys above. Even with that and an aluminum cap, I still had a buttload of traction problems. Snow tires really help, but I still seem to have more problems in slush than ice.

 

Alot of weight...
I put on my cap
4 60* bags of sand
100*+ of tools

 

No extra weight and light foot.

 

Normally I don't have to worry too much about driving in snow. But it just so happens that I have a job interview on Wednesday in Walla Walla and I have to go over the pass to get there. It's been snowing non-stop for a week in the mountains and the passes are a mess. So I just bought 240 lbs of sandbags and tossed them in over the axle.

Wish me luck guys.

 

RentonRanger, I would get a set of chains. They may be required anyway.

 

Yep, fully agreed.. its like when I had to go over the Mt. Hood pass to run an event at the Sunriver Resort for their seasonal holiday.. we were required to have chains, and traction tires.. if you didnt have both, you couldnt go up it. Even with all that, it was gnarly, several feet of snow and the road was 100% slush and ice covered with bits of sand here and there.

So yeah, definatly think you should bring some chains.. not any of those fancy dancy types that work better with ABS, or the coiled spring looking ones.. straight up good chains are the best from all the types I have used :-)

 

I only have a my spare and a small toolbox. Not to bad except when the roads are lightly covered in snow that the rear has a habit of trying to become the front. But that's why I use 4x4 whenever it snows.

 

I've had a set since we got dumped on a couple of years ago. They're the big ole' monster style chains, not that cable crap. Threw those on the rear tires, put it in 4wd...that thing is like a tank!

 

I love the sound of driving in 4 with a nice set of chains.. the look is awesome too.. snow and slush spitting into the air and the clink clink of driving around..... dead sexay on a good ranger =)

 

i have 4x4 and the awesome natural weight.

The snow falls into my bed and fills it up adding weight and traction, the best part is it will go away by itself, you never have to remove it.

 

my only suggestion, you can have all the weight in the world in the rear of your ranger, but what it really comes down to is............SLOW DOWN, and expect the un-expected......... i learned this last night coming home, and i hit a section of road that was noting but ice

 

None.... but if I was to do it, I would do 3 70 pounders of sand across the axle in between the wheel wells.

 

LOL!!!!!!!!

 

best place to put it

 

Not allowed to use chains here in WI but I use two 70lb bags of sand in a plastic kiddy swimming pool that I almost ran over one night that way if they decide to break its easy to clean up...and easy to remove. A full tank of fuel with the two 70lbs bags keeps the rear end where it should be behind me....

 

i have my "road spare" mounted in the box in front of the wheel well upright on the drivers side, underneath in the stock spare carrier is a "ballast tire" with water in it, weighs 130 pnds. if i need more i have a old 3/4 ton tire/rim filled with sand inside. it weighs 219 pnds and gets placed between the wheel wells with chains securing it at all 4 corners. even with 4wd its still good to carry some weight. but you dont want too much or when you go around a corner and slide it will want to keep going (pedulum effect) the only thing i dont like about added weight is the drop in fuel economy. i run a specific set of wheels/tires in winter and due to the weight i carry and the drag of the front driveline with the hubs locked i dont ever use 5th gear, just drive it as a 4 spd, ive noticed with my vaccum guage that i can maintain a higher vac reading in 4rth than 5th in "winter" mode, higer vac=better fuel economy. whatever your method, secure your load, in the event of a sudden stop youre firewood, blocks ,whatever can become a missle and be through the rear window before you even realize it.

 

i've got around 250 - 300 in mine