First Snow

[Jimjific]

So we got our first snow here in upstate NY. Nothing big about 3/4". For such a little amount, I was surprised how bad the truck handled. I definitely need to put some weight in the bed.

[zeldman]

A short wheel base doesnt like slippery conditions, that is for sure, and even worse if you have a posi rear end. These old trucks sure are not the oversized car/trucks that are being made today. Nice looking truck, I hope mine looks like that one day.

[Jimjific]

Thanks for the complement on the truck. It has a couple small issues but it looks good and drives great. I got rid of a 2001 GMC stepside (Well Actually I still have it I just need to sell it) and replaced it with this 69 as my daily driver. It doesn't have posi so that won't be an issue. I have a set of 15x8 rally's for it but I might wait until spring to put wider tires on.

[67ChevyRedneck]

I'm originally from Ellery, NY (close to Jamestown, NY and Erie, PA) so we got all the lake effect snow. I drove my 67 only a few times (short wheel base stepside like yours) in the snow/ice and it sucked. I had a winter beater, but I swapped plates/insurance between the two and was caught by some early snowfalls a few times. I put weight in the bed which helped, but I had a horrible time getting it safely up and down hills. I moved to SC 14 years ago and drive it year round now with no issues

That truck looks way too nice to drive around in all that salt... time for a $500 beater?

[PanelDeland]

4 100# bags of sand will help but I agree with 67 RN.

[68 Longbed Dan]

I wish it snowed here in Cali, I love the stuff... My wife is from back east in Maine and cannot stand the snow lol.

[Stocker]

Nice truck. Besides weight in the back, four dedicated snow tires will make all the difference in the world.

[68shortstep]

1/4 cord of fresh-cut oak firewood stacked in front of the tailgate always worked for me.

At the end of Winter, stacking it at the back of the garage gives you some super-dry & ready wood, nice & dry for the start of next Winter.

[Billett]

I have a couple of old tractor weights I tie down in the back, but I recently got a set of extra rims for cheap so I'm seriously considering spending the extra dough for some snow tires.

[SacramentoJoe]

A good set of tires really makes a difference. I went from mud and snows to all seasons and they just don't dig in. I really want to get mine to the snow and take some pictures like that.

Of course, you can just fillthe bed up with snow.......

[Tinkermc]

I might be dumb as a rock but in a local shopping center they use a bucket loader to move snow. So I give the guy $5oo to put a big scoop in the back of my truck and when the snow is nolonger on the ground my xtra weight has gone also.

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by Tinkermc

I might be dumb as a rock but in a local shopping center they use a bucket loader to move snow. So I give the guy $5oo to put a big scoop in the back of my truck and when the snow is nolonger on the ground my xtra weight has gone also.

Not dumb at all, that's actually a good idea.... as long as you gave him $5.00 and not $500!!

When I dig out my truck after a decent snowfall, I always just shovel it into the back of my truck.

[Mister-B]

I don't need to carry around extra weight in the bed. I've got a 3/4 ton long bed that has that built in lol

[Jimjific]

I used to use the snow method with my 2001 GMC but that doesn't help when you only have a light snow and it renders the truck useless for things like getting sheet rock. I'd like to come up with something that I can take out and put back quickly since we have quite a few days here where the weather will be nice. I'm thinking of going with the containers full of sand.

As for salt and the truck. I wasn't able to get to it this summer (I've only had the truck since then) but I plan on Por-15'ing everything I can underneath.

[mrein3]

Here's the trick I've developed over the years to have weight in the back AND use it as a truck. I have 500 pounds (actually its seven, 70 pound bags of sand so 490 pounds) of sand tubes ratchet strapped to a pallet. I use my cherry picker to load the pallet in the truck. When I want to go ice fishing or need to haul something I wheel the cherry picker over, lift out the pallet by the straps, and set it out of the way on the shop floor. Then when I need it for plowing duties again I just pick it up and set it in there.

[Billett]

They do sell bladders now that you put in the truck bed and fill up with water for extra weight. I assume they have baffles but I have to imagine it would still be hell to handle when going around a corner.

[donandal]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

I'm originally from Ellery, NY (close to Jamestown, NY and Erie, PA) so we got all the lake effect snow. I drove my 67 only a few times (short wheel base stepside like yours) in the snow/ice and it sucked. I had a winter beater, but I swapped plates/insurance between the two and was caught by some early snowfalls a few times. I put weight in the bed which helped, but I had a horrible time getting it safely up and down hills. I moved to SC 14 years ago and drive it year round now with no issues

That truck looks way too nice to drive around in all that salt... time for a $500 beater?

I am still living in western New York....Lakewood , and we got about 8" of snow
last night. It's a love hate thing with this area and snow. I love it for snowmobiling, skiing and hunting, but hate what it does ( with all the salt ) to your cars.
It's beautiful this morning.

[67ChevyRedneck]

I'm a '99 Maple Grove graduate. Go Red Dragons!

[hamjet]

My 69 chevy stuck it's nose out the tractor shed door and saw the 3/4ths inch of snow and said no problem, till it saw the "salt white" roads and said she's not comming out of that shed till the wood chuck sees his shadow!

[Jimjific]

So I made a system to put weight on the rear tires yesterday in preparation of the storm that never came last night in upstate NY. I stole the basic concept from another member here. Here's How I made mine

2 - 2x4x10's
3 - Locking lid containers.
6 - 50lbs bags of sand

The bed measures about 6'6" front to back and 4'1" side to side. So by cutting the 10' boards at an angle I can get all the parts I need out of just the two boards. I made the angle cuts first. Then I laid the boards in between the three containers positioned where I wanted them to be and marked where I would need to notch them.

Here is an image of the cut boards. The notches will allow the boards to interlock and make it so that I won't have to screw anything together.


Here it is assembled in the bed. The bed mat is from Tractor Supply. I didn't cut it to length since I figured the extra material would help protect the tailgate and front of bead. Since the mat makes a radius where it bends upward, I had to cut the corners off of the long boards so that they would butt up against the front of the bed. The two small pieces of 2x4 are scrap I had that I'm using as spacers so that the containers don't rub up against the bed sides.


Here it is with the containers put in. I have two bags in per container. So I have 300lbs. I could probably get another bag per container in but I will see how this goes.


Here it is with the tailgate up.


The cool part of this is, I can take the back cross board out and slide the containers out easily when the weather is nice. The rest of the boards come apart for easy storage. I like the sand since it is available if I need it for some reason. The containers were the most expensive part. I did everything for about $70.

Jim

[Billett]

Looks good! Yeah all that snow that missed you and landed here... You should have seen some of the highways around here... Took a friend of mine 4 hours to make a normally 40 minute trip! I still don't understand the people around here though. It's snow! We get it every year! And yet every year everyone acts like they have no idea how to drive through it... It's not like we're in Florida and we got 8"....

[Musclerodz]

This is from a couple years ago. Freshly redone, and performed flawlessly in 10" deep snow. Pic was taken several days after the snow fell.

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by Jimjific

So I made a system to put weight on the rear tires yesterday in preparation of the storm that never came last night........

The cool part of this is, I can take the back cross board out and slide the containers out easily when the weather is nice. The rest of the boards come apart for easy storage. I like the sand since it is available if I need it for some reason.

What an elegant solution! I think the best ideas are basic, inexpensive, effective, and easy to do. Great job!

[Codez67Chevy]

I drive around with a cement tire and studded snow tires in my Toyota pickup and have all the traction in the world.

[Jimjific]

What's the speed rating on a cement tire?

Jim