[Interex]

So a couple of months ago I went on a wheeling trip and decided to take my off-road set of wheels and tires (TruXus MTs) with me. Since I was rolling on my street set (BFG A/T's) and hauling my MTs in the bed I decided to leave my stock spare at home as I could just use a tire from the other set if something was to happen. Well when I got back from the trip I unloaded everything and just decided to leave the stock spare off as it was the wrong size anyway. I noticed that my ride quality suffered quite a bit after that but never thought of my spare not being there as the only thing that I changed since the trip. I never thought of the weight that the spare added until today when I decided to mount a correct size spare and put it back in.

WOW! What a difference it made! Without the spare, the ass end felt real stiff and rode like crap on the street (especially the streets here in Houston). Now it rides so much smoother on the streets and highways.

Anyway, just thought I'd share in case anyone out there is running without a spare.

 

[padesertboy]

So a couple of months ago I went on a wheeling trip and decided to take my off-road set of wheels and tires (TruXus MTs) with me. Since I was rolling on my street set (BFG A/T's) and hauling my MTs in the bed I decided to leave my stock spare at home as I could just use a tire from the other set if something was to happen. Well when I got back from the trip I unloaded everything and just decided to leave the stock spare off as it was the wrong size anyway. I noticed that my ride quality suffered quite a bit after that but never thought of my spare not being there as the only thing that I changed since the trip. I never thought of the weight that the spare added until today when I decided to mount a correct size spare and put it back in.

WOW! What a difference it made! Without the spare, the ass end felt real stiff and rode like crap on the street (especially the streets here in Houston). Now it rides so much smoother on the streets and highways.

Anyway, just thought I'd share in case anyone out there is running without a spare.

lol, this is a very funny post....hehehe. 2500 posts.....and you never USED your bed??? The spare tire weighs ~70 pounds, of course weighs affects ride-mine didn`t like the 1700 pounds of mulch in it.....rode nice on the bumpstops. Dude, you can`t be serious....and if you are please make sure yer helmet`s on tight.

 

[purity]

his helmet is always on tight when he is riding his harley.

 

[Interex]

lol, guess I had a blonde moment when I couldn't figure the ride out. I added some 1" AALs recently and guess I just thought that they were the only cause for the change.

 

[BOVADS]

i put a swing out tire carrier on a all pro bumper with a 33" tire on a aluminum wheel, and added a high lift mount also. it rides like a caddy(almost), but i had to add a longer shackle to compensate for the sag. all pros rear 3" springs dont like weight. but it rides really well in the back now

 

[Darwalk]

I put 15 bags of 90# concrete in the bed and I lowered my truck. Just how I wanted it. .........Harold, you are forgiven. Go, and be dumb no more......

 

[PlayDoh]

You should try driving on snow covered roads/highways with no weight in the rear. You heart will stop at least a few times. I took out a two legged big green sign, backwards doing 120 KM/H (75MPH) recently cause I forgot to toss my box of chains back in the box, which is what I used for weight. At least 300 lbs is what I use, theres no weight at all in the rear stock.

Since then I welded some pig Iron and a section of frame from a tractor to the Taco's frame under the box so I wont make that mistake again. I almost tipped my Taco twice during the first month I owned it, since I was used to Domestic trucks, AKA lead sleds.

I even drove for 1/8th of a mile on two wheels once, inadvertently. I had to go in the ditch, but when I tried to drive out like I was driving a 1 ton+ truck it put me on two wheels, and all I could do was keep driving till I could get flat and the passenger side came down, then get out at the next embankment. Not fun.

I put the steel right above the axle, just a little to the rear, just in front of the spare tire holder arms. I also welded a bracket for a lowered hidden tow hitch which added some more lbs. The more the merrier :welder:

 

[gsmsnuffy]

Can you say bye bye gas mileage. Adding weight perminently will decrease your mpg. With the prices now day's I'll take the 1-2 mpg advantage. You are also going to have your rear suspension wear out faster now. This is one bad move!!!

 

[YotaJosh]

Can you say bye bye gas mileage. Adding weight perminently will decrease your mpg. With the prices now day's I'll take the 1-2 mpg advantage. You are also going to have your rear suspension wear out faster now. This is one bad move!!!

Yes, and stay away from sliders, bumpers, and large tires. All of these things add weight, decrease mpg, and wear out suspensions, too. Be warned!!!

 

[Nowhere2wheel]

i always ride along with my spare in the back. when i took it out for some moving the ass end was lighting up like crazy, i thought the clutch was slipping, of course it was wet out and i couldn't hear the tire spinning.

 

[rka32007]

weight

So a couple of months ago I went on a wheeling trip and decided to take my off-road set of wheels and tires (TruXus MTs) with me. Since I was rolling on my street set (BFG A/T's) and hauling my MTs in the bed I decided to leave my stock spare at home as I could just use a tire from the other set if something was to happen. Well when I got back from the trip I unloaded everything and just decided to leave the stock spare off as it was the wrong size anyway. I noticed that my ride quality suffered quite a bit after that but never thought of my spare not being there as the only thing that I changed since the trip. I never thought of the weight that the spare added until today when I decided to mount a correct size spare and put it back in.

WOW! What a difference it made! Without the spare, the ass end felt real stiff and rode like crap on the street (especially the streets here in Houston). Now it rides so much smoother on the streets and highways.

Anyway, just thought I'd share in case anyone out there is running without a spare.

well i am finding out weight in a tacoma .
well is the key.

unloaded it rides like .....S.
load it up and and it rides like S.
hits :lmao: the bump stops before weight toyota tells you can carry. well.

 

[padesertboy]

well i am finding out weight in a tacoma .
well is the key.

unloaded it rides like .....S.
load it up and and it rides like S.
hits :lmao: the bump stops before weight toyota tells you can carry. well.

LOL...it`s a lightduty 1/5 ton truck. I had atleast 1200 in mine, a load of WET mulch-to the top......rode the bumpstops the whole ride home (~4 miles). Not a problem, off course I didn`t go over 20mph....but it got the job done-and didn`t break anything. Took a couple miles off the clutch though

 

[PlayDoh]

80 pounds of steel is not going to kill my gas mileage anymore then having a passenger would. In fact without 300 pounds in the rear in the winter my mileage is worse since I either have to spin the rears or go in 4WD.

I have aftermarket leafs with an extra leaf and I've had some big loads on her to. I can get an almost level load of gravel, and I think I loaded 13 5/8" drywall sheets but its been awhile. I busted the factory leafs in less then a year. They were so weak I think they'd crack from a dirty look. lol.

I'm sure that the, essentially additional cross-member I welded on made the frame much stronger since IMO any strength you can give to an import is never a bad thing. Maybe I gave the wrong impression of how much steel I used. I chopped section of 6"
C-channel frame and welded some pig iron into the channel and welded it to the frame just behind the axle. That weighed like 60-80 pounds, and I put a piece of angle iron at the rear of the frame, 10 lbs. I cant even see that effecting stock leafs by "wearing out suspension". I recommend taking your box off and take a look at the lack of anything but the necessities.

Any vehicle that can roll from simply maneuvering at speed is also IMO Too Light. Now a days all trucks are too light to meet requirements. Its simply a matter of physics that this comes at some cost to the handling and/or safety.

Where I live we get hit with snow that comes out of no where. In fact it has snowed in every month of the year in Calgary. Not all the same year, but over the recorded history. Since I just smacked up my box basically because I didn't have my winter weight in the box and got caught in a blizzard and wiped out, I intended to eliminate the absolute necessity of needing weight just to stay on the road in the winter. Obviously in you live in California permanent weight isn't probably as important. However I'd still recommend it, since I've had some close calls in the trails. If your traveling on a decline and one of your front tires drops even a bit the opposite rear will lift, and trust me, will stop your heart. CLEAR!!

 

[ARB1977]

Im courious what the weight differnce would be going from a 265/70 to a 265/75 size spare?