im thinking about putting about 700 pounds in the bed of my truck b/c the town i live in aint putting salt down and the roads are all icey i have a 94 silverado 2500 4x4 should i put more or less weight in the bed

 

If you have ice, I would first get some studded snow tires or stud what you have on there. And then throw some weight in the back - I think 700 is overkill, but that's up to you.

 

I lived in Erie Pa for a few years, and never put any weight in the back. I just kicked the 4 wheel in from time to time. We didn't have much of a problem with ice, but the back roads stay snow covered most of the winter. If you have a lot of ice, I agree with Yankee. Get some studded snow tires.

 

I was in Minot, ND for 4 years. I went an entire month with-out driving on anything but ice. They don't throw salt on the roads there either, but they do put sand down mainly at the stops and intersections. Here is what I would reccommend. Put 200 lbs of sand bags or some other weights in the very back of your truck, make sure that your ABS works good, have your tires siped or pu ton a set of studded tires. That will be the best combo that you can get.

Oh yeh, DRIVE LIKE YOU SHOULD DRIVE ON THE ICE! Keep your distance. When the snow is fresh and on top of ice, stay home at all costs. Because no matter what you do the snow will slide on top of the smooth ice.

Have fun! I know I did.

Quick story. Out side of Minot AFB's front gate, they have a 13 mile streatch of pretty straight road that is 2 lanes wide and seperated by a dip that is about 150' wide.
I basically was going about 55MPH and had the rear tires spinning 95-100MPH (hitting the governer) and I was basically drifting on the ice for about 4 miles of the 13 mile road. That was an adreanaline rush!

 

i was thinking about chains or studded tires but i live in illinois and i heard that we can not have them on witch is b/s

 

Then go with the tire Siping and the weight.

 

If you put something back there make sure it wont slide around on you when the snow starts to melt. I put a bunch of snow in the back last year. I wasn't a very good idea because when the sun came out the snow would slide back and forth. It hits pretty hard too, the first time I though I got rear ended.

I'm not to far from you, I'm in Indiana. I lived in Lansing IL. about 10 years ago. I live in Alabama now. The company I work for has me here now, but I'm going home in a week or so. I hope I can get out of here before the snow gets to bad.

 

which is why all of you should move to Texas.

 

There is company called Shurtrax that sells a solution to your problem. Here is a link http://www.jegs.com/i/Shurtrax/869/LW0056/10002/-1

 

I would find out about that first. Most places have some type of law about when you are allowd to run studded snow tires, but I doubt they would say no studs at all. In Erie I believe you couldn't put them on before November, and had to have them off by the end of march....