What is the weight of a Ford Ranger?

Ford Ranger, light weight truck, or tire issue?

• I drive a Ford Ranger, 4x2 with wrangler tires. It's good for all around terrain and such but the wheels spin when the road is wet. When it's rained for a while and the road is really wet, sometimes on a turn or when I start up after a red light, the wheels can spin a bit before I get going. Sometimes it's when I give it too much gas, other times they just spin on their own. is it because the ranger is lighter or is there something else I should look into?

• Answer:

  You didn't tell us the tire size but my bet is that its nothing more than the weight of the truck combined with a weight of the foot on the accelerator. With an empty bed, Ranger's have most of their weight on the front so when roads are wet traction is easily lost on the driving wheels. Bear in mind that the wider the tires are the more likely they'll lose traction on wet roads, the exact opposite of dry conditions. the suggestion that you add a few sand bags or concrete blocks can make a difference but the best cure is to lighten your touch on the accelerator. No one has ever accused Rangers of being overpowered so that's another consideration that points to a combination of wide tires and too much accelerator on wet roads.