Winter driving. HELP!

[TimKninja]

Because nobody else said it.

Limited slip and Snow tires. Winter forces are very good. And like $60 each.

[JasonC]

I'm going to make myself sound old here lol... But when i was your age, i too had a rwd and was my only thing i had to drive at the time. 1966 Dodge Coronet 500 big block 383 with a 3.55 open rear and summer tires. Granted it is worlds apart from the e30. But the principle is the same. Keep your wits about you and use common sense. I also would take drives around and try to get use to how the car reacted in snow. I did have a couple of years under my belt then from my past cars in the snow. (70 Dart and 83 S10 4x4). But No one is perfect and the more you know on how your car handles in the snow, the better you will be able to drive it in it. Like others have said, put weight in the trunk. And people keep saying to buy snow tires. Don't know if you have that much money laying around to spend on new tires, maybe find a nice set of used ones for a cheaper price. But worring about yourself is one thing. You got to remember there are other morons on the road too ;)

[midwest]

I drove my first e30 through a wisconsin winter. I only fudged up once and it was because I was hooning around. On my daily 25 mile drive to work I had one big hill to climb, a few times it was icy and the back end got real loose, so i would use my surroundings to my advantage. I would flip on the hazards and move over onto the gravel... voila traction. Corners.. keep a steady throttle and speed, lifting off will cause snap oversteer. If you start understeering lift off, if thats no dice give the gas a quick stab and the back end should rotate around a bit.

[Vivek]

Don't forget to check craigslist for winter tires. Tires are one of the things that you can get dirt cheap used. I picked up a pair of pirellis that are at 90+% thread for 50 bucks, those things are $200 each new. I'm sure that for not much more than a hundred bucks you can get a set of tires that will be MUCH safer than your current ones. Also, if you're having trouble starting off, a slightly larger diameter tire than stock 195/65/14 will help reduce the gearing.

[benjohnson]

Until I get a 2nd car, I'm stuck taking the E30 around in the snow. It's my first winter driving, and I was hoping somebody could give me any good advice for making my car drive easier, and safer in the snow.

I went out tonight to get some practice around the neighborhood, and I'm finding it extremely difficult to start from a stop. Getting traction is next to impossible. How the hell do people start on a hill in bad conditions? My tires are not anything name brand, I was trying to save money and get good tires when I get bigger rims. All four still have about 6-7 32nds of tread, though. They're "all" seasons..

Anyone got tricks up their sleeve?

I know I might get a lot of shit for asking such basic questions, but I'm just trying to keep my E30 in good shape, and not get hurt. Thanks, guys.

do they do chains or allow studded tires in Maine? that would be pretty sick!

have fun, this RWD/winter experience will make you a superior driver to the majority of American drivers :)

-Ben

[Nick_S]

I don't think it's been covered yet. Get snow tires. A LSD helps too.

Buy these, don't get stuck, enjoy the snow. They're $61 a piece and will last you like 5 years if you only use them in the winter. It's stupid not to have them on a light RWD car. They're probably cheaper than your insurance deductible and very well could save you from an accident. Braking is far, far superior in the snow with a dedicated tires which is much more important than getting going.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=General&tireModel=Altimax+Arctic&partnum=87QR4AMAXA&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=BMW&autoYear=1991&autoModel=318is&autoModClar=

[Thehemiman]

I have snow tires and LSD and my car and it does great in snow. I look forward to it snowing actually.

[Stanley Rockafella]

The great thing about RWD is you don't NEED all 4 winters. you can easily get away with 2 rear winter tires and 2 all seasons at the front. Much cheaper solution than what others have to pay for having FWD.

[Beske]

^Ofcourse, because traction while braking isn't imporant in snow^

[Bimmerman325i]

four snow tires (studs are good if you get lots of ice/black ice in your area), LSD, and three to four sandbags always helped me.

Two snow tires is a terrible idea. You need four, two for braking, two for accelerating, and four for gripping in turns/catching slides predictably.

Starting in second or third can help cut wheelspin, and keep in mind your braking distance will be a LOT longer, so drive a LOT slower until you get the hang of things.

[dannyyisntt]

TIRES TIRES TIRES!! All seasons are crap in the snow, plain and simple. Get yourself some decent snow tires (plenty available that are very cheap in bottlecap size.)

Practicing in a parking lot isn't a bad idea, just be smart about it.

For getting going, and really anytime your driving, smoothness is key. Let the clutch out slow, feed gas as needed just to get you rolling. You could possibly try launching in 2nd to make it a bit easier to not induce wheelspin.

LSD's are fun, but as mentioned when the rear end breaks free with one, it seems to snap a bit more than an open diff. It'f just fine if your used to it, but it did catch me off guard a little the first time I had it happen.

Other than that, drive slow, use your head, give people plenty of room, and assume everyone else is out to kill you (seriously). Drive defensive as hell. For me it's everyone else on the road I'm worried about, that soccer mom sipping her latte in her suburban most likely doesn't know shit about car control, nor realize she is piloting a 2.5 ton projectile.

Best advice in this thread.

[kid325e]

AWD helps. I ran all seasons last year but really want to try the Altimax or Winterforces. My boss just put Winterforces on his 524TD and they look GREAT.

Take your time and have patience. Like someone said before the key is to anticipate and make the necessary changes rather than react suddenly. Smoothness is your friend here.

Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk 2

[nando]

The great thing about RWD is you don't NEED all 4 winters. you can easily get away with 2 rear winter tires and 2 all seasons at the front. Much cheaper solution than what others have to pay for having FWD.

worst advice in this thread so far.

yeah, stopping doesn't matter right?

also, snow tires are pretty damn cheap. you might save $200, even if you buy new. One little fender bender in an E30 and it's totalled; which is cheaper?

[Simon S]

not sure if it's been mentioned yet but take lots of LSD and don't get tired in the snow..

[gtdragon980]

Seriously, I don't understand how you guys can even say that all-seasons worked for you in the snow. I don't care how good of a driver you are, if there is ice under that snow, YOU ARE NOT MOVING. I tried to move an inch from my spot, running up the clutch and all, would not move one bit. Snow tires + LSD = Just as good as AWD