Driving in snow

[TwoJ's]

Just to echo what's been said above, good traction tires or chains will do you just fine. On top of that, get a couple of 50-75 lb. sandbags to put in the trunk, the added ballast over the rear wheels will greatly improve handling in the snow and ice. My wife drove her 89 325i for 2 snow seasons with studded tires and 2 sandbags in the trunk, and it drove just fine.

Adding weight to the trunk is a bad idea. Especially if it's on all season tires. It will greatly hinder the braking, and if the car does end up losing traction the weight in teh trunk will act as a counter weight and make the car swing harder and it will be more difficult to correct.

You guys may not get snow like we do on the east side of the mountains though. So it may not be all that bad. Now that I've got a truck, I'll never drive my e30 in the winter again. Unless I live in Arizona or something.

[steinbachphoto]

is there any problems driving an e30 with all seasons up or down snowy/icy hills? what about with winters on there?

[UNHCLL]

I try to run straight Hoosier slicks all winter.
285's in the rear, and drag radial 80's in front. Think of it like Santa's sleigh.... and you can really get great traction once you heat up the rear tires.

[mtechnik]

.. and you can really get great traction once you heat up the rear tires.

:grin::pimp::pimp:

[ptownTSI]

you are going to punch yourself in the face if you don't buy snow tires and slide out around a turn, pitching you ass first into an S500. blizzaks & b-caps. done.

[Ryan Stewart]

suck-in-all-season tires.

I call it that because they are shit in the rain, shit in the snow, and arent sticky enough when its hot out. You're a baller now, buck up for some bottlecaps and Blizzaks. If you want I could sell you a set, its not like my E30 sees winter anymore.

[BenM]

Nokian Hakka's and an LSD. That is all you need to know. :D

[elemenohpee]

I thought about just buying a set of bottle caps and snow tires, but I live 4 hours away from any snow and I will only drive up probably 4 times and cannot justify the cost. I think I'll just do the sandbags and take it really easy.

[dlmrun2002]

I had a 325is that s*cked in the snow. Couldn't turn around in my driveway. I fixed it by getting a 325iX. With 4 Hakkappalita's, only the highway snow plow can stop me..in a head on of course.
DLM

[Jparkr]

Adding weight to the trunk is a bad idea. Especially if it's on all season tires. It will greatly hinder the braking, and if the car does end up losing traction the weight in teh trunk will act as a counter weight and make the car swing harder and it will be more difficult to correct.

You guys may not get snow like we do on the east side of the mountains though. So it may not be all that bad. Now that I've got a truck, I'll never drive my e30 in the winter again. Unless I live in Arizona or something.

uhh i dont agree at all, its not like hes out drifting corners and needs to bring the car back or anything. any kind of oversteer he gets will be easier controled with extra weight because it adds more traction to the rear wheels.
example, i live up a semi steep hill and couldnt make it up the ice last winter with my car. so i had my friend sit on the edge of the trunk to add as much weight as far back and i went right up, that was with summer tires on too.

[asubimmer]

uhh i dont agree at all, its not like hes out drifting corners and needs to bring the car back or anything. any kind of oversteer he gets will be easier controled with extra weight because it adds more traction to the rear wheels.
example, i live up a semi steep hill and couldnt make it up the ice last winter with my car. so i had my friend sit on the edge of the trunk to add as much weight as far back and i went right up, that was with summer tires on too.

Myth # 3: Adding weight over the driving wheels improves traction
In fact: Adding mass, such as sand bags, over the driving wheels of a two-wheel-drive vehicle may effectively improve traction, but only during the initial drive-away phase. In all other circumstances and conditions, the added mass will make the vehicle harder to stop and increase cornering loads, neither of which is desirable. In addition, the position of the mass may aggravate a skid, making it more difficult to correct. In general, it's not a good idea. Once again, look instead at the quality, grip level and proper inflation of your tires. In the cold season, nothing matches the safety and confidence provided by a full set of winter tires.
This said, the most effective winter driving aid is a well-trained and responsible driver. So once again, to enjoy the Great Canadian Winter safely, you must be, or become one!

;)

[euroshark]

Snow tires + driving smart + not being a waffleswaffleswaffleswaffleswaffles is the basic recipe that has seen me through 7 wild Colorado winters without any accidents. I think lots of people get into trouble when they try to go too slow in snow... Maybe it's an art or something...

I've never really worried about it.

[backtrail69]

I tried to drive in about a foot of snow with my summer tires on my eta (w/ LSD) last year. Didn't work out so good. I got stuck and had to get pushed/pulled out twice. Driving in stop and go traffic in the snow is a nightmare... I bought a set of blizzaks shortly after and have had zero problems with the other couple times i drove in the snow last year.

[Jand3rson]

asubimmer, your little article that you dug up on the internet is horseshit. Damn near everyone I know up here puts sandbags in their trunk for the snow season, especially in RWD cars. My wife's 325i went from night to day in terms of handling in the snow once we put the sandbags in the trunk, and I drove both her car and my E30 in the snow, both with snow tires, and mine without the sandbags. The difference in improved handling was instantly noticeable.

[TwoJ's]

It's simple physics man...

The frictional coefficient will stay the same between the tires and the ice, but the mass of the vehicle is increased and that greatly hinders braking ability. Sure, you can get un-stuck or start from a stop easier, but you are much more likely to lose traction on braking.

The same goes for cornering. It moves the center of mass towards the rear of the car. In circular motion, this will cause the back end of the car to move faster than the front and it will slide out easier.

Just because everyone you know is doing it, doesn't mean they're right.