Weight in the trunk for winter driving

[tobin]

If I am expecting snow, I put two 40 lb. bags of cat litter in the trunk. My commute is very short, but involves a stoplight on a hill, and starting from a standstill in snow is extremely difficult with no added weight over the rear tires.

[53Driver]

Step 1: Get rich

Step 2: Buy a tank and/or bulldozer

Step 3: Problem solved, enjoy a cold beer



Okay, on a serious note, I do not add weight to the rear. As mentioned above, learning to drive in adverse conditions and spending the money on the proper tire selection are the most important things you can do. I drove a 2008 Shelby GT500 for 2 years in Virginia as my daily driver, plenty of time spent in snow/ice with that car. Throttle application from a stop was the trickiest part, don't want to stall but too much and that 450 foot pounds of torque would cause instant rear wheel spin. The trickiest start I ever had was not in snow/ice, but trying to go from a stop on a rainy day at a stoplight where I was facing uphill. That one wasn't fun, especially since the woman behind me literally about a foot from my rear bumper. Somehow I pulled it off.

[daiheadjai]

I'm on 205/55R16 Continental extreme winter contacts... Was absolutely fine last winter (had a couple 30kg sandbags in the trunk - will skip that this winter). Hoe much are you guys inflating your winter tires?

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk

[MokSpeed]

No. Because Texas.

[Sarlacc]

Originally Posted by daiheadjai

Hoe much are you guys inflating your winter tires?

According to spec, of course. Manual says 240 kPa / 2.4 bar / 35 psi.
I see no reason to override that. But I don't see any reason to carry a lot of extra weight in the trunk, either.

[daiheadjai]

Originally Posted by Sarlacc

According to spec, of course. Manual says 240 kPa / 2.4 bar / 35 psi.
I see no reason to override that. But I don't see any reason to carry a lot of extra weight in the trunk, either.

Does this still hold true when your tires are no longer the same size?
I'm running 205/55R16...
Is it reasonable to expect it to require the same psi as 215/45R17s?

I've heard less psi gives you better traction on ice due to the bigger contact patch.
At the same time, higher psi would probably help you cut through snow better?

[Sarlacc]

Originally Posted by daiheadjai

Does this still hold true when your tires are no longer the same size?
I'm running 205/55R16...
Is it reasonable to expect it to require the same psi as 215/45R17s?

The manual lists two different tires:
205/55R16 91V, 215/45R17 87W
And the same pressure for both. 205/55R16 is a good choice for winter tires, BTW. Works well for me on my car.

Originally Posted by daiheadjai

I've heard less psi gives you better traction on ice due to the bigger contact patch.

I've heard that too. It's wrong. Correct tire pressure gives best traction.
Probable origin: With studded tires having studs placed along the tread edges, low pressure is preferable to high pressure. But correct pressure, adjusted for load, is always the best choice for road driving at normal speeds.
- Nuance occurs when driving at very high speeds or in deep sand, but that's off-topic :-)

Originally Posted by daiheadjai

At the same time, higher psi would probably help you cut through snow better?

No, I don't think so. High pressure in the rear will give you less push force and high pressure in front will impair steering.
But you are on to something, 205 is a better tire in snow than 215 because it's narrower and therefore less prone to what I call the "toboggan effect".

[drewbot]

Don't do it. The car is more balanced than many others out there

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[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Sarlacc

The manual lists two different tires:
205/55R16 91V, 215/45R17 87W
And the same pressure for both. 205/55R16 is a good choice for winter tires, BTW. Works well for me on my car.


I've heard that too. It's wrong. Correct tire pressure gives best traction.
Probable origin: With studded tires having studs placed along the tread edges, low pressure is preferable to high pressure. But correct pressure, adjusted for load, is always the best choice for road driving at normal speeds.
- Nuance occurs when driving at very high speeds or in deep sand, but that's off-topic :-)


No, I don't think so. High pressure in the rear will give you less push force and high pressure in front will impair steering.
But you are on to something, 205 is a better tire in snow than 215 because it's narrower and therefore less prone to what I call the "toboggan effect".

Oh god is Ubersuber back????
The short answer is:
On the side of any tire it says Max-min inflation and a number. Use it!

[Demandred7]

Originally Posted by drewbot

Don't do it. The car is more balanced than many others out there

Sent from my OnePlus One

Exactly, no need to upset what is already good balance.

[Demandred7]

Originally Posted by BRZ'13

IMO adding 50kg or whatever wont really upset the balance. I highly doubt you will ever notice the extra 100 pounds driving around the city obeying the law. Its not like your tracking the car in the winter and want that extra .001 second. If anything, it might even improve the balance if you can evenly distribute the weight across the entire rear of the car.

I have tested my brz in the snow with 60kg and without 60kg of sand in the back. It makes a huge difference starting and climbing hills. Once you start moving there is not much use for it but it does in fact make a noticeable difference.

Who said I obey the law....

LOL, jk, maybe I'll try it (just to see), but, I'm ok with the way it is too.

[Demandred7]

Originally Posted by BRZ'13

winter tires make the biggest difference. Extra weight is just that extra little bit of support. I only did it because my parking garage at work has a steep entrance.

This is my 3rd winter on my winter tires (Michelin X-Ice xi2's (I had them one winter on my previous car (same size tire (different rim hub size though )))), so, they may be getting to the point where a little help won't hurt.

[Sarlacc]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Oh god is Ubersuber back????

I have no idea what that means, but I'm not easily insulted.

Originally Posted by Tcoat

The short answer is:
On the side of any tire it says Max-min inflation and a number. Use it!

If that is the answer, what is the question?

[艾洛]

I think Winter is a really good opportunity to hone stop-go skills in a MT. If you're worried you don't have enough traction off a start, you're going to have a lot of problems since the current automotive industry is about putting out the largest numbers on the brochure for >>HP<</TQ (majority). If this is your first Winter in a MT car//RWD car, you first priority is Winter tires. Like, don't even think about sand bags. Just get Winter tires, take it out for a spin and see how you like it. If you find you're spinning the tires a lot, put some sand bags in and take them out after a week and see if you have improved. All in all, having more weight in the back upsets the balance in a very minimal way. If you plan to connect drifts around a few corners in the Winter for some fun then don't use sand bags, but if you're just going to drift around one corner and straighten out, the bags will let you swing out easier but more of a pain to connect if you are a newbie.