Weight in trunk for snow?
- Thread starter Trev
- Start date
From what I have heard, I don't think it is a good idea to put sand bags in the trunk. Newer BMW's are rear wheel drive, but they have a 50/50 weight distribution...so it's not a typical front-engine RWD car where is has a "light tail" as they say. My uncle has a 740iL w/Sport Package and he tried putting 100lbs of sand bangs in the trunk one winter....he said it only made things worse because of the way it changed how traction control inferferes. I am sure you will be fine with the Blizzaks alone....they are the stickiest snow tires on the market (referring to snow traction).
Honestly to be safe I would not put weight in the rear of the car. The car is designed to have a 50 50 weight distribution and I am sure some how that the traction system takes this into account. It is one thing to have weight in the trunk that is what it is designed for but its another thing to just leave that weight in the back for a winter. Possibly just throw it back there when it snows and you know you will be driving! Good Luck, ask the BMW dealership.
I do not think we disagree. I commented that my e30, a 91 model is light in the tail end and the extra weight works well there. I can also tell you even though I do not normally drive it in the snow, my 98 M roadster could use help with rear end weight in the snow. Note that neither car has traction control of any kind and the roadster has wide tires. I would suggest you try it under controlled conditions, add some weight and drive around a snowy parking lot. If the traction control acts up, or the car seems front end light remove the weight. If it feels better leave it.
well guys it doesn't matter wether the car is FWD RWD or 4WD also doesn't matter if its 50:50 distribution or 60:40. If you can't feel the tail is light or heavy or just right then your not a good enough driver to control you car anyway. like big daddy says go out and test it. add and remove weight until you feel its how you want it.
Well, it felt fine last year most of the time.. but there were occassions where I backed out of the garage, tried to go forward (on snow-dovered ice) and couldn't move an inch. Once moving, it was it's normal, perfectly balanced self. Just wondering what most people do. Blizzaks are supposed to be good on ice, but I had nothing at all on only a mildly perceptable slope. Guess I didn't think that in a car the size of the 5-series another couple hundred pounds would make much difference in overall balance.. but might in this ice/snow getting-started situation.
I also thougt maybe slight tail-heaviness would be somthing one could adjust to without much trouble, if one was a good enough driver...?
Thanks for the feedback, folks!
Bob
I also thougt maybe slight tail-heaviness would be somthing one could adjust to without much trouble, if one was a good enough driver...?
Thanks for the feedback, folks!
Bob
thats unfortunate. big problem with no DSC and alot of rear drive power. just had a thought alought weight in the boot would make it more predictable and have better tracking the extra weight hanging out the back would give the 911 effect and once its gone theres no recovering however good you are! just be careful and slow down. (i have to drive to work at 25Mph in the snow and it only bothers the guys behind ![[:D]](/images/smilies/biggrin.png "Big Grin [:D]")
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)Most of my life I have driven rear wheel drive cars. I drove my 2wd pickup to work for 22 years in Idaho, even in the snow. I never purchased snow tires for it, however I did: 1) slow down, 2) prepare for stops sooner looking way ahead, 3) tested my driving skills in a snow covered parking lot, 4) add weight to the rear (granted this is not by far a 50/50 situation. Beings that my truck is an automatic I would shift to "N' as I approached stop lights and/or signs, this makes slowing and stopping easier.
Todays project.. take a 528i and add super aggressive tires to the back (originals seen on wall behind for comparison.) Also chop off rear body and add 1200 lbs of weight for traction. Kind of messed up useable trunk space, but you can't have everything. I'll let you know how she handles after these minor changes.
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Yeah, I was NOT disagreeing with Big Daddy at all. He was only commenting on his E30 (older BMW), stating that adding weight in the back did help him out, but that he wasn't sure about newer BMW's which have the better 50:50 weight distribution. I only stated that my uncle tried adding 100lbs of sand bags in the trunk of his newer (2001 740iL) BMW and he said that only made things worse. I don't know how exactly, but I trust what he says as he has to drive it every day. Also, he lives very close to us and he has gotten stock around our area a few times when it is snowing (his car is the 740iL with Sport Package, with the Michelin Pilot Sport tires). My dad and I come and try to help him and we take turns driving, but we get absolutely nowhere...sometimes he has the 100lbs of sand in the trunk and sometimes he does not....we just end up having to wait for one of those plow trucks to come and clear a fresh path for him.
the weight in the back is to get your rear wheels to hunker down and get itself sticking to the road. w/ 50 50 distro cars, or near 50 50, this isn't as a big a problem as say a light assed mustang, or other "muscle cars"
issue w/ the rwds are you have the power going to the rears, but if it's not heavy enough on the back to have it hook into the road, you'll just spin the tires, killing the rubber, while not going anywhere.
you'll have to decide yourself. if you find your back end tailing out on normal driving, maybe it's time to add more weight to the back to get your tires to stick to the road better.
issue w/ the rwds are you have the power going to the rears, but if it's not heavy enough on the back to have it hook into the road, you'll just spin the tires, killing the rubber, while not going anywhere.
you'll have to decide yourself. if you find your back end tailing out on normal driving, maybe it's time to add more weight to the back to get your tires to stick to the road better.