Winter driving: How much weight should I put in the trunk?

[stangGT97]

Listen to this minnesnowtan. For a rwd car if you have good all seasons you can get away with 75lbs if you don't drive like a retard. If you get good snowtires like I have 'dunlop wintersport M3' or Blizzaks you don't need anything in your trunk. Just top off your fuel before it snows or before winter rain.
Because you have summer performance tires you are screwed, the second the temp drops below 40 degrees your going loose traction on dry pavement(I'm guessing you've noticed this already). Your sidewalls are probably too stiff to even unpack the snow beneith your tred.
My advice is go on ebay and look for some V6'r selling his 15 or 16 inch rims and get some cheaper snow or all-seasons on that car before you have a meeting with a lamp post.

would I need blizzaks all around? just curious, trying to plan this out

 

[Gearbanger 101]

thanks man. What do you think about running a set of 15x8s (like the ones Dusstbuster may sell me) in the rear, with Bridgestone Blizzaks? The front end isnt really the issue here, theres so much weight on the front wheels that its mostly just the rear that slips. Opinions? Just trying not to break the bank too bad, but I still would like to get something to get me doing in the snow

If I were you, I'd pick up a set of 15x7's or even 15x6's with a narrow winter based tire in a 215/60/15 on all four corners purely for safety and convenience sake. Having weight over the front end is nice and will help a little with steering and stopping to a point, but like the rear tires, the wide footprint of a stock 245/45/17 or larger tire is going to act like a float on top of the snow, instead of breaking through to the pavement or even snows crust like it should to help you steer and stop. In some cases it's even worse to have the wide summer or all season tires on the front end than it is the back. I can't tell you how many times I'd cranked the wheel with my old 5.0L with even new sets 225mm-245mm all season tires on the front and have the car run strait through the intersection because it was to busy skating along the top layer of snow to accomplish any sort of traction. At least in the case of the wider tires being on the back end the most they’re going to do is inhibit your traction. At least then you’re stopped and not plowing into another car at 30mph.

I'd seriously have a complete set for both the summer and winter if I were you. It may seem a little more expensive now, but it’s nothing compared to the cost of replacing your front end, or worse in the event that your current all season or summer based tires are the cause of an even more expensive accident.

 

[04GT]

I've got Pirelli P-Zero Nero M+S and last year I put 200lbs on the floor in the back seat. That worked better than putting it in the trunk. Still was not fun. I'd recommend you get a set of snow tires.

If I could do it again, I woulda bought a set of wet/dry tires and a set of snow tires. Just can't see spending the $600 when I only see 1-3 snow days a year.

If you get snow tires, get all 4. Not a good idea to mix and match. Also not good to pull tires on and off a set of wheels.

I've got at least 2 more winters with my car, and I'm really close to getting a set of snow tires...just found out I gotta travel to north-east ohio on business during november.

 

[Dusstbuster]

You could also try chains or studded tires if your state allows them...

 

[Dope 97GT]

go to the junkyard and find some skinny wheels and pick them up for cheap and get some nice snow tires and you wont have to worry.

you will be sooo sooo suprised in the difference they actually make.

 

[stangGT97]

I appreciate all your feedback. I'm actually gonna go the "sell the stang" route, most likely. Looking for a 4x4 Ranger to deal with Ohio/Massachusetts weather.

 

[Mustang5L5]

I'm in the same boat. Winter is coming and i just bought 4 new "summer" Bridgestone Potenzas for my car. I usually stick about 100 pounds of kitty litter or sand in the trunk over each rear tire.

I don't typically drive in the snow though. If snow is forecast, the stang doesn't move and i get a ride. I only drive if the road is dry and clear weather is forecast.

 

[XtorT'r]

I appreciate all your feedback. I'm actually gonna go the "sell the stang" route, most likely. Looking for a 4x4 Ranger to deal with Ohio/Massachusetts weather.

FYI, With winter tires my mustang handles better than my 97' ranger 4x4 did. Thats if I'm not driving in 4 inches or greater of snow of course.

 

[Dope 97GT]

I appreciate all your feedback. I'm actually gonna go the "sell the stang" route, most likely. Looking for a 4x4 Ranger to deal with Ohio/Massachusetts weather.

thats why i have a daily driver my mustang and a bike so the second 2 can be used on nice days.

 

[stangGT97]

thats why i have a daily driver my mustang and a bike so the second 2 can be used on nice days.

yeah man I'd love to have two cars but for right now, that won't work for me. So it's a toss up between daily reliability and practicality, or fun in the summer... its sucks that it came to this but we'll see how it pans out

 

[Silvr04GT]

Being in Canada I have some good experience with snow and with my old V6 when I drove that in the winter I threw on a set of a Blizzack tires and between that, TC and ABS it was one of the best winter cars I've ever driven!

 

[98bluevert]

Not sure as to why having 2 cars is not possible right now for ya, why can't u go rent a storage unit, put your stang in there, and then go find a pos old chevy s-10 which are a dime a dozen.

 

[stangGT97]

Not sure as to why having 2 cars is not possible right now for ya, why can't u go rent a storage unit, put your stang in there, and then go find a pos old chevy s-10 which are a dime a dozen.

well, I'm temporarily relocated in Ohio, my perm. residence is in MA, I'm 21 living on my own and have lots of bills. So its one or the other right now. Don't get me wrong, if it was feasible I'd love to have both but it's not

 

[BlackenedSVT]

Let me just say this...Last year i got my new rims/wheels, the tires are Fuzion Zri's. I don't know what your BFG's are rated for snow-wise but if they're a hard performance tire no amount of weight in your trunk will give you traction on snow/ice. I got around better on my bald craptastic tires I had before, made it through a whole winter with the car and about 140lbs in the trunk. Last year I was forced to buy the winter beater because 210lbs + subs in the trunk were still not enough to give me enough traction to get the car out of the driveway even after it had snowed/iced.

210+lbs in the trunk during winter. Man i beat you were wearing and tearing that rear suspension like that

 

[Silvr04GT]

would I need blizzaks all around? just curious, trying to plan this out

I always do all four on my cars. I've actually heard that only doing two can be more of a safety hazard. I think that was based on the fact that theory your front wheels do all the steering so if they don't grip really well in the snow then you maybe going forward but you'll have trouble controlling the car.

 

[stangGT97]

I always do all four on my cars. I've actually heard that only doing two can be more of a safety hazard. I think that was based on the fact that theory your front wheels do all the steering so if they don't grip really well in the snow then you maybe going forward but you'll have trouble controlling the car.

thats waht I figured. Looks like I have a lot of thinking to do lol

 

[Dusstbuster]

210+lbs in the trunk during winter. Man i beat you were wearing and tearing that rear suspension like that

Actually I knew my suspension was f'd up so I didn't care about it and thats why I threw all that in there. After I put in the FRPP kit I would never put that much back there (oh and btw i had a blown front right strut and a snapped rear left spring haha)

 

[stangGT97]

LOL I have 250lbs in my trunk right now, new bilsteins and C springs. My rake is completely gone haha. But hey, if the shocks get destroyed, then I'll call bilstein and have them send me a new set for free

 

[RED2001GT]

I purchased 4 Blizzak WS-50 snow tires for my 2002 Mustang V6 daily driver last year and I NEVER got stuck in the snow and ice. I will be putting them back on before the snow starts this year again. And I don't have anything inside my trunk.

 

[Heratik]

Bah! Don't sell the stang! Just get a set of Dunlop M3's and your stang will be as capable in the snow as 99% of the trucks and suvs that are out there. Even though I have a relatively wide set of 245/45/17 they perform incredibly. Before I got the tires I would have trouble getting out of my parking lot with just an inch or two on the ground. In order to test the limits of their traction I did everything I could to try and get stuck. I was unable to create a situation where I couldn't go where I wanted to. Even on steep snow covered inclines where others were having trouble I could come from a dead stop and pull away with confidence.

As far as weight goes I put a hundred pounds of salt in my trunk once and the only thing it seemed to do was warp the floor of the trunk. And it is absolutely not needed with a good set of tires.

Anyway I really can't say enough of the importance of having a good set of snow tires for a DD stang. They've certainly made driving in winter a lot of fun.