Re: [bmw] Winter Driving

[JayKenty@xxxxxxx]

Bryan writes:

>Date: Sat, 25 Oct 2003 14:50:59 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Bryan Duplechain <bdup@domain.elided>
>Subject: [bmw] Winter Driving

>My mechanic suggested that I add some weight to my trunk this winter to
>make it easier to drive on the ice and snow. He claims a lot of people do
>this, and use sandbags to add extra weight.

>Is this pretty common for rear-wheel drive cars?

>How effective is it?

>And finally, if I were to drive from Nebraska back to Texas during the
>winter, would I need to relocate the weight in the trunk for the more
>temperate roads?

 
and Matt replies:


>Date: Sat, 25 Oct 2003 19:25:02 -0400
>From: Matthew Zahorik <matt@domain.elided>
>Subject: Re: [bmw] Winter Driving

>[Sandbags in the trunk]  Sure, it's a time honored practice.  It is rare to 
>see nowadays, since rear wheel drive cars aren't the majority.

>It helps the back tires bite slightly more effectively, thus giving you 
>slightly more acceleration and preventing the back end from coming around 
>in turns.  In my opinion, modern traction controls are significantly more 
>useful.

>There is little disadvantage.  You have slightly worse gas mileage since 
>you're dragging around a couple of hundred of pounds of extra weight and 
>the loss of trunk space.

My input:  I wouldn't add any weight to my BMW's trunk.  The use of weight in 
the rear relates to severe front weight biased American iron, to effect a 
better weight balance toward the rear tires.  A modern BMW has such a fine-tuned 
weight balance that the battery has even been moved to the trunk.  Adding a 
couple of hundred pounds in the trunk would create a severe rear weight bias, 
potentially destabilizing the car's handling.   

I've driven four BMWs (2 E-36s, 2 E-39s) over the last ten New England 
winters, and I've found them to be excellent snow cars, with four proper snow tires 
and careful winter driving, and with no extra weight over the rear wheels.

Jay Kenty
'97 M3
'01 525i
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