how much weight to put in trunk of rear wheel drive car for snow driving?

[purbeast0]

i have a manual g37s and it is AWFUL in the snow. i live near the top of a hill but i have to go up a small hill about 30 feet to get to the top of my street. even when i had like 1/4" of snow on the ground i couldn't really get up the hill. and then i had to drive home from work on crappy main roads that had like 1/2" of snow on them and i was fishtailing all over the place and could not get traction.

so i planned on getting some bags of sand from home depot to put in my trunk. i'm just not sure how heavy to get. they have 60lb bags so i figured i would get a few of those, just not sure the exact number to get.

this will actually help a bit though too right?

 

[JCH13]

If you're not on winter tires, or at least siped all-seasons, GTFO.

I would go 1/2 your rated carry weight directly over or behind your rear axle as a WAG at it.

 

[_Rick_]

Remember: that added weight will push on the same slippery surfaces, when you brake, so adjust top speed accordingly.
I'd put 2 or 3 bags in, max. And yes: tires. Hell, why not just put chains on, like a real man?

 

[EagleKeeper]

You have worn tires if you can not drive on 1/4" of snow.

Follow instructions of JCH13 above to have decent winter tires.
If you can afford such a car; you can spring for decent winter tires and store them come spring.
Or spend $100 and get a set of chains that you can slip on/off fairly easily.

There has been a couple of thread recently on such.
Putting on chains in a public street will look silly for one that has such a vehicle.
Most areas will not allow you to use chains all the time and you wil not like the drive with them.

You will need at least 300 lbs to make any difference if that. Slick tires are still going to spin on packed snow.

Or park the vehicle and walk the 30 ft.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

+1 this is a tire problem.

Adding weight is dangerous in your situation. For pickups it's ok, but that's about it IMO.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

^^

Tires and a light foot.
Enough said.

 

[purbeast0]

Definitely not a worn tire issue. They are less than a year old, but they also aren't winter tires. This is my first winter with the car too so I'm learning. Definitely parking at the top of the street tonight though since they are calling for snow.

 

[JCH13]

What tires are on it?

 

[Jimzz]

Yep tires.

What make and model tires? Also what tread depth is left?

 

[purbeast0]

It's whatever the stock tired that come on a 2008 g37s.

 

[Jimzz]

It's whatever the stock tired that come on a 2008 g37s.

You said they are less than a year old. So they have been changed?

The factory tire is a Dunlop SP Sport Maxx A1-A A/S. It has some of the WORST ratings for snow. No amount of weight is going to help on those crappy tires if that is what you have.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Dunlop&tireModel=SP+Sport+Maxx+A1-A+A%2FS&partnum=25VR8SPMAXX&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Infiniti&autoYear=2008&autoModel=G37&autoModClar=Base Model

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

You could try looking for some 'all-weather' tires... not to be confused with 'all-season'. But how many days in the year do you see snow..?

 

[purbeast0]

You said they are less than a year old. So they have been changed?

The factory tire is a Dunlop SP Sport Maxx A1-A A/S. It has some of the WORST ratings for snow. No amount of weight is going to help on those crappy tires if that is what you have.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Dunlop&tireModel=SP+Sport+Maxx+A1-A+A%2FS&partnum=25VR8SPMAXX&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Infiniti&autoYear=2008&autoModel=G37&autoModClar=Base Model

yea i bought the car last year and the tires were brand new stock tires.

and that explains why they are ass in the snow lol. definitely won't be getting those when i purchase new tires.

 

[JCH13]

Rofl @ horrible tires providing horrible performance. That's your problem right there.

OP, if you had real winter tires you'd be laughing.

 

[purbeast0]

actually according to tirerack, these are the stock tires for the car

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...ar=2008&autoModel=G37&autoModClar=Sport Model

lol from the first review of them...

This tire is OK to anyone who lives in southern area(There is NO snow traction and low temperature also make this tire too hard.) but considering its price, I would not buy again unless OEM.

another one...

The bad:
As for how they handled in the wet, they were far less forgiving. These tires hydroplaned like crazy, and I never trusted them to take a corner fast when it was wet outside. Because of this, I would rate them only as average for a summer tire. When it got cold out, they were fairly miserable to drive around in - I was consistently experiencing wheel spin when the temperature dropped to near freezing. Being summer tires, they obviously were never driven in the snow. I would expect that in the snow, driving with these tires would be suicidal.

 

[Raizinman]

If you intend to use sand, make sure to put the bags in a plastic bag. Often, sand is packaged in a burlap bag. When moisture collects in the sand, the concentrated quid that drips out is corrisive and acidic and can easily rust metal it comes in contact with.

 

[purbeast0]

well from what everyone is saying here, it sounds like sand bags won't make much of a difference at all because my tires suck for snow in general. i just don't know anything about this stuff which is why i posted here heh.

 

[Jimzz]

Yea a good all round tire I like is the Kumho Ecsta 4X. Ok for light snow but handles well and is cheaper than the factory tire.

 

[phucheneh]

I was gonna say, that car does not have Dunlops. He should have the staggered wheels, which always have the assymmetric Potenzas.

1/4" of snow? IMO this is driver error. Someone said 'lead foot;' maybe...but at the wrong times. It sounds like you're creeping up a hill at too slow a pace, then (if you're anything like the people around here) panicking and spinning the tires when you lose momentum.

For getting up hills: go faster. Inertia is your friend. Keep out of first gear.

FWIW I've driven these cars in light snow (more old snow packed into ice) and they did fine. I do not think tires are going to make a difference.

 

[purbeast0]

I was gonna say, that car does not have Dunlops. He should have the staggered wheels, which always have the assymmetric Potenzas.

1/4" of snow? IMO this is driver error. Someone said 'lead foot;' maybe...but at the wrong times. It sounds like you're creeping up a hill at too slow a pace, then (if you're anything like the people around here) panicking and spinning the tires when you lose momentum.

For getting up hills: go faster. Inertia is your friend. Keep out of first gear.

FWIW I've driven these cars in light snow (more old snow packed into ice) and they did fine. I do not think tires are going to make a difference.

well the problem is that my driveway goes uphill, and when i back out of it, i then have to go up a hill to get up my street. so there is no way to get a start. i'm going up the hill from a complete stop.

and if i reversed into my driveway so i could pull out forwards, i still have to go slow down my driveway because it is fairly steep and if i pull out too fast the bottom of the car scrapes.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

Tires will make all the difference.
<--- lives in Canada. Snow 5-6 months out of the year.

 

[amdhunter]

Just went through this, this morning. I have about 25% of tread left and I get around getting out of my space (which is very steep) by accelerating uphill with the parking brake engaged just enough not to roll back, and traction control off.

 

[JCH13]

... d00d... d00d... r u teh srsly? The RE050A is rated to a minimum temperature rating of 34F. As in, you risk rupturing the tire driving it at temperatures lower than 34F. The compound gets cold and thus brittle and can crack. Hell, TireRack suggests STORING tires like those INSIDE during the winter to avoid cold damage. Frankly, driving them below freezing, let alone on snow, is at best reckless endangerment and at worst willful negligence.

Also, never had any issues with my RE050As hydroplaning, even when I was at the wear bars.

TL;DR

If you drive your car on snow with RE050As (or any summer tire, really) you need a swift kick in the junk.

 

[desy]

Well adding weight to RWD will help some too even once you do get some good tires
start w 60 then 120 then 180 I wouldn't go higher than 240 though

 

[amdhunter]

... d00d... d00d... r u teh srsly? The RE050A is rated to a minimum temperature rating of 34F. As in, you risk rupturing the tire driving it at temperatures lower than 34F. The compound gets cold and thus brittle and can crack. Hell, TireRack suggests STORING tires like those INSIDE during the winter to avoid cold damage. Frankly, driving them below freezing, let alone on snow, is at best reckless endangerment and at worst willful negligence.

Also, never had any issues with my RE050As hydroplaning, even when I was at the wear bars.

TL;DR

If you drive your car on snow with RE050As (or any summer tire, really) you need a swift kick in the junk.

I guess that's why my tires feel like I'm driving on hockey pucks. :biggrin: