i tried going up the pass last weekend and made it about 4 feet before i lost traction in my 300sdl. yikes. got stuck in a snowbank turning around, got a native to help pull me out, backtracked for an hour, then started up the alternate route & waited in the longest slowest traffic i have ever waited in. i would really really like to be able to deal with a little snow & uphill better.

now, my car is not winterized at all. i have some old Goodyear? M+S types on the back with some tread left and some rapidly depleting Kumos on the front (they lasted like 12,000 miles. ). i do have 150 lbs in the back, but i suspect that my car barely notices. i'm not sure where to pick up sand bags, but i'm on the look out for another 150 pounds or so.

so what is the best way to keep traction going uphill in a 300sdl? should i get snow tires, studded tires, or would chains work? i'd prefer chains simply to avoid having to buy yet another set of tires that, from my understanding, tend to wear out fairly quick, also, chains are something i can put on for the pass then take off for the highway trip back, but if chains are an inferior solution i'd much prefer to be better equipped.

my problems thusfar have been that i cant keep traction in even mild conditions, and that mostly keeps me from driving in any kind of actually bad solution. whats the 2 wheel v. 4 wheel situation? do chains help on the front wheels, or will snow tires be the only thing that'll really help?

chains or snow tires, whats the difference
two wheel v. four wheel, how much does the front need help?

many many thanks
rektide

just to reiterate, my problems havent been with handling, they've been the fact that a 1% grade is all it takes for the back wheels to spin, and i have a pass i'd like to surmount

and my question is mostly: snow tires v. chains

Snow tires would be helpful - adding some weight to the trunk is going to be beneficial also - most of the weight is in the front 1/2 of the car.

__________________
BENZ THERE DONE THAThttp://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...c/progress.gif
15 VW Passat TDI
00 E420
98 E300 DT
97 E420 Donor Car - NEED PARTS? PM ME!
97 S500
97 E300D
86 Holden Jackaroo Turbo D
86 300SDL
(o\|/o)

get four good snow tires. Put them on in November and take them off in April. I bought Blizzacks from tirerack.com for about $70/tire last year and they worked wonders with the car. I did not get stuck all winter.

I have chains for my Jeep plow and the trouble with them is that they tend to fall off and warp around the axle. Bad news at 2mph in the driveway, terrible news at 25-30mph on the road!

__________________
"I have no convictions ... I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy"

Current
Monika '74 450 SL
BrownHilda '79 280SL
FoxyCleopatra '99 Chevy Suburban
Scarlett 2014 Jeep Cherokee
Krystal 2004 Volvo S60
Gone
'74 Jeep CJ5
'97 Jeep ZJ Laredo
Rudolf ‘86 300SDL
Bruno '81 300SD
Fritzi '84 BMW
'92 Subaru
'96 Impala SS
'71 Buick GS conv
'67 GTO conv
'63 Corvair conv
'57 Nomad

I use good all season tires and keep a set of chains in the trunk just in case I get caught in the snow. When I go skiing, I take the old POS Jeep.

the worst part about snow tires is having to stash a set of four 16" tires in my tiny apartment.

my problems are really only going over a pass, like a 7 mile stretch of road. everything else is heavily plowed highway. will snow tires be better on ICE and snow than chains for this?

If it's really ICE, stay home because nothing will help very much. If you are talking about slick hard-packed snow, chains can help. They are cheaper than new tires, but the are kind of a PITA to put on in bad weather (it helps if you are dressed for skiing). If you do use chains, drive slowly and take them back off as soon as you hit dry roads again.

IMHO Nokian make the best snow tires.

Nokian Hakkapelitta 1's are the best option, followed by the Hakkapelitta 5's. The 1's have the most aggressive tread pattern and the 5's are a dumbed down tire for the North American market, because too many drivers here prefer quietness to traction when it comes to choosing a snow tire. I have driven on Hakka 1's for years and they will pull you through snow until it is so deep that the wheels get lifted off the snow (discovered that driving through a drifted driveway.....)

If your state allows it, you can buy these tires pre-studded.

Nokian WR's are a new all season tire with really good snow performance. Not as good as the 1's or 5's, but still much better than any other all season tire in snow or ice.

The disadvantage - cost. WR's in Canada are about $100 or worse each in 195/70 R14.....

That doesn't sound terribly expensive, I'm used to paying over $100 a tire (marginally) for the Michelins I run year round. $432 for the last set of 4 i think.

I stay off the slick stuff though ever since last winter. There's nowhere I need to be that bad.

__________________


~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL