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#1
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Sand bags for driving on snow
Last night we had the first snow of the winter, it's about time to put the snow tires on, I am also thinking about some other ways to enhance my 400E's drivability on snow/ice. For those who have tried, how effective is it to put sand bags in the trunk? how much weight should I put?
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99 BMW 540i 6-speed 110K Km 03 SAAB 9-5 wagon 80K Km 92 400E (Sold) 245K km Still missing the days with the Benz, it kept me busy. |
#2
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I put cinder blocks in the back area near the wheels in my wagon and that works well. It allows me to climb hills that I normally wouldn't make with just the snow tires on it. I only put the blocks in when the roads are covered or snow is forecasted. I would recommend the sand bags if you have many hills in your daily commute. It cold mean the difference between getting home or staying stuck in traffic because of someone who wasn't prepared for the conditions.
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#3
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i usually do this each winter.
i try to stay around 100-120 lbs. find something that's bagged pretty good or else you'll get a nice mess. peter
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*92 400e 124.034, SOLD *92 300e 124.030, SOLD |
#4
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Additional wieight might increase traction but will also increase braking distances. No gain without a loss somewhere else.
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#5
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Best bet is to use sand bags. One more thing: tie a good rope or steel cable around the bags and anchor it to the body. If your car is doing 60mph and hits something, those cinder blocks will become 60mph projectiles. They will LITERALLY take your head off if they connect! The rope trick should act as a rip cord and you only get sandblasted. Saw a series of pictures once where a fellow with a 4x4 was trying to unstick a friend. Hook came loose from friends truck. Sailed through back window of Blazer and right through the drivers' head-rest, then windshield. Lucky for driver, his head was out of normal position as he was watching friends truck as he pulled. Not sure how strong the fuel tank behind the seat is in our cars. Probably would hold, but who knows. Wagon would be a lot worse.
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#6
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One thing is to be sure to put the weight right over the rear axle. Put it way behind the axle and you degrade front-end performance enough to be a problem in snow and (especially) slush and ice.
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#7
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Sorry - I forgot to mention that I do anchor the cinder blocks down very tightly.
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#8
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Thank you all for sharing the experience, so I am going to get 120 lbs sand this weekend.
It's a bit difficult to secuely anchor the sand bag in the trunk of 400E, I think I can attach three hooks to: 1.The battery rack on the right 2.Cellphone transmitter mounting rack on the left. 3.The place under the emergency rescue package. And leave the hooks there. When I need to use the sand bag, hope it's just as easy as throwing in the sand bag and attaching it to the hooks.
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99 BMW 540i 6-speed 110K Km 03 SAAB 9-5 wagon 80K Km 92 400E (Sold) 245K km Still missing the days with the Benz, it kept me busy. |
#9
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Added benefit of sand (vs blocks) is that if you get in a pinch and need extra traction. You break open the bag, and you throw sand under your wheels.
Then go out and buy a new bag of sand when the roads are cleared. Jeff Pierce
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Jeff Pierce Current Vehicles: '92 Mercedes 190E/2.3 (247K miles/my daily driver) '93 Volvo 940 Turbo Wagon (263K miles/a family truckster with spunk) '99 Kawasaki Concours Gravely 8120 Previous Vehicles: '85 Jeep CJ-7 w/ Fisher plow (226K miles)'93 Volvo 940 Turbo Wagon '53 Willys-Overland Pickup '85 Honda 750F Interceptor '93 Nissan Quest '89 Toyota Camry Wagon '89 Dodge Raider '81 Honda CB 750F Super Sport '88 Toyota Celica '95 Toyota Tacoma '74 Honda CB 550F |
#10
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since I drive alone most of the time, the weight bias on my car is on the left. So when I place the sandbags/gravel bags in the trunk, I offset it a little to the right, to make the left-right weight distribution more equitable.
otherwise, when I hit the gas in low-traction conditions (which makes the rears spin and lose lateral grip as well), the car will want to rotate counter-clockwise (viewed from the top), around the center of mass, which is a bit on the left side due to my mass. with more weight on the back, I now have to adjust my Euro headlamps so as not to blind oncoming drivers (I wish I had the vacuum headlamp adjuster). |
#11
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I have never anchored sand bags in my trunk. I just put 'em toward the front of the trunk and they stay put. It's hard for me to believe a sand bag would be able to penetrate the rear seat back and intrude into the passenger compartment. A cinder block, well, maybe that's a different story ...
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Steve '93 400E |
#12
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For Canadian winters do:
1. The best snow tires you can afford. If you live where conditions are truly bad, get Hakka 1's and stud them. It's the new Eco-stud, and works VERY well. 2. Be careful about sand bags in the trunk. If they are too far back, it will create a pendulum effect, and that's bad. They need to be right against the back-seat area of the trunk, that way they are over the rear wheels. Too much upsets the balance of the car. 3. The added weight will lengthen your stopping distances, so add a little following distance in traffic. The weight aids take off traction only, and lateral grip and braking are the same/worse. you can't drive faster with some sand in the trunk.
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John Shellenberg 1998 C230 "Black Betty" 240K http://img31.exs.cx/img31/4050/tophat6.gif |
#13
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dont forget the added weight makes a poorer gas mileage!
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99 C43 98 S420 99 C230K 01 C240 |
#14
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standard issue in my family, is antifreese and water, and enough for one total oil and coolant change, with filters, etc, then a 50lb bag of tools, and snow gear, shovel, wood, and stuff like that. Carry extra clothes.
we drive around with studded snow tires, and I love them, they are great, someone I know (hint) drove the studded tires up to 100mph with only one stud wripping out, not too bad. Tieing down everything is important like it was said, but why put in sand or something useless, instead of like tools, and stuff like that. I would bring kitty litter thats thick so that you can use it for traction or something. My winters arent too bad, I just live in the mountains, so sometimes it snows and ices up then a few days later its gone, so I dont know it all, but thats my advise.
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Current Stable: 1994 S500 v140, 210k miles, white with grey. Former Mercedes in the Stable: 1983 300CD Turbo diesel 515k mi sold (rumor has it, that it has 750k miles on it now) 1984 300CD Turbo Diesel 150 k mi sold 1982 300D Turbo Diesel 225 sold 1987 300D Turbo Diesel 255k mi sold 1988 300 CE AMG Hammer 15k mi sold 1986 "300E" Amg Hammer 88k mi sold (it was really a 200, not even an E (124.020) 1992 500E 156k mi sold etc. |
#15
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200 snowy days per year experience.
Just keep your gas tank at least half full (this is your extra weight). And use the best winter tires available.
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