'87 300D and Snow, Weight Distribution? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Duncwarw · #1 12-06-2010, 04:51 PM

Hi all.

We're getting studded snows today and I got to reading tire reviews.
Along the way, somebody posted that old idea of putting weight in the trunk.

That led me to thinking about the Benz's weight distribution. Anybody have that info?

Given my beloved car's lust for going sideways, I suspect the trunk's no competition for that big diesel up front. Maybe there's merit to those sand bags (aside from the sand itself when I get stuck) and it's no "old wive's tale" after all.

TIA

shertex · #2 12-06-2010, 05:02 PM

When I was looking into that issue a while back, I seem to remember folks suggesting 100-150 pounds might be a good idea (I have 91 and 92 300D's and use Bridgestone Blizzaks).

punkinfair · #3 12-06-2010, 06:59 PM

it's never been a problem for me, driving in snow with any rear wheel drive vehicle. the TD for sure is heavy in front, but it's no moreso than my dad's '78 monte carlo. that thing could drift like crazy.

we have nokian hak's on both our 124 wagons and they make the car handle very predictably on slippery roads. with studded tires you should have no issues at all.

Duncwarw · #4 12-06-2010, 07:17 PM

Looking forward to the studded snows.

For the record, I lost count of how many cars I've had at around two dozen.
Most have been rear wheel drive (which I prefer) and I can't remember ONE that was as bad as my 300D for slippery handling.

Though the sliding is very predictable and, for the most part, manageable, it still amounts to the same thing in the end. No getting home on the mountain.

winmutt · #5 12-06-2010, 07:27 PM

I wonder if the multilink actually decreases traction in the snow. Cant ever hurt to put more weight in the back IMO. There was one guy with a CD he rallied in snow and the trunk had a few hundred lb in it.

I have HORRIBLE turning wet traction in my 85 because of the aggressive camber.

ashedd · #6 12-06-2010, 07:35 PM

I can tell you that 6 cinder blocks in the trunk of my 400e made the wheel spin stop in the rain.

So for the snow I got 6 bags of tube sand, 4 for the TD and 2 for the 400e. Right now all 6 are still in the TD... once we have significant snow I will slap my studded snow tires on the TD, which started today at 10* without being plugged in

So I can safely conclude that extra weight will help the w124 with traction. Dunno about the 300e but in the heavy engine 124's it helps.

Duncwarw · #7 12-06-2010, 07:45 PM

All good info. Thanks.

The weather here is usually unpredictable and with that horrible SUV being more in the shop than on the road, The Boss and I have to share that reliable Mercedes. I'd rather take whatever steps needed to make it safe for her than have to be without a car and worrying about her.

When my Campmobile was on the road, I didn't have to worry if the weather got bad. On regular tires I could scale steep hills.

Besides, if I did get stuck somewhere I could get a beer out of the fridge, cook dinner, and go to bed. All without ever having to get out of the vehicle.

babymog · #8 12-06-2010, 10:51 PM

Weight distribution is pretty good, something like 53/47. Any time you increase the rear bias though, you will help it's acceleration traction.

I drove my '87 300D in the snow a few years ago, had to go back to a boat-building plant up in the Michigan dunes. Coming out it was snowing bad, I chained up with a set of cable-chains I was itching to use and drove up into the dunes. I then waited for my customers in their F-350 Dually, who never made it. A crew building a house at the top of the dune went down with a tracked Caterpillar thing, got it sideways and slid off of the road. Next went a loader, spreading sand and scraping snow, eventually made enough of a sand road down to pull the Cat and the F-350 out. It was fun to watch from the top, ... with my little RWD car (no snows) and cable-chains. I did have one 50# bag of silica-sand in the trunk.

The addition of 50-100# as far forward in the trunk as you can get it really does help. Too much and you're just putting unnecessary weight on the springs, keep the tank full. If you have a problem, the coursest sand you can carry will be great on the road also, and a bit of Calcium-Chloride ice-melt helps as well. Don't bother with kitty-litter, ever slipped on wet clay? Worthless.

Duncwarw · #9 12-06-2010, 11:03 PM

Funny.

Thanks for the weight distribution ball park. I would have guessed far worse.

Herself is on the way home, scaling the mountain with the new studded snows. So far so good.

She's used to front wheel drive cars and I'm used to rear wheel drive.
I keep telling her to turn into the skid and ease up on the throttle.

FWD is fun in that the rule is reversed, but I want her safe.

The nice thing about being rural is that you are less likely to encounter loads of people on the road. There's nothing worse than blasting up a hill sideways and encountering somebody sliding down the other way backwards!

Seriously though, she just called and the studded snows are working.

ashedd · #10 12-07-2010, 01:35 AM

Listen to anything babymog has to say... he is beyond wise!

PS.

I really want chains too, really no good reason here in Indianapolis.. but I need to have them.

t walgamuth · #11 12-07-2010, 07:05 AM

I do not use snow tires and always add a hundred or so in the benzes. Most are fairly balanced but the newer ones I think may be more nose heavy. You need at least 5050 weight distribution to achieve a balance in snow for starting stoping and turning. I prefer a little rear bias for myself.

s38junkie · #12 12-07-2010, 07:33 AM

Having driven many a tail-happy BMW, I find the handling of the W124 completely benign in the snow. The break away of the rear is predictable and easily moderated with throttle input, even in our diesel tankers. Studded snows should make it even more sure footed.

I second the use of 50 - 100 lbs. in the trunk - the deep pockets on either side of the trunk lend themselves perfectly towards storing bags of cement and even out the weight distribution over each wheel.

Also, keep a shovel in trunk just in case. I only had to use it once last winter after being plowed in on the street.

ashedd · #13 12-07-2010, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s38junkie

Having driven many a tail-happy BMW, I find the handling of the W124 completely benign in the snow. The break away of the rear is predictable and easily moderated with throttle input, even in our diesel tankers. Studded snows should make it even more sure footed.

I second the use of 50 - 100 lbs. in the trunk - the deep pockets on either side of the trunk lend themselves perfectly towards storing bags of cement and even out the weight distribution over each wheel.

Also, keep a shovel in trunk just in case. I only had to use it once last winter after being plowed in on the street.

The 400e has a darn battery in the right one