Winter tips

[Pappa]

Hi! As some of you might have found out, I'm from Norway, which is currently mostly encapsulated in ten feet of snow on top of blank ice.

Now I've driven my Volvo 340 for about three days and have already crashed it full frontal against a road sign going 30mph, smashed one rim into pieces against a pavement and driven another rim to death due to the tyre puncturing 1/2way on my way home, me alone in the car, miss waiting at home and no tools to change tyres in the car at the time, so i decided to torture the thing for 5 miles or so. Strangely enough the suspension and steering is still good as new

Anyway she's now suffering a badly bent front bumper and license plate. If anyone has any tips on how to make it more safe to drive during the winter it'd be cool. It's currently equipped with a welded rear diff (wise move ), one good tyre in the back with most of it's studs intact, one summer tyre in the front and the rest were once studded tyres but the studs are long gone.

I want to spend as little money on this as possible, the main issue is to make it turn at fairly sensible speeds. In it's current configuration it makes no difference where you turn the wheel, the car just goes straight ahead. I'll also have to get adjusted to not having ABS brakes, i think this is what killed the rims The other issue is climbing hills, it just doesn't want to right now..

Anyway I'm thinking i can get a decent studded tyre or winter tyre for the rear on the scrapyard along with two good studded tyres for the front and maybe put snow chains on the front wheels to give it more grip for cornering? Or would it be overkill? I should keep a set of chains in the back anyway for climbing hills i guess. What type of tyres should i be looking for, and what's the bolt pattern on the rims? Is it 4x110?

Any other ideas?

[jtbo]

Bolt pattern is 4x100.

Do yourself a favour, get new diff that is not welded and buy set of decent winter tires, Gislaved or Continental preffered makes if you would like to actually go up the hills and turn at corners.

Some weight on trunk helps a bit but also increases fuel consumption.

That is only options you have in that situation unfortainly.

[petefarrell360]

Jani is right, you can't scrimp when it comes to safety and tyres. Getting the tyres from a scrap yard means you won't know their history, they may be damaged etc. It's possible, but not advisable! I assume you're used to driving in the conditons in other vehicles, but the 300 is something new to you and needs getting used to. If you can legally find a safe and deserted space to find how the car handles and get used to the limits in the conditions it will help no end, once you've got some decent tyres fitted! I know cost may be an issue, but the cost of a good set of tyres is far cheaper than the cost of a life or injury!

Pete

[Pappa]

Well a set of new tyres would cost a lot more than the car.. I know some good ones though for sale.. brand new on 340 rims. Not studded though, but they're good tyres anyway.

[jtbo]

Well a set of new tyres would cost a lot more than the car.. I know some good ones though for sale.. brand new on 340 rims. Not studded though, but they're good tyres anyway.

I would not advice to get not studded tyres for 340 as you will get stuck to every hill that is ice then

Price of tyres is very likely more than car, but tyres will last 4-5 years of gentle driving (unless you drive really lot). Also laughs I get when pulling faster from lights than those FWD shopping carts is always worth some money

Sunday I drove nearly 700km and there was some surprisingly tight corners that were mirror like ice, I did not need to slow down for such still, car behind me tried to follow and started to skid, luckily nobody did come to other way, good tires are really essential on such roads.

If most of roads are snow covered, not ice, then non studded tires can work ok too.

[Pappa]

Well i went against your advice and took 4 good studded goodyears from the scrapyard from a recently scrapped renault clio. Two of them are practically new, and two of them has a little wear on the studs, nothing much though.

Which one do i put in front and which ones in the rear to give it good breaking and turning? Climbing hills isn't too much of an issue, i have a set of snow chains.

[jtbo]

Well i went against your advice and took 4 good studded goodyears from the scrapyard from a recently scrapped renault clio. Two of them are practically new, and two of them has a little wear on the studs, nothing much though.

Which one do i put in front and which ones in the rear to give it good breaking and turning? Climbing hills isn't too much of an issue, i have a set of snow chains.

Put better ones to rear, you like to keep tail under control, use tyre pressures to control behaviour on turns then, bit lower pressure at front than rear makes it understeer bit less.

[classicswede]

I would disagree and put best ones one front. You can control the back end with power but you need best grip on the front to steer.

There may be good reason with snow for putting better tyres on the back but with normal road driving the front is most improtant.

[Pappa]

Well the rubber is about the same on both but the studs on two of the tyres look new and are razor sharp, while the remaining two have slightly worn studs. I thought about putting the best tyres on the front too since controlling the rear end isn't much of a problem at all, braking / turning is much worse.

[jtbo]

Put better ones to front, do blind moose test, swap tires do it again, reality may hit face quite hard

I have driven from mid 90's, about 2 million km, snow, ice and so on at winter times, I thought that it is best that car turns when I started to drive too, but few situations have proven that wrong quite well.

Big lesson to learn is that you don't gain handling by giving less grip, you need always incerease grip.

But you are welcome to learn it hard way if you like

Roads at norway/finland differs a bit from roads in UK at winter times

[Pappa]

Put better ones to front, do blind moose test, swap tires do it again, reality may hit face quite hard

I have driven from mid 90's, about 2 million km, snow, ice and so on at winter times, I thought that it is best that car turns when I started to drive too, but few situations have proven that wrong quite well.

Big lesson to learn is that you don't gain handling by giving less grip, you need always incerease grip.

But you are welcome to learn it hard way if you like

Roads at norway/finland differs a bit from roads in UK at winter times

Okay thanks! I'll put the good ones in the rear then i guess.

[Tourinki]

Yes put the better one to the back. It's for you own safety. With worser winter tires at the back. You won't climb any hill if you don't have enough speed. And your car will slide everywhere. It can be boring after a while and the car will surprice you at some point. As Jtbo said change that welded diff to a normal diff and the car will be nicer to drive. With normal diff it won't oversteer easily as with the welded.

I have at moment really crap tyres at the back. And i going to replace all tyres with maybe Nokian, Gislaved or Continental tyres. And what comes to accleration in passing another car. i can't pass anything if road is icy i hav had wheelspin in 4th and 5th and some cases it wasn't even on boost. i wish that i could get back behind the wheel of my 360 again. That 740 is a beast in winter.

Also there is one down side with those not studded tires. If the wheel spins even little bit. You will stay put. it digs little pot hole or similar don't know the correct word for it.

[classicswede]

Ah that is interesting. I understand what you are saying about going up hill. I would also asume that an LSD would be an advantage in snow/ice conditions?

[Tourinki]

Ah that is interesting. I understand what you are saying about going up hill. I would also asume that an LSD would be an advantage in snow/ice conditions?

'
Well there is advantages and disadvatages. 100% diff is too strong for a road car. Yes it helps going uphill. But when going round corners inside wheel will spin and if inside wheel spins soon will the outside wheel spin and then the car will slide and end up around tree or lamp post. And when you lift off rears will lock on snow and ice. Resulting spin again if you can't catch the slide.

I would say that 25% diff would be nearly ideal for a road car. It helps with going up hill and you'll get better acceleration (compared to open diff). Because being 25 % diff and not 100% welded. Is that as an example when lifting off in the corner it won't lock the rears same way like 100% diff does. With 25 % diff there is always difference in rotating speed between the wheels.

My opinion is that welded diff should only be used in rallying, track days, drifting or something similar like that but not in a road car. There is available for most cars more sophisticated lsd diffs. But with 300 series options are quite limited. But there is parts available for it as well but they are quite expensive if bought as a brand new item. Or you have to be lucky to be able to find original diff lock for 300 built by Hör.

[jtbo]

Welded diff also makes car go straight when turning in slow speed, car with such diff can be driven only sideways on slippery surface.

Torsen diff is absolutely best when considering road usage