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240 Where's the best place to put trunk weight for winter?

fisky52688 said:
Keep a bunch of tools back there, that is what I do. Then if anything breaks you can do a repair in a parking lot.
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Ditto on that one. I have in the trunk of my 240:

4 SUV type jack stands
1 Hydraulic floor jack
1 Milk crate full of tools
1 Set of sway bars which should be on the car

And I usually have my big craftsman toolbox (60lbs or so) in there as well. I had no trouble getting to work this morning. I also have new Continental snow tires.
 
In addition to the two bags of sand, a 40 lb bag of Rock Salt too.

If you get stuck you've got a better chance to get out. Been there, done that.
 
Volvo Trucks = Yes!

woodenshoes said:
IMHO 300 lbs is excessive for a car, I would add another 50lb bag to the 2 you have and see how it feels to you. As far as the idea of loading to the rear you wouldn't load a pickup truck box to the rear for handling reasons, in my mind this is no different and the weight over the drive wheels is what you need for traction. FWIW I also have 3, ~ 100lb sidewalk blocks over the axle in my pickup with 2x4 bracing to keep them from sliding forward. For a pickup the 300lbs is realistic and helps settle the suspension as well.
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Youtube: The Iron Knight vs S60 Polestar

Often understated y'all...from gravel road XC70 drifting...2 745T low water crossings*(always dangerous)...then blasting 855 T-5 down years of backroads...

I see no differentiation from a pick-up truck you speak of & any Volvo?

Add Many sandbags to the rear floor panels if adults are not commonly seating & Many more further back @ the location of your choice & Power your Sled *ie Truck!
 
Ok so I?m not a very smart person, ESPECIALLY when it comes to grasping the fundamentals of physics. So in the back of my 245 should the weight be over the rear axle or farther behind it near the hatch??? Sorry I?m not operating with enough CPU power to appreciate the explanations thus far in this thread.

Thanks in advance ;-)
 
towerymt said:
What circumstance you have found that requires even more traction from the rear than you already have?

After the "good snow tires", my winterizing was done and the 244 became unstoppable in snow.
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Looks like everybody chimed in so...good points. I assume you're not in Miami ? More weight for traction can help if you are experiencing issues, ideally not lightening the front end. Sand/salt bags work because they move little & can help you get out of a bad ice situation(sand/shovel/etc). Personally I like weight on rear floor and in front of(&/or over) rear axle. I have Nokian 185/70-15 gummy tires the 240 wagon, ..these go nicely on both ice & snow :nod:
 
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I always used about 130# over the axle.

My logic was that putting the extra weight further toward the front of the cargo would lessen unintended oversteer on slippery roads / corners. To me, it felt much more balanced in slippery situations.

Also found the car to be more predictable for those time when it was intentionally time to play in the snow.:oogle:
 
Dn240 said:
Ok so I?m not a very smart person, ESPECIALLY when it comes to grasping the fundamentals of physics. So in the back of my 245 should the weight be over the rear axle or farther behind it near the hatch??? Sorry I?m not operating with enough CPU power to appreciate the explanations thus far in this thread.

Thanks in advance ;-)
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If you put it over the axle you'll change the handling the least. If you hang it out back you'll get a little more traction but it might slightly change the way it handles.

I doubt the handling difference will be enough to notice, especially while driving slowly and carefully in the snow. If you're driving at the limits and breaking traction all the time so the handling is critical, you should probably slow down.
 
LloydDobler said:
If you're driving at the limits and breaking traction all the time so the handling is critical, you should probably slow down.
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C?mon guys, you got to admit this ^^^^ is the wisest thing said so far. While I have lived in snow and ice covered winter time land for 15 years, never been in an accident because I know how to drive. And yes I was born and raised in sunny California :oogle::wtf:

Last winter the wife and I saw more wrecks due to inclement weather than the last 10 years combined, it was bad, the highway was littered with ?em. But we didn?t stop driving, traveling and we were fine because our tires are always the best winter tires in the best shape possible and we know how to drive/react on ice/snow.
 
Last winter was my first winter with the 245. I will put the 3, 50lbs bags of sand back in the cargo area cuz it seems like a good idea to my simple mind, it just makes sense. Anywhere in the cargo area is going to help, so why not!???
 
There is a vehicle dynamic in effect. When your vehicle moves forward the center of gravity moves rearward. If you put the weight over the axle where the center of gravity moves is still closer to the vehicle than where it would be with the weight near the rear bumper. From that perspective it would be best to put the weight low on the floor in front of the rear axle but the compromise is probably to put it on the shelf in the trunk above the axle.

I usually never add weight and haven't really had any problems. I do carry one heavy tool box and the cars fluids and such but nothing more than about 50-60lb. One of the few people in my area that uses real winter tires though. They all brainwashed around here to believe all season tires are the best. LOL
 
LloydDobler said:
....If you're driving at the limits and breaking traction all the time so the handling is critical....
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Is there any other way to drive in the snow...? :cool: When wouldn't the handling be critical in heavy snow climates?

It's not very complicated. Just throw 150-180lbs of sand in bag form in the trunk. If you need more traction, put more in there. It's as simple as that. Don't worry about unloading the front. I've used up to 300lbs, but seems to be a sweet spot somewhere between 150-225.
 
Right on,does anyone worry about uploading the front when carrying 3 passengers in the back? Or 3 fat passengers for that matter.
 
Carry a few bags of this around and use it on ice,you'll never look at sand and cat litter the same way again!
CSpoultrygrit.jpg
 
I've never weighed down any of my rwd Volvos. Even with crappy winter tires and open diff I haven't got stuck or felt like the car is unsafe. Driving technique and a shuffle for emergencies haven't yet let me down.
 
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