Well wouldn't you know it. 4 weeks before I normally take my car out of storage the transmission just went in my winter beater. It is not worth getting it fixed but I am kinda stuck now if I don't take the mustang out of storage. However, here is the problem. Ironically, in the fall I sold the factory rims that I had mounted winter tires on because I never used them. So the stang only has the BFGoodrich Gforce T/A KD-NT's on it. With the weather we have right now I don't think I would be able to drive the car. Not a lot of snow on the ground but some slippery sections (ice). Has anyone ever attempted to drive in the snow with these type of tires? Since I have 285's on the rear I have a feeling I wouldn't get very far even in 1/2" of snow. I just can't afford to go and buy another car right now and fixing the beater is not worth it. A new tranmission is worth more than the car.

 

figure out the cheapest way to get some replacement factory rims and toss the narrowest snow tires you can fit on those. other than that, suck it up and drive.

 

I drove in a snowstorm at the beginning of the winter on my kdws's and even they were kinda sketchy. Managable, but a bit loose. I got the winters on now and she sticks pretty good.

 

Guess I'd have to suck it up and drive. I definately won't be buying rims and tires to get by 4 weeks. Just crappy timing. The rear tires are pretty low on tread so I can just imagine how bad it would be and they are calling for 2 inches of snow over night. Ugh!

 

I vote use a taxi...

They must not use salt on the roads in Ontario huh?
If that happened here I would be walking....or I would have to go out and buy a car

 

The definately use salt, which is why I store it

 

If you can swing it just buy another beater. You will need it next winter anyway.



Earl

 

I'd say if it snows you're better off staying home than risking crashing your car. It's going to be very tail happy and once it lets go it'll keep going. I tried driving a car with summer tires in the snow exactly once. I got two blocks from my house before doing a 180 right in the middle of the road, luckily not hitting anything. Seriously, it's not good.

 

haha, there aresomtimes i just cant resist taking my car out even though my town uses salt. i need to get it washed real bad. Sorry to hear it, but that was the only suggestion i could think of.

 

Then I vote go out and buy something cheap or find a friend that can give you a ride.
or rental car.

Sorry to hear about your winter beater dieing. it really stinks when we're this close to the end though.

 

Adrenalin, you've got a PM...

 

The only tires I recommend in snow are snow tires. When you say light snow, I now immediately think of 6"-10" of slush, ice, sleet, and loose mud-like snow. I still have some trouble with taking off from a stop with snow tires on my 2000 Crown Vic (Traction-Lok limited slip differential with Dunlop Graspic DS-1 snow tires). I've been there and done that with performance all-season tires (Dunlop SP Sport 5000, Dunlop Qualifier T, Dunlop SP Sport A2) and while it is manageable at low speeds, you cannot really drive safely at 50+ mph on the highway with 6" of snow (where 4x4s and SUVs are doing 50+ mph)

 

Worse case senario, if you really have to drive it, try letting a little air out of the tires for better traction. and go slow.

 

I barely made it home in 1/2 of snow the other day with the 18" bullitts. Additionally in the cold (below freezing) the compound on the KDWS is so hard that it slides out on dry pavement really easily. To make matters worse, there are not many options on the 18" size for ultra high performance tires for winter driving.

 

Get a used or junk yard tranny as your best option or buy a cheap set of winter wheels/tires and deal with the salt at the car wash. Either way, you'll need either the beater or the tiress each winter season.

I have KDWS on my '97 (MY beater) and it's dicey on even the slightest amount of snow in the road. I've turned back twice to head home this season, and I live in Maryland for pete's sake.

 

Thanks for the advice guys. I am just trying to make it through the next 3 weeks. I was planning on selling the beater in the spring and getting a new beater next winter. For the cost of replacing the tranny it is not worth it. I am going to tow the car home and probably sell it as a parts car or work on it in the summer and sell it. I'm going to take the stang out of storage and drive it on "clear" days when there isn't any snow on the roads and car-pool on the crappy days. I priced out renting a car for 3 weeks but the $700.00 price tag changed my mind on that.

 

The KDWs aren't supposed to be driven anywhere around 32 degrees... so that may tell you something. I drove lastwinter with them and I had an incredible hard time. NEVER got any traction. I could hardly make it out of a flat parking spot.

 

Yeah, don't attempt to drive in the snow with those tires on your car. I have the Nittos on my car and it was almost impossible to move it anywhere with even the slightest dusting of snow. My car was severely damaged because the back tires lost traction and that was when the ground was dry. The tires turn rock hard at very low temperatures.

 

It won't help, the KDW isn't siped at all, its just grooved for the wet.

 

I have a set of bridgestone blizzack LM-22 or LM-25 (forget which one and the stang) in a 235-50VR-18 on a set of the argent 18" frpp bullitts.

For the first 1000 miles, they were frightening in the dry under hard accel. But like every other blizzack I have bought, this is normal and they settled in after a while. Now they are great and really are fine for winter driving. After a few weeks I really forget they are on the car. But when it snows, they are awesome! Car is perfectly safe at 70+ on the highway if one was so inclined. Last year I was up over 120mph on them for a short burst and they were ok. No where as stable as real performance tires, but they serve their purpose.