Winter travel in a Mustang.. advice welcome!

[bm02tj]

Phone ahead and find a tire shop that can sipe the tires heading into the mountains and it
will make a world of difference and not to costly

 

[pacofortacos]

If you are really worried about it, getting a set of tire chain/cords is inexpensive, easy to put on quickly, and can help tremendously if needed. Chains are mandated in many western states in snow emergencies.
Something like these

https://www.oreillyauto.com/shop/b/...ssories-16523/cable-chains-17941/be8dc8c6dc7a

 

[tidefan1967]

Push come to shove you can air down the tires some to get a little more contact patch on the road or at least that's what I do when we get snow down South which averages about every nine years.

 

[TRCM]

I drove all over the northeast in an 86 IROC-Z...no traction control back then, but it did have LSD......and the wide gatorback tires on it were not winter rated at all.

Use your head, and be careful....make sure you know what your car can & can't do.

 

[Quyonmob]

Push come to shove you can air down the tires some to get a little more contact patch on the road or at least that's what I do when we get snow down South which averages about every nine years.

This actually is not a good idea. Proper air pressure is better as increasing contact patch is not what you want in snow/ice on road. You want maximum weight per minimum contact area, but without compromising the tire’s profile.

Skinny wins in snow.

 

[tidefan1967]

This actually is not a good idea. Proper air pressure is better as increasing contact patch is not what you want in snow/ice on road. You want maximum weight per minimum contact area, but without compromising the tire’s profile.

Skinny wins in snow.

I'll definitely take your word for it because I guarantee you know way more about the white stuff than I do being from Canada. I figured if it worked on the dragstrip it work on the road too...........I used cinder blocks in the bed and lower air pressure last year and it got me by but there ain't no mountain passes around here to worry about.

 

[pacofortacos]

He could also throw 2-4 tubes of sand in the back of the Mustang, the weight will help and if you do get stuck the sand comes in really handy - I like the tubes vs. bags just for the way they lay.

 

[TRCM]

He could also throw 2-4 tubes of sand in the back of the Mustang, the weight will help and if you do get stuck the sand comes in really handy - I like the tubes vs. bags just for the way they lay.

I got 'stuck' once in a snow storm when I stopped at a rest area....couldn't back out of the space due to ice......and there was a guy next to me who had the same problem......I smoked back then, so I went inside and took the ashtray (pan that held the kitty litter for you to put your cigarette out in), poured it on the ground, and used that for traction....worked great, and he did the same....

 

[kurek]

He could also throw 2-4 tubes of sand in the back of the Mustang, the weight will help and if you do get stuck the sand comes in really handy - I like the tubes vs. bags just for the way they lay.

Remember the whole reason we're doing this trip in the first place & can't leave the Mustang at "home" is we're moving, as in relocating everything we own. Pretty sure I'll have to intervene at some point to stop her from adding weight to the poor car!

I deliberately got a small trailer for the move because I wanted to force us to make choices..

I did order a set of Z-chains, just for the rear wheels. Her car's not lowered so with the stock tire size we should have no fitment problems unless the added weight of her clothes and stuff lower it too much

 

[Rogues Gambit]

Speaking from experience, Snow Tires

Had UHPAS on my old 'stang, she went up and down my parents hill with no issues, but when it came to real snow, should of done the summer/winter set up like everyone else does.

Sure she'll be fine, tow it otherwise

 

[pacofortacos]

Remember the whole reason we're doing this trip in the first place & can't leave the Mustang at "home" is we're moving, as in relocating everything we own. Pretty sure I'll have to intervene at some point to stop her from adding weight to the poor car!

I deliberately got a small trailer for the move because I wanted to force us to make choices..

I did order a set of Z-chains, just for the rear wheels. Her car's not lowered so with the stock tire size we should have no fitment problems unless the added weight of her clothes and stuff lower it too much

That's what's nice about the tubes of sand vs. a bag, they are long and fairly thin so the tuck right in the spaces. They also seem not to leak as much .

I think you will be ok, just travel between storms and you should be fine - carry water, food and blankets for a worst case situation.

 

[TRCM]

That's what's nice about the tubes of sand vs. a bag, they are long and fairly thin so the tuck right in the spaces. They also seem not to leak as much .

I think you will be ok, just travel between storms and you should be fine - carry water, food and blankets for a worst case situation.

and never go below 1/2 a tank of fuel either...may need it for heat worst case.....

 

[pacofortacos]

So true, and they can be spread out fairly far out there.

 

[kurek]

We'll be in the Ram too - hopefully we don't manage to run them both out of fuel at the same time & freeze to death or maybe we deserve that fate. We're already out of the gene pool but sometimes that's just not enough

 

[pacofortacos]

I often carry a 5 gallon can of gas when going out west just in case I misjudge mileage or end up getting to a station after it is closed - ever since it happened to us in Yellowstone one year.

Made it to a station/resort but they were closed (it was 6-7 pm at this time), had enough gas to start the car intermittently over night and blankets so we were getting ready to just sleep in the car (going down to mid teens that night). An hour later a maintenance guy came by and opened the station up for us to fill up and continue. Actually a lot more to that story but that is the short version lol