Show us your winter wagon!

[Plattus1000]

That DSC off idea is a head scratcher for me. I tried to go in straight line in a snow covered parking lot with DSC off and the progress was not linear at all!
I do understand how it will be helpful to turn it off if you get stuck though.

Say what you want about front-wheel, rear-wheel, all-wheel drive. Without great tires, it matters not how the power is disseminated. Nobody gets up my winding, inclined driveway without all-wheel drive the 1st time if I haven't plowed it first. I do it DSC off with dedicated winter tires through up to 6" of snow. Not "All weather" or "winter season". There's a pic I have that demonstrates this:




If you grow up with it, it's no big deal, till you're near someone new to driving in it. Then shiz gets crazytown.
If traffic is around, DSC goes on #realtalk

[cheapE46]

I have General Altimax Arctics on for winter and I thought that they are decent winter specific tires, may be they aren't really as good as your setup. What tires are you running?

[Plattus1000]

I like Blizzaks or Hankook i'cept or i'pike if you can find them.
There's one that starts with an "H" and is then followed by a sling of other letters, Norwegian made super winter tire. On sheet ice, these things hold like normal tires in the wet. Hakkapeliitta by Nokian I believe. I hear amazing things about these but I like what I have, so far.

The right snow tires on my old porsche 944 made it the quickest car over the pass every morning. I was much more brave then to be fair. I was one day able to get up a steep driveway in the Porsche with new snow tires, that my 4x4 suburban couldn't, (it was on all-seasons)

Blizzaks are good for 3 short seasons or 2 normal seasons. The top layer of tread goes away quickly leaving you with what feels like a normal tire compound. You'll notice the difference from the first time you need them compared to the last, that is for sure. They're great that first season however.

[scottieducati]

And a few days ago after my 3rd wash in as many weeks...

[cheapE46]

That's a mighty fine looking wagon you got there!
I have long wondered how clear turn signal would look on a black wagon, I clearly dig it one yours!

[JimLev]

Don't miss that white stuff. I lived south of Beantown all my life until June '16. Had enough of it and the freezing winters.
My 540 never saw the winter roads. Alway had a winter beater.

[Dvbimmerk]

This is just prior to the 14” of snow we got yesterday....she’s safe and sound in the garage.

[cheapE46]

I see a sad puppy, missing out playing in the snow!

The only view of winter mine gets for a couple of months. Not only to keep safe from the salted roads but the passes with "chains required " except all wheel drive. Attachment 619462
Just easier in the jeep

[adm750]

These are great reads !! I do things in a rear wheel drive car with snows (all four corners...) that people just don't think is possible...! There are hills around here that are rather steep and I go up them like it's nothing...no matter the conditions. DSC is usually off, unless I really want to rocket up something. I'll turn it off, get some wheelspin and get the car moving...then once she's going the DSC goes back on then basically stick the throttle to the floor. The back gets loose, but she's churnin' and burnin' at that point. I love the way these drive with snows on.

I passed a big 4-matic Benz up one of those hills one night in a $#!t snowstorm. He was crawling up it about 2 mph....just no traction. I'm sure he was on all-seasons. I was coming off a 50 mile drive home from work that had taken me 3 hours in the jammed up traffic, so was running short on patience for this bull$@!t ....so I kicked the DSC back on, and when I got next to him I turned it back off and let the @$$ hang out as I passed him. I crossed his bow, opposite lock, throwing snow everywhere, with that Roundel wagging in his face as I blasted off into the distance up that snowy, icy hill. That was rather satisfying...

Conti Extreme winter contacts...but those look to be going downhill
the Hak's are fab for sure...
Blizzaks...!!! my personal fave...but always the WS's...the LM's suck...they are too hard, and no tread life. I got 4 seasons out of a set of WS50's on the 528i and sold them with plenty of tread left to be safe...but they had four VERY snowy seasons on them so wear was actually really minimal. It's those dry winters that kill the snow tires...

I did get pulled into HR a couple years ago for doing donuts and sliding into my parking spot in the mornings during winter...haha...! Now they oversalt the parking lots here because of my antics...

[cheapE46]

....so I kicked the DSC back on, and when I got next to him I turned it back off and let the @$$ hang out as I passed him. I crossed his bow, opposite lock, throwing snow everywhere, with that Roundel wagging in his face as I blasted off into the distance up that snowy, icy hill. That was rather satisfying...

Hahaha! That's what I meant when I said snow is a great equalizer. My straight 6 525iT may not be able to break traction on dry streets but is plenty exuberant in snow

....
I did get pulled into HR a couple years ago for doing donuts and sliding into my parking spot in the mornings during winter...haha...! Now they oversalt the parking lots here because of my antics...

I gotta try sliding into my parking spot every once in a while - sounds like great fun!!

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A couple more shots of happy winter wagon:
20180104_084415.jpg20180104_084732.jpg

[Plattus1000]

The only view of winter mine gets for a couple of months. Not only to keep safe from the salted roads but the passes with "chains required " except all wheel drive. Attachment 619462
Just easier in the jeep

I've never put chains on the last 4 cars I've owned. I once convinced a trooper that my 944 was all-wheel drive and he lifted the barrier after North Bend and let me go up. Best summit drive ever. 6" of fresh over ice, studded snow tires and no other traffic. Good times. I carry chains but only for the law requirement. I don't think I even know what car they are for. I've let my buddy with an Audi wagon use my chains. Quattro, sure with non-Summer-street tires, but with... Slippytime.

[geargrinder]

Bummed I missed this thread. Can snap a fresh pic o' the sled tomorrow,it's still pretty snowblast encrusted from the storm snow and wind. I was a Quattro head for ages, still am even if we don't have one for the moment, but the E39 does stupidly great with the quaife diff and snows for a lowered RWD rig...

Tires? Having the BBK has limited my snow tire choices a bit. Back in my VT mountain dweller days you'd have to pry the Hakka's out of my cold frozen fingers, back when they were still Nokia (same co as the phones, ha ha CEOs are so stupid, phone business is dead but the tire co lives on...) but they got super pricey and are overkill for me now... Honestly if I could get the right sizes I'd prob go w altimax again as they are such a good value and crush in deep snow, used to have a bunch of those... that's what we put on wife's FWD and they are great bargain snows. But... Plattus and adm - agree to the comments about the blizzaks but indeed I'm running LM's these days and they aren't bad. Actually they are good handlers in dry, not as great as WS when new, but don't fall off the cliff after a year either like Platts said. I'm in a typical 540 trap w those tho like summers... Tend to wear out 2 at a time and then not want to buy a full 4 set, but... Next time prob look for another alternative, as long as it comes in 18" and a low enough profile.

[cheapE46]

@GG take a few pocs and share.

Also, why has BBK limited your winter choices? Surely, you have separate wheelset for the winter

[itsbrokeagain]

Still rocking the garbage fusion tires on my X5. The gf has Nokians on the E46 XI. It's made it through everything we threw at it.

Picked them up off CL with less than a season on them (car got totaled methinks) for $350 with matching wheels. Still had the rubber nubbies on the sides.

I didn't realize they sell on tire websites for $194 EACH.

[geargrinder]

@GG take a few pocs and share.

Also, why has BBK limited your winter choices? Surely, you have separate wheelset for the winter

Yes but I have to run 18's to fit over the caliporz, and low-pro options are limited. Running 235/40's at momes.

Out of curiosity I just looked at TahrRock and looks like these days I could get a WS in a reasonable size to fit, that was NOT the case in the past which is how I ended up w/ the LM's...

Next time I very well may go for a 225/45... be a bit more speedo error but narrower/taller will be better theoretically, and that'd open up options including my favorite snow tire bargain the aforementioned Altimax. Its not like I hoon the car when its got the crap wheels/tires on it anyway, and its much nicer to be able to destroy the snow when the time comes than to have slightly less sharty on-ramp G forces on your sloppy slippery snowtires.

[itsbrokeagain]

slightly less sharty on-ramp G forces on your sloppy slippery snowtires.

Say THAT three times fast

[adm750]

Yes but I have to run 18's to fit over the caliporz, ..............
....... but narrower/taller will be better theoretically,.

yeah, I figured you were stuck with 18's due to the Boeing 747 brakes you look to have on there...what a boo-hoo problem to have..! hahaha

+1 on the tall and narrow theory. Standard fare for the e39M5 were square style 66's with 235/45's but our FAVE setup for the e46's were (if I remember correctly...) were 205/70-17's on steelies for the e46's..! they looked like safety spares..haha...tall and narra' - but they went like stink in the powder.

story time !!!

One year, one of the techs and I set this customer up with a new winter wheel setup. He was a cool dude, younger professional, but a bit conservative. He enjoyed talking to us 'cause he really was still growing into (and loving every minute of the experience...) his 4dr black/black e46 330 (6spd), and we were all enthusiasts. One day he and I are talking about him coming into his 2nd winter with that car, and I finally convinced him that he really needs snows.

To the point: so, the tech said let's do black steelies with the chrome trim rings and chrome bmw center caps with the tall/narrow tire setup. I pitched the options (silver or black rims...) to the customer, told him the black would really pop and it would be a bit unique, and he was all in for the black rims. Guys...it was totally badass looking. Customer came to pick it up...I had the car pulled around, and he was smiling ear to ear. "wow tony...this is why I love you guys !!!" and off he went...in the snow.

I get a call the next morning from Greg (the customer). "uhhh....tony...thanks so much, these are incredible, but I have to tell you my fiancé absolutely hates the way this looks...she says it looks like a cop car...she just hates it...and as I think more about it I kinda agree...not sure I like it as much as I thought I would...". All his original excitement was gone...he's bummed about his car now, plus the soon-to-be old lady wasn't feelin' it like he was....I felt terrible for him. He spent all this money, kept saying "I know I agreed to the purchase....", but he was truly unhappy now and felt like he was in a bit of a pickle. Greg...I kinda sold you on this so no worries man..we got ya !! I told him to give me a date when he could come back by and wait for about an hour. We set up an appointment, and I swapped the tires off the black steelies and onto new silver ones at no charge. I told him I'd swap his summer set back on in springtime at no charge, and wrote on the service ticket that he had to promise me he'd use that money towards taking his fiancé to dinner. As the years passed, I wound up servicing 3 cars for them including that 330...an e60 (traded the 330), and the new X3 he bought for her while expecting their first baby (as it went...she wouldn't let him buy any other brand of car because of the service they received from me..she wrote this to the owner of the dealership and to myself...). It turned out to be an awesome relationship through the years, and it all really started over snow tires....

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Say THAT three times fast

haha...should be part of a DUI test

[adm750]

Hahaha! That's what I meant when I said snow is a great equalizer. My straight 6 525iT may not be able to break traction on dry streets but is plenty exuberant in snow
I gotta try sliding into my parking spot every once in a while - sounds like great fun!! - - Updated - - -

A couple more shots of happy winter wagon:

hahaha...def slide into your spot...!!! It kinda became my signature move. I'm a car guy now working in a corporate environment...so am a bit like a foreigner to them...lol. Some of the stuff I do (like saying 'f!@#" in Staff meetings....donuts in the parking lot...and some of my unique commentaries...lol...) have become known as "well..that's just tony...." haha

Killer pictures btw !!

The wagon has been off the road for a while now...I have to get these brakes addressed (which I need to go do now...) as snow is coming tomorrow and if I don't get my sideways-out-of-the-parkinglot-and-into-the-street-in-front-of-someone fix, I'm gonna go stark raving mad !!!

be safe everyone !!!

[cheapE46]

This has turned into awesome thread!

I run 18 inch BBS in summer with 245/45 rubber. Plenty of grip for me feeble 525iT

[geargrinder]

OK I give up. My stupid FTP app on the phone suddenly stopped editing photos correctly and giving me some random cropping regardless of what I ask for. POS stupid Apple devices and software. Wasted WAY too much time dicking around w this already, this is best I can do for now without throwing the phone in the ocean and driving out to buy an Android device.

[jp5Touring]

pics of throwing phone in ocean

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GG,what wheel is that ? like it

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Don't feel bad, I just got back from the bank. as I was walking into the house, I notice steam coming out of the grills on the Snotwagon, coolant dripping on the driveway, from the vicinity of the drain plug, I don't have the engine cover underneath the car, I was hoping that's all it was, I pop the hood to get a look see, It's dry up the upper corner, It's not the expansion tank hose, so not the o rings on the drivers side, I look through the grill, it looks like it is leaking from the aluminum side, right next to the plastic section where the crimps are, 3 inches down from the top. Pretty good drip too. I stick my head back into the engine bay, the f'kin wind is gusting 10 degree arctic air a good 40mph, I hear a noise, the goddamn hoods coming down on me about to bite my f'kin head off!!! So now suddenly, the sh!tty struts are also useless in the cold. When it rains, it pours. If the hood had come down on me, that would have been it, BYE BYE E39, sick of all the weak points of these f'kin cars..... Until I calmed down and the love came back,..... and stupidity sets in again.
Stupid radiator doesn't even have 40,000 miles on it. <<< Behr Hella from friggin South Africa.

[geargrinder]

GG,what wheel is that ? like it

Mmmmm. Yeah.

The style is "172" which is an E60 wheel.

THOSE particular items are reps from ECS under their Alzor brand, which are notable for apparently being made of a proprietary lead & silly-putty alloy.
That is what helps them to achieve market-leading high weight AND the capability to instantly bend when you roll over a small acorn at a speed greater than 7.3mph.

That style I would not have picked as a first choice honestly but actually yes I do quite like them once they went on.
I also like the price I paid which were on closeout sale years ago for, something like under $200 for 4?
Which is only reason I have them.

Original plan was keep my OE 17" Style 32's for winter but they no fitted over BBK.
Some dude is rocking those on his vintage M6 Shark now actually as his winters. That was kinda fun place for them to go.

Re: the Alzors, I do NOT like lifting them, nor the nice 'vibe' they have on the highway from winter Mass roads at this point. I don't even bother keeping them that clean anymore, they got some rust stains on them somehow from summer storage last year (I think a rain water drip or something) and if it was any other of my wheels I'd have thrown a fit, but for these I was like "meh. whatever."

When its time for new winter rubber, reconsidering those things will be on the table. When I got them I almost had a set of brand new Alpina-style reps (and better reps at that) w E39 bore but the guys could only find THREE of the set lying around, never the 4th, that'll always be a regret.

[geargrinder]

I hear a noise, the goddamn hoods coming down on me about to bite my f'kin head off!!!

Yikes. Nasty. My hood wouldn't stay up yesterday cuz loaded down w/ leftover snowycrustyice crap, took me a minute to figure out "OHHH... right... clean it off more...". Didn't realize the struts were so 'just barely enough' to hold it up.

On an old Audi wagon, the rear hatch once slipped and slammed down while I was servicing the struts, and had I not moved my hand a moment earlier, would have severed probably 3-4 fingers off my hand. One of those 'still makes me queasy' to think about things. Hatch landed on the strut itself which had popped out to the side, sandwiching it in the gap, and it put a massive dent/ding in the D pillar which is a super reinforced 'beam' kind of thing, and all I could do was look at the now-perfectly-stamped-in-the-shape-of-a-strut-housing steel and think "fingers woulda just been smush...!"

[SCRSUVS]

Winter in Las Vegas January 5th 2018...

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