Winter driving e36 M3?

[pizzaman09]

Who all drives their e36 M3 in the winter? Mine is an all year daily and summer autocross car. I've been quite impressed that with a set of good winter tires, it gets me around very well in lake effect snow country.

[Carpy2]

I use mine through Washington, and now, Colorado winter. Threw some 225/45 Blizzaks on my Style 5's. Works like a charm.

She loves the track and the snow. Just have to be careful being so low that I don't break my front lip on a huge piece of ice :P

[notMpowered]

I drive mine all year, but it doesn't get dedicated winter tires on it anymore. We only get below freezing a few times a year and the wagon does snowboard duty now for mountain trips.
It looks so damn good in the snow though. Hopefully we get some in the city this year and I'll at least go get some pics.
IMG_3199 by Chris West, on Flickr

[GG///M3]

Dang dude


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[pbonsalb]

I have always had snows on my 99M3 in winter. I use 4 contours 7.5” with 225/45. Narrower is better for snow. NH can get a few feet or 10’ with temps as low as -20F.

[cmoody]

LSD+good snows+ASC off is a recipe for a good time.

[Laminar]

I just got a set of 215/50 Blizzaks this year but we haven't had a good snow to test them out yet.

[pizzaman09]

LSD+good snows+ASC off is a recipe for a good time.

I absolutely agree with this statement.

I've not been impressed with blazzaks on my other cars, I had a set on my e39 M5 and they just didn't keep their snow performance very long. I've since switched to Good Year Ultra Grip ice tires and have been very impressed.

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one running these in the snow.

[cmoody]

I've not been impressed with blazzaks on my other cars, I had a set on my e39 M5 and they just didn't keep their snow performance very long. I've since switched to Good Year Ultra Grip ice tires and have been very impressed.

I ran the General Altimax Arctic 12s (225/45-17 on the 7.5 Contours) when I lived in CO and WY; excellent performance and great value. Weren't half bad in warmer/dry conditions in Sept and Apr too.

[pbonsalb]

I removed traction control 15 years ago. I have a race logic that I hope to install in the next year.

[Laminar]

I've not been impressed with blazzaks on my other cars, I had a set on my e39 M5 and they just didn't keep their snow performance very long. I've since switched to Good Year Ultra Grip ice tires and have been very impressed.

Their grip when new is unquestionably top tier, but it wears off after just a couple of seasons, around 15,000 miles. I took a set of WS80s to 30,000 and that was too long. The grippy sipes were all gone and it was scary on ice, almost as bad as all-seasons.

If I was looking for a tire that performed really well on dry pavement while still being an actual snow tire, I'd probably take a hard look at the Nokian Hakkapbbbbtttfqqwerpoiuelitta R3. General Altimax Artics are a great budget choice that wear well. Plenty of rallycrossers like them because they're cheap, don't disintegrate immediately, and have good grip.

[pizzaman09]

Their grip when new is unquestionably top tier, but it wears off after just a couple of seasons, around 15,000 miles. I took a set of WS80s to 30,000 and that was too long. The grippy sipes were all gone and it was scary on ice, almost as bad as all-seasons.

If I was looking for a tire that performed really well on dry pavement while still being an actual snow tire, I'd probably take a hard look at the Nokian Hakkapbbbbtttfqqwerpoiuelitta R3. General Altimax Artics are a great budget choice that wear well. Plenty of rallycrossers like them because they're cheap, don't disintegrate immediately, and have good grip.

Absolutely, I ran Blizzak WS70s on my M5 and my Oldsmobile, the bite they have when brand new is definitely industry leading.
My parents had the same set of Good Year Ultra Grip Ice tires on their e38 for 16 consecutive winters and still honestly performed well when we just decided to get rid of them. Hence why I went with them on my cars and am not at all dissapointed.

I have definitely found, as was the case with the M5, the e36 traction control system is frustrating. The first thing I do every time there is snow on the road is turn it off. The benefit is e36s are drift missels, a beautifully ballanced car for sliding.

[Carpy2]

I agree, TC has to go in the snow. I've since removed the TC body so don't have to worry about that, but I remember when it was on, it was super impeding.

With my 225/45 blizzaks, I've also noticed faster wear, but I attribute it to the fact that with these tires on it's so dang fun to keep the right foot down :P

[RickyN F355]

what is LSD?
hakkas on an e36 are divine - literally one of the most stable cars in the snow even compared to my SUVS with snows...the weight distribution of an e36 is perfect...

[NeilM]

Back when my M3 was a daily driver we used to take it up to Michigan every winter to go skiing. (I still have a set of awesome magnetic ski racks up in the garage attic.) Of course a decent set of snow tires was absolutely essential, but as others have said, with those the M3 is terrific in the snow. A good handling car is a good handling car, no matter the conditions.

[notMpowered]

what is LSD?
hakkas on an e36 are divine - literally one of the most stable cars in the snow even compared to my SUVS with snows...the weight distribution of an e36 is perfect...

Limited slip differential.

[Gene V]

I run my M all year round on Yokohama ADVAN A052s with no problem at all...

[pizzaman09]

I agree, TC has to go in the snow. I've since removed the TC body so don't have to worry about that, but I remember when it was on, it was super impeding.

With my 225/45 blizzaks, I've also noticed faster wear, but I attribute it to the fact that with these tires on it's so dang fun to keep the right foot down :P

I removed my TC body as well but kept it plugged in as occasionally if driving on an icy highway, it is nice to have the brake function of the traction control working.
I replaced it with a Z3 intake boot, was an easy swap.

Yes, keeping your right foot down in the winter in an e36 is brilliant. Every week when I go skiing I spin my tires most of the last 3 miles to the ski resort.

[RickyN F355]

I removed my TC body as well but kept it plugged in as occasionally if driving on an icy highway, it is nice to have the brake function of the traction control working.
I replaced it with a Z3 intake boot, was an easy swap.

Yes, keeping your right foot down in the winter in an e36 is brilliant. Every week when I go skiing I spin my tires most of the last 3 miles to the ski resort.

Why take the TC off? For weight savings?

[pizzaman09]

Why take the TC off? For weight savings?

I only removed the traction control butter fly from the intake track. I actually have it zip tied securely under the hood so it was not for the weight savings. I wanted to keep it plugged in so that the brake portion of the TC still worked.
The main reason to remove it was to remove the TC butter fly from the intake runner, it is a terrible flow restriction and interrupter of air flow. I replaced it with an intake boot that connects the MAF directly to the regular throttle body. This boot is from a Z3 or a non traction control equipped e36.

The performance increase is likely not much but in my opinion the throttle was more responsive after this modification.

[pbonsalb]

Because it is a restriction in the intake tract. Plus I don’t need it.

I like good modern traction control. I left the TC alone on my 08 M3 because it is really good. All I did was recode the TC software to the Euro spec for more slip. I rarely turn it off.

[blckstrm]

My car is my DD, but it doesn't snow where I live now. But I got it in Utah and installed Blizzak WS60s a few weeks after my wife got it for my birthday in November (man, that was 10 years ago!). I had lived in Idaho and Utah my whole life with pickups and Suburbans, and this thing was far better in the snow with the snow tires than any 4x4 I've ever driven.

[Laminar]

I only removed the traction control butter fly from the intake track. I actually have it zip tied securely under the hood so it was not for the weight savings. I wanted to keep it plugged in so that the brake portion of the TC still worked.
The main reason to remove it was to remove the TC butter fly from the intake runner, it is a terrible flow restriction and interrupter of air flow. I replaced it with an intake boot that connects the MAF directly to the regular throttle body. This boot is from a Z3 or a non traction control equipped e36.

The performance increase is likely not much but in my opinion the throttle was more responsive after this modification.

You can pull the TC motor and replace it with a resistor to maintain ABS:

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post29102051

[Dan of Montana]

Mine gets driven year 'round. Ground clearance is obviously an issue, but the LSD + snow tires + manual + reasonably light weight is such a great combo.

My wife actually prefers the M3 over the wagon (both in winter mode below) in snow. She even once said "the AWD is so much better on the M3." She was so impressed with how place-able the M3 was in the snow that she thought it certainly had to have AWD.

[pizzaman09]

Mine gets driven year 'round. Ground clearance is obviously an issue, but the LSD + snow tires + manual + reasonably light weight is such a great combo.

My wife actually prefers the M3 over the wagon (both in winter mode below) in snow. She even once said "the AWD is so much better on the M3." She was so impressed with how place-able the M3 was in the snow that she thought it certainly had to have AWD.

Impressive!