"JGrabowMSt" (jgrabowmst)
01/27/2015 at 18:43 • Filed to: HEMIWagon, Winter, Tires, SnowTires
2
9|
"JGrabowMSt" (jgrabowmst)
01/27/2015 at 18:43 • Filed to: HEMIWagon, Winter, Tires, SnowTires | 2
| 9 |
Before picking up the HEMIWagon from her successful heart transplant, I made sure I had winter tires mounted because they're cheaper than an accident. 350+HP, RWD, 4400lbs? Not particularly "at home" in winter weather driving conditions. I had it bad enough when I was running Cooper all-seasons on the Neon, because the first couple winters were fine, and for some reason, the little snow driving I did before it got wrecked was just problem after problem. I'm amazed I got it as far as I did on the tires. I wasn't messing around with the Magnum. Not only does the Magnum now have a new 5.7L in it that certainly wasn't free, as well as having to do DD duties for a new job with an hour commute each way, I needed to make sure it was up for the task.
As sad as it sounds, in my area, this is how most Magnums look in the Winter. I only know of a handful of them in my area, but worse yet, only see one other local Magnum ever out playing in the snow. They get rolled out of the garage, started, and rolled right back in, completely spotless. That's just not something I can do. Partly because I DD my magnum, but also because it's no worse in snow than another other car, it just needs to be properly equipped.
The greater NYC got it's thunder taken away in the form of a really pathetic "blizzard" which on the flip side resulted in giving us a pretty quiet and peaceful day off, but certainly not two. Word on the street is that the Boston area is not quite done yet either, but has an impressive 2 or so feet of snow. For reference, 2 feet of snow would be completely covering the wheels on a stock Magnum. I'm not complaining about not getting two feet for a second. I would certainly be very immobile if that were the case.
Back to the point however, I was able to drive home, but also take a bit of a fun route home so I could get a taste of the tires. Now, I had to hedge my bets and go pretty far out of my way because I didn't want to risk getting stuck, so I drove probably an extra 10 or so miles to make sure I could make a safe left turn off the highway, as opposed to waiting for a light halfway up a hill, or having the potential of having to navigate around people who were trying to unstuck themselves. I certainly didn't even come close to testing these tires it seems.
I went through mostly slush, with a couple of completely snow covered roads, but there was an odd sensation that was very different to me. Zero wheel spin. It took me about 2 hours to get home because I kept off the highway and everyone was moving pretty slow, which meant about 35mph in most areas, but I was able to get up to about 50mph in one area without the slightest hint of traction loss or the car getting squirrelly. Now, if I tried going faster, I think I would have lost it, but though a combination of smooth and slow acceleration combined with early light braking made it possible. Had I driven like a maniac, I'm sure I would have gotten stuck somewhere along the way, but after that drive home yesterday, I'm 100% sold on winter tires .
This isn't even a question for me anymore, it's a necessity. The car handled so well, I completely take back my original statement of wanting to test out the Firehawks this winter. Simply put, I'm going to need two sets of steelies so that I don't have to pay for the mount/balance twice a year. The safety aspect of running winter tires is worth it alone for any car you want for a long time. Now, does it apply to every single car? No. I have a coworker that has mud tires on his Wrangler, and since his commute is so short it isn't an issue in the slightest. I wouldn't trust that method in super cold conditions, or for really long commutes, but if it works, he can deal with it. For the HEMIWagon? I was probably in better shape than most other cars. No loss of traction whatsoever, with so many "more capable" vehicles displaying lots of problems along the way. There is no more "managing." The dashcam footage contains every ounce of proof.
I'll have to snap a few pics of the HEMIWagon this coming weekend when I have more time (to show the Yokohamas mounted), and to just get a picture of it back on the road. I'm running out of images for my Instagram and Flickr anyway and need to make more content for it. Also need to clean out the back of the car...
deekster_caddy
> JGrabowMSt
01/27/2015 at 18:46 |
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Another convert! Preach on!!! Winter tires are worth every penny.
Steve in Manhattan
> JGrabowMSt
01/27/2015 at 18:56 |
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We did get shorted on the 'blizzard' but no matter. Photo of your Magnum with the new shoes, if available?
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JGrabowMSt
> Steve in Manhattan
01/27/2015 at 19:05 |
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Will happen this weekend. The only picture I have with the Magnum and the tires in the same shot was when the tires were being mounted, so the car is like 6' in the air, and the wheels are on the shop floor (was getting a sensor sorted out at the same time). The funny thing about the tires is that if you never noticed the edge of the tread (and how chunky it is), the tires do look fairly close to the Firehawks. Soon I'll need a whole shed just for the wheels (I plan on getting a set of wheels and tires just for autocrossing, probably a larger wheel and lower profile tire to help it a little).
This weekend I'll try and get a few shots of it playing around. I need to pick up 8qts of oil and a few other things, so I'll try and at least get the salt and slush off first, if it's not nice enough out for a quick detail. Need to organize the trunk again, that's the worst part. I emptied it when it went into the shop, and then I had to empty the Neon when it got wrecked, so I just recently threw everything back into it, and have to get everything back where it belongs (toolboxes, jack stands, extra fluids, remove the junk, etc).
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Steve in Manhattan
> JGrabowMSt
01/27/2015 at 19:20 |
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Hey ... photos iz photos. No judgment here.
Textured Soy Protein
> JGrabowMSt
01/27/2015 at 19:55 |
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My hemi snow beast has an ice beard.
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JGrabowMSt
> Textured Soy Protein
01/27/2015 at 20:02 |
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Which trans do you have in that, the 4 or 5 speed?
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Textured Soy Protein
> JGrabowMSt
01/27/2015 at 20:23 |
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WKs all have 5-speed transmissions .
Well, the Limited & Overland have a sorta-6-speed in that it has 2 different 2nd gears. One gets used while upshifting from 1st, another gets used downshifting from 3rd. Go figure.
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JGrabowMSt
> Textured Soy Protein
01/27/2015 at 20:28 |
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Ah, learn something new every day. The LX platform got the 722.6 (NAG1) or a complete POS 4 speed Dodge trans. I'm glad I got the NAG1.
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JGrabowMSt
> Steve in Manhattan
02/01/2015 at 23:13 |
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http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/hemiwagon-phot…