how much weight should i put in my trunk today?
 

this last winter was a hell for my stang, every day it snowed i got stuck....i have good all season tires and im a good driver, but my back wheels dont even get traction, they spin on even like 1 inch of snow...

so i put abotu 100 lbs in my trunk with my dumbells and toolboxes....should that be enough for today(snowing 4inches today)?

dont have sand bags so trynna think of what else i can put in my trunk

Guess Im lucky that mine does fine in snow. We hardly ever have any but when we have it's been great. Takes a lot of trying to make it slip.

If you are driving on packed snow you should be ok. In the past when I tried driving on 4 or more inches of fresh unpacked snow I start having problems no matter how much weight is in the back.

Put at least 200lbs in the trunk, fill the gas tank up as well. I hate sand because it always makes a mess. Cat litter in the buckets makes for an easy in and out. All season tires are not as good as snows. Living in MN I see no reason not to get some snow tires. Pick up a pair of steel wheels and mount the snows on them.

Do exactly what jimkaray said. I'm always plowing snow with the front bumper. I haven't gotten stuck yet.

150-200 lbs will be enough. I drove my 2000 all Winter when I lived in MN.

200lbs you say? hmmm I could hire myself out for trunk duty during the day for extra cash in the winter couldn't I? :)

can i just buy snow tires and use them all year? i don't race so don't care too much about being fast....unless snow tires drastically kill MPG

You can but they have large tread groves and a softer compound. This means louder road noise and shorter tread life in warm weather. As far as MPG, I haven't noticed a significant difference.

Weight in the trunk is just a small band-aid to correct the real problem. With decent tires, you should have no trouble getting around in the snow. Mustangs are pretty well balanced to start with; it's not like you are driving a RWD pickup or anything.

If you run into snow regularly, get good snow tires (all-seasons are mediocre in snow at best) on a second set of wheels for winter use.

If you still have problems, well... you probably aren't as good of a driver as you think you are. Practice in a safe place (parking lots without curbs, etc) until you really get a feel for how your car behaves in the snow. With an auto, starting in 2nd gear helps.

A shovel and a bag of kitty litter are a good idea, not so much for their weight but to get you out of a jam. Kitty litter (or sand) is a good traction aid if you get stuck on ice or have spun the tires enough to really compact the snow.

Mike
(former Alaskan)