How much weight should i be able to safely add to the hump over the rear axel without damageing anything? right now i have 2 50lb bags there. or would it be wiser to put them in the back seat and tie them down?

 

You shouldnt' need any weight if you have good snow tires. I've stood on that area above the gas tank many times and I weigh about 165 so I think you could add a couple more there.

 

IMO any rear wheel drive vehicle should wait out the treacherous roads and weather if you can help it. If your 3rd gen is your only mode of transportation then take it really slow and hope for the best. Buy a little $500 geo and tear it up in the snow and save the 3rd gen for fun in the Spring, Summer and Fall.

 

For your original question, your best bet would be to put them all(sand bags) the way back in the hatch where it sounds like u have them now. Front of the car has most of the weight on it so u would want to put it over or just behind the rear wheels.

Anyone whining about thirdgens in the snow have one of two problems.

They are dumb and cant drive, or they have bald or non all season tires on the car.

Any thirdgen with a good set of all season or even snow tires with a full tank of gas shouldnt have any major issues in light to moderate snowfalls. I'm not talking about like 10 inches of snow here :-) lol I also did keep my toolbox in the back that was about 50#'s when bad weather was expected and kept the tank more full than usual.

I live in IN near Chicago and drove my Formula for 4 years in the snow. Not one spin out, accident or any other damage. Worst part was getting stuck in the cul de sac here cause they always plow it last and everyone drives over it making ruts lol

I do heartily recommend getting a beater just to keep your car intact longer. I know some people cant afford this luxury, but it is the best bet. Everytime a plow truck pelts the Splaturn with salt I laugh.

later
Jeremy

 

I run about 200 lbs of weight plus I never let the gas tank below 1/2 tank (gallon gas = 8 lbs) on my '84 Trans Am. I also run Blizzak snow tires.

I can plow through the snow like its not even there. While all the SUV drivers are spinning out and flipping over in the ditch, my old Trans Am just keeps on going. I can actually hit the throttle 1/2 - 3/4 way and the car just takes off without hardly any wheel spin.

 

Driving in snow and ice with a thirdgen is very easy, if you take it easy and remember your physics of motion. Back in winter of 82 and 83 I use to drive my 82 Firebird across the Blue Ridge mountains on RT33 to and back from Charlottesville where I was working.

Here are a few things that I learned from experiance driving a thirdgen in Ice and Snow.
1) Going to slow is just as bad as going to fast.
2) Letting off of the gas on icy roads is just the same as applying the brakes.
3) Slow down before you get to the curve and drive smoothly though the curve using a constant speed.
4) Pump the brakes
5) Allow 4x the following distance. For example at 20 MPH normal following distance is 2 car lengths. In ice and snow it should be 8 car lengths.
6) And finally, if you rush, you loose your thirdgen and possibly you life.

 

Thats what I do. As stated above. If you NEED to add weight then you should not be driving....period. I have drivin my 91 Z28 through easily over 6" of snow as it is still falling. Worst possible conditions..... I drive it just as I drove my moms Carolla. If you know how to drive and have even a slightest sence of how ICE works, then you should have no problem.

Do everyhting 1/2 as fast and twice as slow.....thats it, end of story, no weight, no snow tires, no full tank. Just a normal well kept camaro/bird is just as good as anything else.

Case in point, I was on my way to school in my moms carolla and I had to go up a steep hill and the car kept going slower and slower till my tires just spun and i started to go backwards, still giving it gas...... I let it roll backwards all the way home. Fired up the Z28 and my damn GFX plowed the snow out of the way up the hill without hesitaion. Got to school on time without a bump.

I too have never spun out, bumped into anything, or hit a thing. I honestly for the life of me don't understand why people need to add this weight. If u feel unsafe, get snow tires....then learn to drive. end of story.

just my 2 cents...

 

i got a set of NEW tires the other day and the VERY next day (yesterday) it snowed easily 7-8inches.

i couldnt make ito ut of my parking spot onto the compacted already driven on stuff, eventually after going back and forth a bunch i got out and then drove to work.

remember, once going, slow or w/e, STAY going, its harder to get going than stay going.

 

I'm from Eastern Canada, and I've never bothered to add weight to either thirdgen I've driven in the snow; an 84 Z28, and an 83 SC both with a 275-ish HP 305/5-speed.
Some good snow tires, and more importantly, common sense behind the wheel is all that is needed.
Heck the last winter I drove the SC I didn't even bother putting the winter wheels and tires on it as I had nearly new Uniroyal Tiger Paws on it which really impressed me with their grip.
It's fun being able to kick it in fourth gear at 50 mph and 'drift' sideways down the road

 

this is my second year with the car in the snow and last year i did have bald tires on my car and did just fine i just was adding some weight this year cause i got wider tires and i hate spinning the tires on snow and inching across intersections super slow. oh and i have money this year just not enough for a new car. side note no accidents or any close calls either.

 

some great advices here
but here's mine

on her 90 V6 it was great in the snow, especially with new P400 tires
even better when we put two cylinder heads in the rear hatch, those good ole 6x pontiac heads were good for soemtthing after all
how ever that was a V6

her formula 350 we dont even bother taking out, due to the heavier front end weight, and steep rear gears and more bottom end torque
load all the sand bags, cylinder blocks, heads, etc...
it's still gonna spin to much power, even with the wider BFG's on it (which are new)

so she's taken over my jeep

i'd prefer to see these cars preserved for the nicer weather.
but if ya gotta drive it, ya gotta drive it
put what ever weight you can in the rear then, and keep the tank as filled as possible
hopefully you're not running 3:73's or steep

 

Thinking you need to add weight doesn't mean you shouldn't be on the road 6 inches is the worst possible conditions?
Adding weight will help...as will good tires, and some common sense. Stay away from other cars. They may not know how to drive in bad conditions. If you think the uneven front/back weight is a problem, try a 2wd pickup---weight is the rear is even a bigger help. Around here the snow drifts are the bigger problem. A drift as tall as the my Tahoe last week...weight isn't going to help. Chains on the Cub Cadet with the blade were needed, but chains are a different topic

So, yes weight can help...but it isn't required to drive through snow.

 

here it entirely depends on how the snow is, but i havent figured out exactly which snow is better then which other
slushy stuff peice of cake my tires can still find the road, sometimes if it packs i can get traction but most of the time, its pointless.. i live in the mountains, ive been driving rwd since i got my license.. but the firebird is the worst thing ive ever had to drive in the snow

ive added ~200 of weight before with no help what so ever, i think it actually made it worse.. and put it above the axle, not all the way in the back..

its not even an issue of not being able to control, it simply wont move.. and the tires are all season and they arent bald, i think its simply my stiff suspension... it doesnt get dry traction its certainly not getting traction in snow

 

i wish i coudl afford to get a winter car....

 

EDE is a piece of sh*t
Ban me asswipe if you don't like my helpful post.
You are only antogonising me to cause trouble

I plan to have alot of fun around here durring the holidays

Merry fu*ken X-mas

 

i dont know whats up with that? But yes it is a bad idea to put any weight in the very rear in the trunk well of a V6 camaro. With only 2 60lbs bags back there you could visibly see it was lifting the nose which is a bad thing on snow and ice. From what i can find on my car is that the 2.8l v6 came with like 3.72s or some thing real steep cause of the lack of power but i could be and probably am wrong again on that one

 

to answer your question, back in the days when I had to drive one of these in the snow I found 100 lbs minimum to 150 lbs.With 150 back there and good all season tires you should be in pretty good shape.Just remember with more weight it's gonna make stopping alot tougher and take ALOT longer.Be aware of it at all times.

 

I just got Dunlop Graspic Ds-2 snow tires. Cheap, but great for a college kid budget with a daily driver camaro. I live in philly, where rain and slush is more a problem than snow. I have about 500 miles on them. Ice is good. Snow is fine. Rain is great. I'm not sure how people can say driving with bald tires is ok. Its totally possible, but my bald radial ta's in the front (new peerless something in rear) were HORRIBLE. My front would lock up under slight braking in the rain. The snow tires make a huge difference, and well worth the $400 for tires and install.

 

I completely agree. I've driven my Firebird for 11 years in NJ snow- never an accident or a spinout. I've even driven on bald tires in the snow without trouble. (Of course I'd get stuck, then I'd buy new tires- but never an accident/close call/spinout)

If you know how to drive, you're OK. If you try to do 40 around a snowy turn and goose the throttle mid-way through, then say hello to the guardrail!

 

Good advice going on here.Common sense and a well maintained car are the best things you can use in winter driving,or in heavy rain(although in rain it's worse just as it starts and just as it stops because of road film just standing).If you have the option of leaving your Fbody at home is the only way she won't get any bumps.Usually these happen when you're being careful and the egghead in the SUV drives to occupy the same place you are.

 

I've driven a few different thirdgen in the snow, depends on a few different things, stick or auto I prefer auto for snow, the V6 vs the 2 350 TPI cars was big also.. both the IROCs were miserable since they would break the tires loose easier, but they biggest thing is tires.
At this point I stick with my 4x4 since it makes the most sense
Also, I prefer RWD to FWD for snow. FWD gets the advantage in straight line from a stop, but cornering ... give me RWD anytime.

 

Agreed...I liked my 3rd gen better than any other car Ive driven in the snow. I drove it for 2 winters when I was 16 and 17 and I did fine with normal Bridgeston Potenza's (bald the second winter), you just gotta know how to control it. Im actually thinking of getting another 3rd gen to drive in the winter because the one I have now will not see snow, salt, and if possible rain, ever again.