[christine1]

I'm planning a trip to Tahoe this Christmas which may take me through some snowy roads, depending on the weather.

I did some research on snow chains, but it seems like this isn't really an option for the m235. Does anyone have experience with using them or should I just plan on renting an all wheel drive vehicle?

Thanks for the advice!

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by christine1

I'm planning a trip to Tahoe this Christmas which may take me through some snowy roads, depending on the weather.

I did some research on snow chains, but it seems like this isn't really an option for the m235. Does anyone have experience with using them or should I just plan on renting an all wheel drive vehicle?

Thanks for the advice!

Not sure of the fit, but here are some more possible items to research:

https://www.google.com/search?q=snow...hrome&ie=UTF-8

Please dismiss the notion that renting an AWD is the right solution. I don't know of rental companies that seasonally change the tires to winter tires. I would be glad to be wrong if anyone knows differently. AWD on their standard all-seasons will be extremely inadequate and compromise safety, especially for the need to stop/turn.

[msej449]

I have an M235i Convertible that I regularly take skiing to the Swiss Alps and I have the front-fitting (i.e. front of the tyre, not front wheels) Spikes Spider Easy chains. They take under a couple of minutes per wheel to mount.

They are more expensive than conventional chains, but their upside (apart from fast-fitting) is they fit a wider range of sizes. Odds are, they'll also fit the next car I get (unless it's substantially different).

Because they don't have any chain components on the inside of the tyre, they'll also fit wheels that are too wide to carry conventional chains (such as the UK stock 8Jx18 245/35-18 summers).

The winter wheels and tyre set comprises 225/45-17 94V XL Pirelli Winter Sottozero S3 (snow-biased, compared to the Winter Sottozero Serie-II which sacrifices some snow traction for better handling in non-snow, warmer conditions) on a separate set of 7.5Jx17 square wheels. ('square' as in the same size all 'round', unlike the summers, which are smaller at the front than the rear).

One thing I didn't realise that's worth knowing, is that these sort of chains need the links to be adjusted to your specific wheel diameter. They came adjusted for the narrowest wheel diameter. It took me about 20 minutes per chain to make the adjustments. This is something you really want to do before you leave for your trip, not up a mountain in the snow.

I've been to Heavenly Lake Tahoe twice, on the end of business trips to SFR, and hired a 4x4. Neither time were chains available because, as with many ex-factory SUVs, the wheels were too big to take them. So Sportstick's advice is very sound: you might as well take/hire a conventional car with proper winters and chain capability.

My advice if you take your car: At home, adjust the chains if necessary, and practice fitting. Try on a spare first (much easier to see how the chains are meant to fit when a car is not attached). Put them back in their container in a way so you can position them just right when you get them out. Separate each chain set with plastic so they don't turn into chain spaghetti. Pack a carpet square (to kneel on), gloves, head torch and have outdoor boots handy to change into.

Set the car to TRACTION when you hit snow and off TRACTION when you're back on tarmac*. Always keep an eye out for a good place to stop away from traffic to fit, and don't leave fitting too late, however near you are to your destination.

[*Press the car-with-wriggly-lines button by the shifter for a few seconds until TRACTION appears in front of you on the instrument panel. You can do this while the car is in motion. When you're back on tarmac, press it again so the TRACTION disappears. Turning off the ignition disables TRACTION mode, so you need to re-set it if your'e starting on snow.]

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by christine1

I'm planning a trip to Tahoe this Christmas which may take me through some snowy roads, depending on the weather.

I did some research on snow chains, but it seems like this isn't really an option for the m235. Does anyone have experience with using them or should I just plan on renting an all wheel drive vehicle?

Thanks for the advice!

A set of BMW chains for your car is $294 delivered from BMW of Monterey: https://parts.bmwmonterey.com/p/BMW_...110399077.html.

They're cheaper at $225 shipped from FCP Euro on the East Coast: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...sc-36110399077.

I think these products include a set of chains for two wheels, not four.

[christine1]

Originally Posted by msej449

I have an M235i Convertible that I regularly take skiing to the Swiss Alps and I have the front-fitting (i.e. front of the tyre, not front wheels) Spikes Spider Easy chains. They take under a couple of minutes per wheel to mount.

They are more expensive than conventional chains, but their upside (apart from fast-fitting) is they fit a wider range of sizes. Odds are, they'll also fit the next car I get (unless it's substantially different).

Because they don't have any chain components on the inside of the tyre, they'll also fit wheels that are too wide to carry conventional chains (such as the UK stock 8Jx18 245/35-18 summers).

The winter wheels and tyre set comprises 225/45-17 94V XL Pirelli Winter Sottozero S3 (snow-biased, compared to the Winter Sottozero Serie-II which sacrifices some snow traction for better handling in non-snow, warmer conditions) on 7.5Jx17 square.

One thing I didn't realise that's worth knowing, is that these sort of chains need the links to be adjusted to your specific wheel diameter. They came adjusted for the narrowest wheel diameter. It took me about 20 minutes per chain to make the adjustments. This is something you really want to do before you leave for your trip, not up a mountain in the snow.

I've been to Heavenly Lake Tahoe twice, on the end of business trips to SFR, and hired a 4x4. Neither time were chains available because, as with many ex-factory SUVs, the wheels were too big to take them. So Sportstick's advice is very sound: you might as well take/hire a conventional car with proper winters and chain capability.

My advice if you take your car: At home, adjust the chains if necessary, and practice fitting. Try on a spare first (much easier to see how the chains are meant to fit when a car is not attached). Put them back in their container in a way so you can position them just right when you get them out. Separate each chain set with plastic so they don't turn into chain spaghetti. Pack a carpet square (to kneel on), gloves, head torch and have outdoor boots handy to change into.

Set the car to TRACTION when you hit snow and off TRACTION when you're back on tarmac*. Always keep an eye out for a good place to stop away from traffic to fit, and don't leave fitting too late, however near you are to your destination.

[*Press the car-with-wriggly-lines button by the shifter for a few seconds until TRACTION appears in front of you on the instrument panel. You can do this while the car is in motion. When you're back on tarmac, press it again so the TRACTION disappears. Turning off the ignition disables TRACTION mode, so you need to re-set it if your'e starting on snow.]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

Not sure of the fit, but here are some more possible items to research:

https://www.google.com/search?q=snow...e&ie=UTF-8

Please dismiss the notion that renting an AWD is the right solution. I don't know of rental companies that seasonally change the tires to winter tires. I would be glad to be wrong if anyone knows differently. AWD on their standard all-seasons will be extremely inadequate and compromise safety, especially for the need to stop/turn.

Originally Posted by dradernh

A set of BMW chains for your car is $294 delivered from BMW of Monterey: https://parts.bmwmonterey.com/p/BMW_...110399077.html.

They're cheaper at $225 shipped from FCP Euro on the East Coast: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...sc-36110399077.

I think these products include a set of chains for two wheels, not four.

[IMG]https://u.cubeupload.com/EdWinter377...SnowChains.jpg[/IMG]

This is very helpful, thank you! I have "summer tires" on my car year round. Do you think winter tires are an absolute must, or could I get these chains and use them in the case a storm hits? I have no experience with driving in the snow so this is all very new to me.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by christine1

This is very helpful, thank you! I have "summer tires" on my car year round. Do you think winter tires are an absolute must, or could I get these chains and use them in the case a storm hits? I have no experience with driving in the snow so this is all very new to me.

The summer tires should not be used below 40F in any event with or without chains. To whatever degree they touch the ground, they freeze hockey puck hard losing most traction. Further, the rubber compound cracks and tire manufacturers will exclude this from warranty.

[cwilsong]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

Not sure of the fit, but here are some more possible items to research:

https://www.google.com/search?q=snow...hrome&ie=UTF-8

Please dismiss the notion that renting an AWD is the right solution. I don't know of rental companies that seasonally change the tires to winter tires. I would be glad to be wrong if anyone knows differently. AWD on their standard all-seasons will be extremely inadequate and compromise safety, especially for the need to stop/turn.

Respectfully disagree.

I ski in Montana and Canada several times most years ( but not this one). I have used both Avis and budget and have always been given the option of full winter tires.

In fact in Alberta if you do not pay the extra for the full winter tires you have to sign a waver if going into the mountains saying you are capable of install chains and accept full responsibility of any damage done to the car by improper chain usage, or failure to use them.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by cwilsong

Respectfully disagree.

I ski in Montana and Canada several times most years ( but not this one). I have used both Avis and budget and have always been given the option of full winter tires.

In fact in Alberta if you do not pay the extra for the full winter tires you have to sign a waver if going into the mountains saying you are capable of install chains and accept full responsibility of any damage done to the car by improper chain usage, or failure to use them.

That's great! Happy to be corrected about this. If the OP can find a rental company that will follow this practice, that is a reasonable first step. Thanks!

[msej449]

Doing a quick Internet search, South Lake Tahoe temperatures Dec and Jan see a high of 38ºF (3ºC) and a low of 24ºF (-7ºC) and snowfall average for the corresponding months of 61" and 73".

So, no, it's not really viable to go up there on summer tyres in Dec/Jan.

If you opt to hire, you want a vehicle with full winter tyres (not all-seasons) and the capacity to take chains as well (remember that 61" of snow). I wouldn't let a rep in a balmy SFR rental office persuade me that a 4x4 with all-seasons and no chains is going to be up to the task. And as I said, some will try and say that a 4x4 with winter tyres will never need chains, but I wouldn't agree with that. So, perhaps get some quotes. You want winter tyres and chain capability - if it's a 4x4 as well, fine. But only if the first two criteria are met.

If you are considering using your own car, then a lot depends on how you amortise the cost of winterization. If you plan to go up to the mountains, say, once every winter, and plan to keep your car 4 years, for example, then you might find the DIY option competitive/preferable. But of course, if you simply don't have the space to store the unused set of wheels+tyres or just tyres, or this is just a one-off trip, then that may make the decision for you.

What is the specification of your current summer wheels and tyres? This will help clarify some of the options you have. It'd be useful to know not just what's on the side of your tyre (my fronts are 225/40 R18 92Y and my rears are 245/35 R18 92Y) but also the size of the wheels (my fronts are 7.5Jx18 - 7½" wide and 18" diameter - and the rears are 8Jx18). Also, if you decide to get some quotes from BMW and/or independents, they may ask you for this information.

San Francisco average Dec-Jan minimum is quoted at a relatively mild 9ºC/48ºF so it's probably worth asking locally what sort of winter tyres people go for where you live (with the caveat that you're going into the mountains, not just driving 'round the Bay Area). And I'm sure forum members here will make suggestions too. You'd want a winter that will be good up in Tahoe but still OK in the Bay Area, for at least the months around mid-winter e.g. you'd put them on in November and swap back to summers in March, or something similar.

Where I live on the South coast of England, I have a similar requirement: typical Jan minimum is a bit lower at around 5ºC/41ºF but it tends to be quite wet and being on the coast, heavy rain. So ideally, my winters should also be more resistant to hydroplaning (which is a particular feature of many, 'though not all, winter brands). I'm not sure if the Bay Area is similar? I also need my winters to be fine in the Alps for the one or two ski trips I make in my M235i. If it was just driving in Southern England, I'd still have winters, but they'd be more wet/warm-biased.

A starting-point may be to contact your BMW dealer and ask for their recommendation for winter tyres and chains. That'll give you a baseline for comparison and a setup that you know is officially certified for your specific car. Then you can use that as the basis for comparing the offerings from other BMW outlets and independents. If you do this online or over the 'phone, they may ask for your unique VIN (vehicle ID no) which is usually a 7-character ref on your original vehicle registration document or similar.

[aerobod]

Originally Posted by cwilsong

Respectfully disagree.

I ski in Montana and Canada several times most years ( but not this one). I have used both Avis and budget and have always been given the option of full winter tires.

In fact in Alberta if you do not pay the extra for the full winter tires you have to sign a waver if going into the mountains saying you are capable of install chains and accept full responsibility of any damage done to the car by improper chain usage, or failure to use them.

Adding to that, many rental cars in British Columbia will have all-weather tyres fitted to comply with the minimum winter mountain pass requirements. The rental companies may leave these tyres on year round, leading to poor braking performance on hot summer days (as I found when I rented with National in the interior of BC).

In Quebec it is mandatory to have winter tyres on from 1 Dec to 15 Mar on all cars and light trucks including rental vehicles. They must have the "3-peak mountain snowflake" symbol on them which all winter tyres and some all-weather tyres have, but not all-season tyres.

[H2O_Doc]

Something like these would be great for a two series. I'm guessing cornering might suffer just a wee-bit however.

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by msej449

I wouldn't let a rep in a balmy SFR rental office persuade me that a 4x4 with all-seasons and no chains is going to be up to the task.

In that circumstance: https://dot.ca.gov/travel/winter-dri...chain-controls.

In the Sierra, you either figure out ahead of time that carrying chains is wise, or the CHP will direct you to turn around at the point where they become a requirement.

If you do have a set and the CHP has directed that they must be mounted, the chain monkeys are there to mount them for you. There is no need to exit your vehicle.