I'm contemplating replacement of my much beloved 240 that I've owned for 10 years because it just can't make it up my driveway in the winter. It's equipped with Nokia Haks I put weight in the trunk - - it still just won't really make it up in snow. My wife's car is the obvious answer - V70 AWD, but I really prefer my 240 for the simplicity and sheer brickness.

My driveway 1500 feet long but only gets steep for the last 150'. I do keep it well plowed.

Does anyone have an outsidethebox answer.

Is there a way to lock the differential temporarily?

I'm even considering a winch.

My suggestion may not be as practical as the others, but it is cheaper. The old New England way of climbing steep hills in a rear-drive car is to go up in reverse.

Hi. I've been all over New England, in storms and whathaveyou, using four Haks on my 240's, and they keep getting better (NR-09's, then Hakka-1's, now Hakka-2's). But I've always used them with studs -- to me, getting Haks without studs is like a canoe without paddles. I can't believe they're not working for you, unless you made the mistake of not getting them studded. Is that the case?

I would keep looking for a locking diff. There are a few junk yards in southern VT and around the Boston area. Next time you get winter tires, buy narrow, for all 4 wheels. Get extra rims, they're cheap.
I still like the idea of a winch! That could be fun and much cheaper than an AWD Volvo.
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95 854T, 88 780, 88 245

It must be a pretty steep driveway then.

I had Vredstein's on my 144 automatic when I lived in Scotland and I never ever got stuck nor found a hill I couldn't climb. And in my younger days I went looking for them.

Are the Haks a narrow snow tire?

My driveway is really steep. I live on the side of a mountain in Vermont. Probably not steeper than what Scotland has to offer, but maybe more wintery weather. Nokia Hakkapallitta is a standard width but gnarly tire. Lots of beefy tread.

Since my original post, I have determined that later 240s came with a locking differential option. I might look around for a used one of these things. If I have the good luck of actually finding one new, it would be > $1000.

I drove a '68 144S up to Vermont from southern CT skiing for 18 yrs and even up those side roads off RT 100 in Rochester and Waitsfield or Stowe in blizzards. Never got stuck. It even did better than my buddies 4wd Plymouth Trail Blazer.
How did I do it?
A '72 144 rear diff/w lsd, two 90 lb bags of sand placed over the rear axle (not in trunk bed, up high, tied in place) and four always new Gislaved Frost 185/65-15's.:)
I should also mention the R-Sport shocks, progressive springs and sway bars, which helped with stability and predictable drift in snow. What a great car to do doughnuts in a cornfield with a foot of fresh powder!
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'89 245 Sportwagon, '96 960 sedan

you need to maybe visit a 4WD shop. The Volvo axle is a Dana design and there are locking differentials that will fit your current case.

But since the '90 uses the differential to drive the speedo, you need to find the kind of place that is willing/able to do a little custom work.

Or do what lots of folks around here do. Find an old, nasty, rusty 4WD truck and drive that when you HAVE to.

no experience with these pseudo-tire chains. they are kinda pricey, but others have spoken positively about these...

http://www.spikes-spiderusa.com/spider/Installation_x.html