Driving tips for deep snow?

[Setright]

We'll we cheering for you Coyote!

[Takami826]

Unless the snow has been up to my bumper and super heavy, I've never had a problem. When it's deep but fluff, I can go without a 2nd thought. Just gotta watch for ice under the snow cuz of that whole stopping thing. My Legacy has been a winter dream so long as I have good tires.

 

When I had my Justy, the car EVERYONE made fun of me for buying, I never had any problems in deep snow -it was a stick, so that helped. (oh how I miss a manual subie!!) We got nailed once (Lake Effect Snow, fun stuff!!!) and my dad's Ford POS got stuck, my mom's GEO got stuck, and the stupid Ford POS they made me get (cuz they felt my Justy "roller skate" was a dangerous menace and wanted me to have a 'good' safe car...) just slid off into a drift. The Justy, which hadn't been run since the fall, fired right up and chewed thru that snow like it wasn't even there.

 

I still regret selling that little Justy, but I was young and still lived at home and *fades into flashback of battling fierce blizzards in the little roller skate*

[nipper]

lol, c'mon, you mean you don't enjoy getting stuck in traffic on the LIE or GCP?

 

 

hehe its the only time its enjoyable espeically the Southern State Parkway.. always fun to see the SUV's with all 4 tires pointing the wrong way

 

 

nipper

[zyewdall]

hehe its the only time its enjoyable espeically the Southern State Parkway.. always fun to see the SUV's with all 4 tires pointing the wrong way

 

 

nipper

 

Wrong way being backwards, or up in the air with the SUV on it's roof? So many people buy big 4wd's, but then keep balding summer tires on them. what are they thinking:rolleyes:

[Urabus-84HBDR]

I have went through a foot and a half of snow w/ my 88 wagon AT/4WD. Plowin over the hood. Always give yourself plenty of room to stop and increase your followaung distances, (rocks can crack your window, as well as rear end another car.) I siped all four tires rather than studs, works just as good just dont eat the road up. In E. Wa the roads are bad from them. If you know someone can pull you out I say go for it! Ive went through 3 foot drifts in my hatch, I packed my motor compartment, and wheel wells! I only got stuck twice, by myself snowboardong @ the local mtn and th cats had plowed the parking lot and their tracks froze; then driving over them broke the ice layer sinking my cars rear end , just popped her in 4-lo and backed right out! The other was in my driveway, its a loop the corner always gets hairy. Came home from work/school and it had dumped about 2 feet, I didnt quit make it the first time, but a couple runs and I was through! Subarus are great winter cars!

[Ranger83]

...A shovel in the back of the car is definitely a must during the winter months around here. ....

As for the tires, think I will be getting the Nokian RSI's.

UC

 

I'm surprised no one has referenced the front-wheel-off-ground problem yet.....

 

The best shovel for a car is a GI entrenching tool. Buy a real one used on eBay or at a surplus store. The civilian "camping" folders are a poor second. The USGI ones are spring steel and you can easily chop down a tree (or chop up ice) with the blade. You can use the shovel angled to scoop snow from underneath. Also handy in bar fights...

 

FWIW Consumer Reports rated the Michelin X-Ice tops in studless snows. We have RSI's on a Honda and they're great, but I'm going to try the Michelins on the Subaru as I've had great luck with that brand and they're $13 or so per tire less, installed at Costco than the Hakka RSI's.

 

BTW, Hakkapaliita means "Charge" in Finnish.

 

[zyewdall]

I'm surprised no one has referenced the front-wheel-off-ground problem yet.....

 

I usually go for the all four wheels off the ground problem myself. Done that several times last winter....

 

Great recommendation on the shovel, BTW.

[Juan]

Won't snow and ice packing around hot cylinder heads and engine block crack them? Happened to me in my OLD Firebird after ramming through piled snow in a parking lot; cracked the block. Just seems that the boxer heads are more exposed.

 

What do you think?

 

Juan

[destey]

If you're going to try and force your way through a big pile, select a low gear, and don't touch the clutch. If you are just crawling and disengage the clutch, you will get stuck. Keep moving!

 

This is right on. Snowmobiling taught me never to come to a stop while on level or uphill ground. If you have to stop, point downhill.

 

The main problem isn't so much traction, its bottoming out on the snow (which pushes up on the body causing traction loss).

 

These cars do amazing things though. I've gone up logging roads with ease that Chevy 2500's could hardly make. My suggestion is to find some class IV roads (means unplowed in our state) and go wild.

[zyewdall]

Won't snow and ice packing around hot cylinder heads and engine block crack them? Happened to me in my OLD Firebird after ramming through piled snow in a parking lot; cracked the block. Just seems that the boxer heads are more exposed.

 

What do you think?

 

Juan

 

I don't know. Certainly seems that way, although I've never experienced it. I'm working on modifying a friends '90 legacy to bash through snowdrifts better. Last winter it made it up her driveway most the time (until the big drift that the landcruiser was embedded in, at least), but tore the skid plate off, tore the outer CV joint boots off, and took the sidewall out of three tires on rocks hidden in the snow/ice. But no trouble killing the engine yet. It's getting a full coverage welded steel front skid plate this year, since it's fairly exposed once she tore the OEM plastic skid plate off. I can certainly see the entire engine comparment packing up with snow, and that couldn't be great for the thermal stress... Maybe because aluminum actually conducts heat faster, it would have less stress because it would cool off more evenly?