View Single Post
  #3  
Old March 3rd 05, 06:11 PM
Michael Low
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


The Malt Hound wrote:
> "Big Bill" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Well, I learned how to drive in the snow in Pa.
> > I learned that when you simply plow into the snow, and it gets
> > packed
> > under the car, it lifts you up, and the tires lose traction.
> > I haven't noticed any changes in show that would have changed this,
> > and, seeing the OP's pics, I am confident in saying that.
> > I wonder where you drive that this is not so.

>
>
> I learned to (and currently) drive in the snow in northern New
> England. What you say is definitely true should you drive into a

bank
> or pileup created by a snowplow. But if it is just unpacked deep
> snow, you can definitely go through snow as high or higher than the
> bumper.
>
> YM(and snow)MV,
> -Fred W



Fred, you are a knowledgeable guy but you are wrong on this one.

You are guaranteed to get stuck if you insist on plowing through snow
that does not clear the underside of your car. It's one thing to go
over a short bump on the road but you cannot plow through a distance on
this stuff, regardless of what kind of wheels you are driving. Wheels
have to touch "ground" with sufficient weight to provide traction.

The reason is simple - if the underside of your car touches the snow,
your car will become a very inefficient snowplow and the snow will
bunch up against the underbody of your car and pack itself. The
momentum of your car will eventually leave your wheels "hanging" from
the "ground". As the weight of the car diminish from the packed snow,
the amount of traction you get from whatevr tire or drivetrain will
vanish.

You will get stuck as you try to move through this kind of condition.
Clearance is the issue if your tires can provide traction on the
surface. Snow must not touch the underside of your car. Of course, if
your tires are wrong then clearance doesn't matter. You're not even
moving.

Ads