"The Malt Hound" <Malt_Hound@*no spam please*yahoo.com> wrote in message
...
>
> "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.

Interesting. I live above Vail Colorado. We see a lot of snow. We've been
seeing a lot of snow all our lives. We are somewhat used to a lot of snow.
Yet no one around here is able to plow down the road in their 3,500 lb car
in over the bumper snow with the ease you suggest New Englanders enjoy.

I don't buy it. In snow as deep as being spoken about here, cars tend to
ride up and lose all or some of the contact patch. It's just the way it
works when a car has limited clearance in deep snow.

Plus, I don't think Hakka's are the best snow tires for where I live anyway
(to keep context correct, the tires I have owned were the Hakkapelita Q).
They are pretty effective in fresh snow (braking, acceleration), crappy in
slush or heavily wetted snow and lateral traction in any snow is about as
bad as I have ever experienced which cause them to not track well. Superb
ice tire though. I got the sense the tire is designed for conditions where
the temps are uncommonly low all the time and every snow fall eventually
becomes hardpack and then ice. I can imagine these tires are spectacular in
that kind of condition.

For my money, for the area where I live, the Blizzak MZ-02 seems to suit the
conditions best. But only when the car in question can maintain the contact
patch.