We have had a bit of snow around here lately (15" officially Wednesday night) and I have been playing in the snow quite a bit (FYI, at 15", I do recommend putting it into 4wd. It helps starting from a stop ).

Coming home from work last night I was going about 70 down the newly plowed expressway and started to feel a light shake.

spryde: "Hmm, that's odd. Maybe a tire threw a balancing weight."

spryde's Jeep: "WRONG! *SHAKESHAKESHAKEWOBBLESHAKESHAKESHAKEWOBBLEWOBBLES HAKEWOBBLE*"

spryde:

After pulling over on the side of the road into a snow bank, I looked under the vehicle expecting to see a sheared and twisted metal. Nothing. Everything was still attached and where it was supposed to be. Just encased in Ice. Everything. There were blocks of ice in and around the springs, around the shocks, over the sway bars, in the wheel wells (1/2" gap between wheels and body), packed around the driveline, and pretty much anywhere snow can get packed.

After 20 minutes of gentle chipping with a screwdriver, the ice was off the critical components. The Jeep drove normally from that point on.

So this country boy from Deep East Texas got a lesson in what snow can do if left to sit for a few hours in places the sun doesn't shine.

Just a public service announcement from your Mid-Michigan Jeeper.

SP

 

Had the same issue myself yesterday Spryde... only with my truck. All of the snow and ice packed in the wheels and suspension got me a pretty severe wobble for a short period going down Freeland road.

Quite a storm eh? I spent most of Wed night pulling people out on Tittabawassee. It was ugly.

 

probably had enough snow and ice packed into the wheels to throw off their balance.

 

This happened to me several years ago in a rental car. I found a level rail road crossing on a steep down hill and "jumped" the car off the crossing. It knocked all the snow and ice of the underside (I CANNOT believe people buy used rental cars, I might have driven it!)

 

That happened to my wife's car a few days ago after a big storm. I just took it to the car wash and sprayed the snow out of the wheels. Problem solved.
Not always an easy one to figure out though. I've seen more than one person perplexed about this for many days on end. Nice work in coming up with the solution.

 

That's what I'm thinking as well.

 

Every time we go snow wheeling we get the same thing, snow and ice packed in the wheels and even hepling the brakes not work all that well till it gets loosened up a bit. I go and pull out the snow and ice with my hand in every wheel hole before getting on the road.

Kat

 

Warm Garage.

Thats what we have in Minnesota.

Treat yourself to 2-4 hours in a warm parking garage, the ice and snow just melts away.


Sam.

 

I wish I knew where I could find one of those around here. Every single one I come across is either private access, or is an open garage.

 

That happened to me- I figured out the same thing