At 01:04 AM 10/24/97 -0400, you wrote:
>
> Hmmm, I dunno. Maybe it depends on the type of snow? I've always been
>told narrow is better for snow. I suppose if you had a couple feet of
>hard packed stuff, then you wouldn't want to sink in that, but if you had
>a couple feet of fluff & slush, you probably want to get down to the ground.
> I suspect that might be the case, since roads generally don't have that
>kind of volume on them, unless its right after a serious snowstorm (in which
>case it would be fluffy or slush). If that's true, then maybe I should
>revise my statement to be "narrow is better for snow on the roads".
>
> Anyone know for sure what the deal is?
>
>
> -Jon-
>
Last winter we had a 100 year storm which left 3 feet of snow on the roads
overnight (saw the first snow plow one week later). After spending the
first day digging out, I was able to get moving on the second day (by then
it was raining), by digging a clear patch on the street, moving forward
until the front of the truck lifted on the the skid pan and the front
wheels started to come off the ground ... then backed up and went through
the process again. Lucky for me I only had 50 yards to go to a travelled
secondary street.
I don't think wide tires would have made any difference .... the big
problem in heavy snow is 'high centering' on the undercarriage. Ground
clearance is the solution...I guess this could be accomplished with taller
tires. The guys with the full size 4x4's were able to get going a bit
easier because they have more ground clearance. One gent down the street
thought he was doing the neighbourhood a favour by running his Chev 4x4
with oversize tires up and down the street. I skidded down his furrows on
the skid pans and into the driveway. The street had become a car trap ...
people would head down the street (in cars), just past my house then high
center on the big Chev's furrows in front of my neighbour's house ... don't
remember how many of them we dug out.
Lots of fun...hope it doesn't happen again for another 100 years,
previously snowfall like this was 1916.
Rob Agnew
ragnew@islandnet.com
Victoria, B.C.
Canada
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