Snow stuck on rims

[mclasser]

After digging my car out from yesterday's snowstorm, I hopped on the highway to run some errands. At 55+ mph, the steering wheel was vibrating like crazy, like all tires were out of balance. The car drove fine 2 days ago so I had a suspicion as to what the problem was. After I parked at the store, I took a look at my wheels. Lo-and-behold, there were clumps of snow & slush stuck on the backside of the rims. I got my ice scraper out and pushed out the visible clumps. On the way back home, the ride got smoother as the remaining bits melted off. So make sure to clean up your rims when you dig your car out after a storm!

 

[babyivan]

word!

 

[Rolla07]

Happens to me often in winter. Driving in any kind of deeper snow, throws off my balancing. I dont worry about it. If its not too cold out it will go away on its own, or park indoors somewhere for a couple hours if you can.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Yeah, this is a big PITA. I will often forget to do this after parking in a snowbank on a ski weekend and then the drive home sucks. I hate pulling over just to knock stuff off the rims, but sometimes the car vibrates like crazy and I can't stand it. I think the fact that I have aluminum wheels with narrow spokes for my snow tires just makes the problem worse by leaving lots of room for stuff to build up.

 

[Kestas]

What you experienced was the topic of an article I remember reading in Popular Science from the early 1970s. There was a monthly article entitled "The Expert Mechanic" or something like that. It always featured an unusual and interesting car problem that the mechanic expertly diagnosed.

 

[Omahaug]

Yup, had this happen to me. Pretty much guaranteed if a pile of snow is butting up against wheels.

 

[PimTac]

This might be solved by applying a good wheel sealant or wax prior to winter setting in. The newer SIO2 sealants are very slick and dirt usually comes off with water. If you have nice wheels the protection itself is worth it.

 

[oldhp]

Spray them with PAM, front and back.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: oldhp

Spray them with PAM, front and back.

Which one, the Butter Flavor or Olive Oil one? Thank you!

 

[HoosierJeeper]

I've had wheels so full of snow that the brakes don't work since the caliper can't move.

 

[fdcg27]

Yep, I've had this happen. It usually fixes itself but it not a little hot water will work.

 

[BHopkins]

I've had the same thing happen. Since then I try to remember to coat the inside of my wheels with the same Dupont silicone spray that I use for my snow blower. I can't say for sure if it works, but I haven't had the same condition since. Perhaps I just haven't driven in the same deep snow conditions? A couple years ago the same thing happened to my friend and I when we were out exploring in the desert. We got stuck in a dry creek bed that wasn't so dry. It was muddy from a recent storm. When we got back to the highway his truck was doing the same thing. I immediately knew what the cause was. A stick and two minutes digging the mud out solved the problem.

 

[KneeGrinder]

I have had it so bad I stopped to check if the wheels were going to fall off. It didn't come off till I got back home and parked in the garage and lit the woodstove. Waxing your wheels does nothing...lol, it comes from driving in heavy slush, the slush flies everywhere. If you park outside, it freezes in place, your screwed.

 

[Chris142]

Mud too

 

[tomcat27]

I got ice on my wheels once before I had a garage. the shop that I used at the time was kind enough to park my car inside long enough for the ice to melt... of course, this is also a line from "My Cousin Vinny": you've got mud in your tires..... there are plenty of good car-related lines in that movie.... what is the proper timing for a 56 Belaire with a 327.... ?

 

[Patman]

I had this exact problem in my Civic last week! Even though it was almost 0F outside, I went to one of those do it yourself spray car washes and blasted the ice out of my wheels. I was getting a severe vibration at highway speeds that would most definitely have damaged something if I left it like that. Winter sucks

 

[SubLGT]

Doesn't the JC Whitney catalog have wheel heaters?