Martinjmpr Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 .......But when it comes to deep snow, a car is still a car. See the photo attached. Fortunately a snowplow truck came by and I got him to pull me out (he was about to shrug his shoulders and say "I don't have a strap" but I pulled my strap out of the back of the car.) Oh, yeah, and I'd like to plant a big sloppy kiss on the engineer who decided to put a tow hook under the left front side of the OBW! Made pulling me out a snap! Yup, we're getting hammered here. About 12" on the ground now, high winds causing drifts 2-3' deep and of course visibility sucks. I got sent home from work as soon as I got in and I've been directed to call tomorrow before heading in to work. Ah, Winter in Colorado! Believe it or not, I love this stuff, even when it's inconvenient! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericem Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 that was a small amount of snow if you ask me:lol: My legacy went through snow higher then that, and didn't get stuck, i even stopped and it kept going,didn't slip either, but i did have blizzak snows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoahDL88 Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Definately shouldn't have been stuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subie94 Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 martin?-what kinda tires you got on the OB? only reason i ask is because i had some cheap(and worn)all-season tires on my 92 legacy wagon and the only time i got stuck was when i got high centered on a pile of snow/ice.(lifted two tires right off the ground) i used to drive along this road that seemed to always get plowed last min and the snow would be up to the top of my front bumper and she'd keep going. *you know it's (kinda) deep when you got snow coming up over your hood* -i wish our streets looked like that(got snow tires on,just gotta wait now) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rottenhead Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 The ONLY time I've ever been stuck in a Legacy is when stuck on high crusty snow and the wheels actually come off the ground. Otherwise, smooth sailing. knock on wood. (knock knock). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinjmpr Posted December 21, 2006 Author Share Posted December 21, 2006 That picture doesn't tell the whole story. There was a drift about 2' high behind the rear bumper and the snow elsewhere is well over a foot. Essentially my tires had no traction because there was so much snow packed underneath the car that the tires weren't touching the ground. Also gotta remember the 1st Gen Outback doesn't have rear LSD like the 2nd and 3rd Gens do. As for tires, that's part of the problem as well: Goodyear Viva 2s, pretty good overall, but they're at the end of their service life (bought them in 2003 with 61k on the odometer, car just went over 120k yesterday.) I've been planning on getting new tires for a while - right now I'm looking at an aggressive snow tire in 205/75R 15 size (up from the stock 205/70's I have now) for a bit more clearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboobaroo Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Yeah we're getting dumped on pretty good up here, just without all the deep standing snow.. just the massive snow drifts from the wind:-\ I wish they'd send us home when its nasty out like this but noooooo LGMAC is like the last place to shut down, with the exception of Wal-Mart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subiemech85 Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 ... when "it" gets thick, break out the old gens waiting to stick the pugs on the s/r ea71 but only 1" of rain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjo Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 :confused::confused: :confused::confused: how'd you get stuck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dj3stripes Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 could have sworn i saw iowegan licence plates on that, that'd explain it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cannonball Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 :confused::confused: :confused::confused: how'd you get stuck? Where's Waldo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger83 Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 that was a small amount of snow if you ask me My legacy went through snow higher then that, and didn't get stuck, i even stopped and it kept going,didn't slip either, but i did have blizzak snows. Wind-blown snow is an entirely different proposition from powder. /// As for tires, that's part of the problem as well: Goodyear Viva 2s, pretty good overall, but they're at the end of their service life (bought them in 2003 with 61k on the odometer, car just went over 120k yesterday.) I've been planning on getting new tires for a while - right now I'm looking at an aggressive snow tire in 205/75R 15 size (up from the stock 205/70's I have now) for a bit more clearance. Jump on it, a lot of tire shops sell out after the first big snow. BTW, a USGI e-tool is great to keep in the trunk for excavation. What do you have for a tow strap? For winter conditions, if you're not gettings studs, I don't think you can beat Nokian RSI's, although they're pricey. Michelin X-Ice seem to do well in the tests as well. The German auto club ADAC also tested "low cost" snow tires and the Viking SnowTech (made by Continental) did the best in winter driving of those available in the US. They do not have the dry and wet road performance of the pricier models. Any snow tire is better than none: even less expensive ones like the Firestone WinterHawk. The Goodyear IceGrip tires seem to do well also. A fellow at work has Nokian Hakka II's with studs and if you live where winters are bad they are worth considering. The number of studs is much smaller than the past, so they're not as noisy or slippery in the drive as old-style studded tires. If you live in a part of the country where it hasn't gotten much snow yet, scour craigslist. In October I bought a set of 16" Blizzaks with less than 1/32nd wear mounted on Subaru steel wheels for my in-laws 2001 OBW for $300. Once people stop thinking about Xmas and start thinking about winter, all the good deals will get snapped up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outback_97 Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Martin: I recommend the following: + + Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger83 Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 The USGI entrenching tools work great as a car shovel. Fold up compactly; can be used at a 90 degree angle to clear snow from underneath; hardened steel blade can chop ice. There is also a Coleman version that's a little narrower, but not nearly as strong. About $10 used on eBay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firstwagon Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Last month we got a dump of 45 cm (18 inches) of snow here in British Columbia. A couple days later we picked up another 10 cm (4 inches). It hung around for a couple weeks and since they don't plow side streets in my neighbourhood, I had lots of time to play in the snow. Despite trying I could not get my 91 Legacy wagon stuck. I drove through every pile of snow I saw, parked in the most clogged up parking spots and it didn't matter. Step on the gas and it plowed right though. Amazing!! Nothing beats a old Subaru on a set of skinny all season tires for cheap, unstopable, bulletproof winter transportation. Note: Our 95 Grand Cherokee went through everything too but with much more effort and tire spinning. Larger All Terrain tires don't seem to work as well in the snow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uniberp Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Notice that no other cars in that line even tried to get out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinjmpr Posted December 22, 2006 Author Share Posted December 22, 2006 Notice that no other cars in that line even tried to get out. Very few tried to get out. Between the deep snow, the blowing wind and the fact that they'd be going uphill, it's a little too dicey. I even saw a couple of jeeps with 10-15" of snow on them - they never even tried to move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subie94 Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 Very few tried to get out. Between the deep snow, the blowing wind and the fact that they'd be going uphill, it's a little too dicey. I even saw a couple of jeeps with 10-15" of snow on them - they never even tried to move. because soob owners are the only ones crazy enough to venture out in that kinda weather (am i right,or am i right?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Boncyk Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 because soob owners are the only ones crazy enough to venture out in that kinda weather (am i right,or am i right?) Of course you're right! But if you're also careful to avoid those crusted over drifts, you CAN blow thru 26 inches of fresh powder - I did it myself yesterday to get thru the bottom of the driveway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSC Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 Durring the last snow storm my car dident do too bad but this storm sucked! We got iced then snowed on. Kinda funny becasue you guys up north really got hammered bad. Were almost all melted down here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger83 Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 So, I surfed around and got a recommendation from serious off-road guys that retrieval straps should have fabric loops only, as if they have steel eyes and the strap breaks, it will turn into a missile. Then, I looked at that tow eye on the rear of my OBW. It's probably too small to put a loop on unless I added a pretty big anchor schackle. Then, I went to WalMart and found what I thought was the perfect 30' strap. Got it home - and it was the model with steel hooks FTL! So, will this be OK in case I auger in (or someone else does) or should I replace it with a retrieval strap with fabric loops only? Then I'd have to get some good sized anchor shackles to attach it, which are $7-10 each. 30' seems like it will be a lot more practical than 20 - any reason to go shorter? I used to carry 25' of nylon anchor rode but knots are not great in this application and it took up a lot of space. The one I bought is from Highland. They seem to be widely distributed at several auto parts chains, KMart and WalMart. It is the 30' model of this: The material is the same as that on their recovery strap but seems to be tubular so the max load is much higher. The company is at http://www.highlandusa.com/home.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99obw Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 I used to drive through snow like that somewhat often when we lived on a road that was rarely plowed. These cars really aren't very good in deep snow without snow tires. With snow tires on the other hand they will plow through powder up to the bumper. BTDT. I've smacked the grill on the snow at the end of the driveway from the snowplow a few times. At the risk of being flamed and called names( ), it's all about the tires, they are the only thing touching the ground/road/snow/ice. It doesn't look like you were in a position to take advantage of rocking or using the momentum to carry you through a tough spot, so you would need pure traction. I've been stuck too many times to count, just never in the suby. Haven't gotten the jeep stuck yet, but I'm sure its day will come. I've gotten most every other car I've owned stuck though, as I always like to push the envelope. I've had a few of them high-centered in snow or mud. Only had to get towed once, @#$%! FWD! Getting stuck is kind of fun IMHO, if you have the time to deal with it and you aren't in a life-threatening situation. It can be a bit of a fun problem solving exercise. A shovel and a bag of rock salt can be very helpful. EDIT: Many off-road clubs won't allow the use of straps with metal hooks at their events, and there is a very good reason, which you gave. I don't currently own a recovery strap, but when I do buy one it won't have hooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger83 Posted December 24, 2006 Share Posted December 24, 2006 ///These cars really aren't very good in deep snow without snow tires. With snow tires on the other hand they will plow through powder up to the bumper./// And there you have it. I posted on subaruoutback.org and some of the folks there have the same strap I do. Because of the location of the tow eyes on the OB, there's no way to hook up a recovery strap without using one and possibly two shackles. Their position is that the tow eyes will probably fail before the load limit of the strap is reached - the safe working load is enough to lift the Subaru in the air with a 3:1 safety factor. I only plan on using the tow strap to assist another functioning vehicle to pull out of a spot in the snow they (or I) drove into. Anything more and they're on their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiny Clark Posted December 25, 2006 Share Posted December 25, 2006 I high centered in a drift on the road on Christmas day 4 years ago, heading to a dinner at a friend's house. A German farmer on a tractor pulled us back the few feet I needed to turn around. It doesn't make any difference what tires you have if they aren't in contact wth the surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fnlyfnd Posted December 25, 2006 Share Posted December 25, 2006 I wanted to get a recovery strap, but couldn't figure out how you would use it if the car(s) don't have a tow hook on them. As in our case with outbacks, all there are, are tow loops. How would a recovery strap connect?? I haven't got a recovery or tow strap yet because of this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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