Snow causing imbalance.

My Acura RSX Type-S does this... 17" 5-spoke wheels that have very large openings between the spokes.

I was hoping the Outback I'm waiting for would have rims wouldn't do this.. I know they have smaller openings than my RSX.

It is a rare thing though.. it requires just the right amount of snow of just the right consistency at just the right temperature..

You end up just needing to pull over and take your ice scraper and knock the hardened snow off the rim.

There is probably some treatment you could put on the rim to make it hydrophobic.. but that's probably not something you want anywhere near tires or brakes.

PNWSO said:

We had the chance to spend a weekend with the 2012 Outback Limited in snow country. On the way back I experienced something that I have not ever, and wondered if this was a problem peculiar to the Outback Limited wheels. On the way home, I felt ride get bumpy, like it would feel if the wheels were unbalanced. After it didn't go away I pulled over and found the inside of the rims of the back wheels packed with snow. This was the case on both rear wheels. Knocked the snow off, and everything was fine. I've never had a car do this before, have you?

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You know that shirt "sh-t happens"

Snow happens - the bigger the wheel the bigger the possibility of getting a case of the shakes. My Sequoia has done this a couple of times. My Gen 4 subaru not yet but I know it can happen. My 2001 Legacy GT which spent far far more time in the big snow than our Gen 4 will - only had this happen once in all the 11yrs of big snow weekends in the Sierras where they measure the nightly dump in increments of 3ft. LOL

I keep an old cut down broom stick in the trunk works great for knocking ice and snow loose from the wheels. Though I haven't used it for so long I can't recall if its even in the car.

subiesailor said:

You know that shirt "sh-t happens"

Snow happens - the bigger the wheel the bigger the possibility of getting a case of the shakes. My Sequoia has done this a couple of times. My Gen 4 subaru not yet but I know it can happen. My 2001 Legacy GT which spent far far more time in the big snow than our Gen 4 will - only had this happen once in all the 11yrs of big snow weekends in the Sierras where they measure the nightly dump in increments of 3ft. LOL

I keep an old cut down broom stick in the trunk works great for knocking ice and snow loose from the wheels. Though I haven't used it for so long I can't recall if its even in the car.

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Exactly what I do! 2 1/2 foot section of broom stick in the back, along with the compressor, flat fix, crank flashlight, first aid kit, etc.
The broom stick gets the wheels back in balance for the highway trip after skiing and also knocks the frozen slush out of the wheel well behind the front tires so it doesn't inhibit steering.

Every car and truck I have owned when I lived in snow country has had this happen. It is very common...

Not rare at all where I live in Minnesota. Any thing I drive....
Broom handle, hammer handle, window scraper, stick, you get the idea.

...I think that this topic comes up every year at the beggining of winter. I know that it drives me nuts and often times I crawl under the car to scrape the snow and ice out of the wheels with a window scraper when it happens. Someone once suggested spraying the inside of the rims with silicone spray or something like PAM.

PNWSO said:

We had the chance to spend a weekend with the 2012 Outback Limited in snow country. On the way back I experienced something that I have not ever, and wondered if this was a problem peculiar to the Outback Limited wheels. On the way home, I felt ride get bumpy, like it would feel if the wheels were unbalanced. After it didn't go away I pulled over and found the inside of the rims of the back wheels packed with snow. This was the case on both rear wheels. Knocked the snow off, and everything was fine. I've never had a car do this before, have you?

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Sounds like your a "Grasshopper", this is a common problem in winter for everyone that drives in snow. My $46K audi A6 will have this happen just because it's winter snow driving time.

I just spray the wheels and wheel wells with pam and you are good for quite some time.

nipper said:

I just spray the wheels and wheel wells with pam and you are good for quite some time.

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..ha...I knew there was someone on this forum who used that stuff as an anti snow stick...