Ice buildup

[IndyFetch]

It's been a real mess here in Indy over the past week, due to a nasty ice storm. When we get snow/ice, I usually clear off the chunks of ice that grow behind the tires and around the wheel wells. My thought is that the ice/sluch is rubbing on the tires, creating resistance.

Does this make any sense, or am I just wasting my time?

[theholycow]

The ice doesn't rub the tires, at least not for long. The way I see it, it acts like wheel deflectors and may provide an aerodynamic advantage.

[Jay2TheRescue]

But ice is heavy...

[VetteOwner]

lol driving on snow and slipping your tires 1/2 turn is gonna blow more fuel than the tiny resistance is beign caused by ice rubbing

lol groceries are heavy too... all your winter clothes are heavy, the ice scraper has weight, lol catch my drift?

[GasSavers_BIBI]

Ice/water/snow need a place to evacuate. If a block of ice or snow block the escape maybe the tires is less efficient for better traction.

[FrugalFloyd]

I used to clear the snow buildup, because those lumps of snow and ice are a hazard to other drivers when they fall off. They are self-clearing when you hit a bump or make a turn, but they add lots of weight, and drag on the tires. That more than offsets any aero advantages, particularly since only a fool drives fast enough to see aerodynamic advantages in snowy conditions

[theholycow]

I drive in plenty of non-snowy conditions where there is fresh ice buildup on my wheels. I take a snowy road to the highway, then I get on the highway and it's perfectly clean dry pavement. If I went so slow that aerodynamic drag didn't matter I'd get pulled over and ticketed for being a hazard, if I survived long enough for a cop to see me.

[IndyFetch]

Originally Posted by theholycow

I drive in plenty of non-snowy conditions where there is fresh ice buildup on my wheels. I take a snowy road to the highway, then I get on the highway and it's perfectly clean dry pavement. If I went so slow that aerodynamic drag didn't matter I'd get pulled over and ticketed for being a hazard, if I survived long enough for a cop to see me.

Agreed. I drive slowly down the unplowed backroads, but I still want to go the speed limit when I hit the interstate. Nothing pisses me off like 2 cars running 25 mph, side-by-side on the interstate when the lanes are clear or relatively clear.

If you don't want to go faster, that's fine. Pull over and let others around. Or perhaps take a side road, since you want to go side-road speed.

We have 4 inches of snow on top of 2 1/2 inches of ice right now. I was going 50 on the interstate this morning, since it was not clear, but was going 70 on the way home, since it was. On the side roads, though, I'm puttering along with the flow of traffic, in no hurry at all. It's no coincidence that about 1/3 of the cars in town right now look as though they have been recently wrecked.