It happens to everyone sooner or later…you end up with your vehicle hopelessly stuck in deep snow and unable to get enough traction to get out again. However, it may not be all that hopeless. Here are some dos and don’ts for getting your vehicle unstuck:
You need to be able to get traction, and snow doesn’t give your tires anything to bite into. You can travel with a snow shovel and try to move snow out of the path of the tires, or you can put some material down that will enable your tires to gain traction. Kitty litter or sand from a sandbag are perfect for these situations, but you can’t always manage to carry these items around in a vehicle. Consider keeping carpet samples or burlap feed sacks in your car - even your car’s floor mats can make a big difference when it comes to gaining traction.
Have someone help you push. This is a no-brainer. Hopefully, you’ll be in a spot where you can recruit a little bit of help to get out. After all, you would do the same for someone else.
Turn off your vehicle’s traction control or electronic stability control. These systems control torque and engine power and prevent wheels from spinning, but a little bit of wheelspin might be precisely what you need. Just remember to turn it back on again once you’re un-stuck!
Do NOT “rock the vehicle” by shifting from Reverse to Drive. While this may get you some momentum, it’s also a good way to overheat the transmission quickly. If you can’t get it going within a minute from rocking the vehicle, give up on that strategy.
Get yourself some winter tires. Winter tires are designed with deeper tread grooves, a dense network of sipes, and a tread compound that stays flexible at low temperatures for traction. Sometimes, winter tires are the only thing that can get you through the rough winter weather!
Thinking that winter tires might be the key? Good thinking! Make an appointment with us at Alignment Center AK and check out our selection of premium brand winter tires!
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