This may be a stupid question but it really bugs me and I have to ask to see if anyone have the same problem or solution.......
Every time there's snow accumulation on the road (a few inches), I like to take the back roads to commute. The highway gets dirty and busy, while the back roads are quiet and empty. I really enjoy my Quattro in the empty, snow covered country roads. My problem is that even after one stretch of country road, the wheels will be packed with snow and it's hard to clean the packed snow off. A lot will sit inside the rims and when I travel back on the highways, the wheels will be, naturally, unbalanced. The car will shake like crazy at any thing over 80km/50mph. I keep a coat hanger in the trunk to clear the snow but it doesn't work well enough. It also takes a long time too dig/push all the snow/ice off the rims for the car to travel smooth. I get home and I have to use a hair dryer. Mine is the stock1998 16" A6 alloy. Anyone have the same beef? Is it rim profile design? I know a 5 spoke design will be easier to clean comparatively of course (easier to reach through between the spoke to clear snow off) but the snow will still sit on the inside of the rim? Does other rim design helps throw the snow off? I use to 4x4 with a jeep and while at first, after mud bogging, the wheels will seem unbalanced, eventually all caked on mud will get thrown off and I won't feel any bad vibration anymore before I reached home. Any thoughts? Sorry for being long winded.

 

Hey JCSiu,
Funny you should mention that as I do the same thing (prefer to drive in the snow covered roads). I usually go to a coin carwash & spay the rims with hot water afterward.

 

This did not happened to me last winter, but has twice this year. I'm usuing my stock S4 wheels during the winter.

Really, we should buy alloys designed as winter wheels, as they make them so that snow is less likely to build up.

 

Its just the designn of the wheels. the openings allow for a lot of snow. THe allroad wheels are even worse.


X2 on the coin wash it works best.

 

Good to hear I'm not the only one. I'm too cheap to go to coin wash.

 

Happened to me to so I broke down and bought steel rims from VW dealer for $75 for my winter tires and have no problem now.They don't look as pretty but I live in the country and do a lot of back road driveing so it is practical.

 

QFT, this seems to be a pretty good fix. Using the stockers doesn't bug me in Toronto but I can see it being a problem up north.

 

It will happen all the time with wide open wheels. Only thing you can do is stay ontop of cleaning them. Or Get yourself a set of Steelies..

Although the 16" B6 A4 wheels that look like Phone Dials are pretty good in the winter too as they don't have very wide openings

 

Here is my S4 on its winter setup...18" OEM S4 wheels/Pirelli Snowsports. These wheels LOVE to get packed with snow, thanks to the 14 spokes.

No real solution other than:

1. park in a garage (melts off)
2. hockeystick out the snow
3. drive slow

steelies are NOT an option on our nice Audis!