I need a better winter car... 4932

I think that comes down to the airdam. If you airdam is low enough, snow will either get plowed or pile up in front of the car. If it is higher than the undercarriage, snow will build up under the car, starting with the lowest points of the undercarriage and proceeding to all sections that occur lower than the airdam's lower lip.

On the E30 if you have an iS lip, it's low enough. An i lip will still not allow any significant buildup under the car. With no lip, you will get buildup in front of the steering gear and the front crossmember, which will get into the belts eventually. Nothing behind the front crossmember is any lower than that so it won't build up back there. Regardless, snow in that seciton is not likely to lift the front up, and if it did, the drive wheels are still in traction. It would be very difficult to build up enough snow to lift the rears.

Now, breeching a drift is another story... you can blast the front wheels up and over it, and then settle the car down on the crest of the drift and high center it just as the rears begin to get lifted up. Hit it hard enough and momentum will carry you through regardless Go slowly enough and you will tend to plow it out of the way and not allow anything under the car, but might get stuck when the rears get into the middle of it if you have bad tires -- with good ones, the rears will still bite and you'll continue on.

-Russ.

-Russ.