[FlyingV3152]

So I am not sure how to explain this but here goes. Over the past few weeks we have been getting pretty good amounts of snow here in CO. Well every time I drive on a snow covered road it feels like my rear end gets loose and is fish tailing back and forth. When I get off the snow covered road and back on to asphalt, it feels normal again. I have no idea what is causing it. I do have some suspension mods and rims on it. Here is a list of stuff currently on my car: Raceland Ultimo coilovers (right now the rear end is lower than the front. I'm going to fix that today and see if that makes a difference), front and rear stabilizer bars, 245/40 ZR18 BF Goodrich g-Force Sport Comp-2 tires. I do know these tires suck on snow, so those might be the cause? Its just I have had cars in the past with rims just as big and I have never felt anything like this. It also only does this above 30 mph. All the roads between where I live and work are anywhere from 45 to 65 mph. They are all straight, so going 40 or 45 mph on snow covered roads isn't hard to do. Does this happen to anyone else? Does anyone know what might cause it? I'm not super worried about it. I am just curious if this is a normal thing and if it can be corrected?

Thanks in advanced for responses!

 

[E365/5]

It's the tires. A summer tire like those should NEVER touch snow.

 

[ViperThreat]

definitely tires.

remember that the rear end of your car is substantially lighter than the front, especially if you are low on gas. It makes it really easy for those street tires to float/slide over slick surfaces.

 

[onlycodered]

I can understand driving with all seasons in snow sometimes but NEVER a summer tire. You're just asking for an accident. Get some snow tires!

 

[aaron.b]

I have winter tires - michelin x ice 3's. 6/32nds of tread remains and the rubber is still soft. Every time I hit a patch of ice I have the same thing happen. I suspect it's the alignment in the rear tires.

 

[Mazdamike0831]

I have Falken eurowinters and it's straight as an arrow.

 

[FlyingV3152]

Thank yall for the info! I bought the rims and tires from a guy on craigslist and didn't really think to look and see what kind of tires they were... That does explain a lot though. Ill have to roll with the stock tires when it snows again. Ill have to look for some good snow tires for the stock tires then. I did raise the rear end up today and drove on some snow and it didn't do that as bad. I still have to do some fine tuning on my suspension so its set up right.

 

[sailor]

The more toe in the rear, the more it'll do that.

When you get an alignment done, go for minimum rear toe in (like .10). Range is often quoted at .1-.3* and you'll get more tire wear & that wiggle in low traction situations if it's toward the higher end.

 

[aaron.b]

The more toe in the rear, the more it'll do that.

When you get an alignment done, go for minimum rear toe in (like .10). Range is often quoted at .1-.3* and you'll get more tire wear & that wiggle in low traction situations if it's toward the higher end.

Thanks sailor. I don't know this but the reason I thought it could be the rear wheel alignment is because my winter wheels are 15's and summer's are 17's. Switching to a smaller diameter tire could cause that toe in couldnt it?

 

[Joeywhat]

Those tires are absolutely unsafe with any snow on the road. Source: I've used those tires before. Summer use ONLY.

 

[sailor]

Changing wheels won't change alignment, changing tire types for the O.P. or getting on Ice as others have mentioned for this problem puts you in the low traction situation where the results of the alignment can be felt.

I had one car long ago that did this noticeably - to the point of scary at times in certain conditions. 4 corner snows cured the worst of it EXCEPT for when traction was terrible despite the tires. Didn't know then that alignment could be adjusted toward the edge of what's 'acceptable" to reduce or eliminate the problem.

Back then, as a first FWD car to me, I didn't know how much to blame on FWD - how much to the general balance of the car - and how much to the toed in alignment.

I did learn one thing fast that first Winter, in a FWD car when correcting for a slide you DON'T want to back off the throttle as was the habit with RWD. Knew it intellectually, but when reactions take over it's too late to save it once that mistake is made (tail first into a snowbank).

 

[PratoN]

Thanks sailor. I don't know this but the reason I thought it could be the rear wheel alignment is because my winter wheels are 15's and summer's are 17's. Switching to a smaller diameter tire could cause that toe in couldnt it?

I don't think that's it - the OD of the tire doesn't change drastically unless you bought the wrong size tires. And even with that, I don't think the toe (angle) would change much - it's more dependent on the weight of the car and the suspension geometry.

These cars just have a lot of toe-in from the factory because it prevents oversteer. That and it destroys the tires and the dealers make more money! []

 

[skiboarder119]

The sway bar will do that a bit to. The rear of our cars is already pretty spritely, i worry what will happen next winter when I put my new rear sway bar on.

I agree its probably mostly the tires.

 

[thenorm]

Thanks sailor. I don't know this but the reason I thought it could be the rear wheel alignment is because my winter wheels are 15's and summer's are 17's. Switching to a smaller diameter tire could cause that toe in couldnt it?

Toe is entirely the reason.