GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I'm not sure if this is just how the Vibe is, so I'll see what you guys say. Compared to my old Grand Am, and even my GF's 2010 Corolla, my 2009 Vibe has really poor traction from the front wheels. It's not uncommon for them to slip on wet pavement or even the slightest bit of snow where other cars don't have a problem. Happens in warm and cold weather.

I'm running Winterforce tires at all 4 corners which have reasonable tread, but the problem also happens with pretty new Goodyear RS-A tires. Alignment looks good. The back always seems to hold very well, even in very harsh conditions.

Does the Vibe just have trouble with this, more so than the Corolla?

I'm guessing YES! The Vibe has worse traction than many and possibly all other compact cars. I've owned numerous compact makes and models and my 2005 Vibe FWD takes the prize for "poor traction". I noticed it first when running 1/2 worn Uniroyals on snow and ice. I basically couldn't get any traction. This year I mounted new Hankook 727"s on my Vibe for Winter. My Vibe is now usable on snow and ice, but nothing to brag about - It's traction is still weak in snow.
I mounted Hankook 727's on the Vibe, because these same tires turned my old Saturn SL1 into a snowplow,lol!
So, in my opinion, the FWD Vibe is very weak when it comes to front wheel traction!
Does anyone know what the weight distribution F/R is on the FWD Vibe?

kumquat wrote:I'm not sure if this is just how the Vibe is, so I'll see what you guys say. Compared to my old Grand Am, and even my GF's 2010 Corolla, my 2009 Vibe has really poor traction from the front wheels. It's not uncommon for them to slip on wet pavement or even the slightest bit of snow where other cars don't have a problem. Happens in warm and cold weather.

I'm running Winterforce tires at all 4 corners which have reasonable tread, but the problem also happens with pretty new Goodyear RS-A tires. Alignment looks good. The back always seems to hold very well, even in very harsh conditions.

Does the Vibe just have trouble with this, more so than the Corolla?

What do you keep your tire air pressures at? 32psi Front and 32psi Rear? I have my at 36psi on all fours and still using Goodyear RS-A I have the 2.4L auto. I don't have a problem on dry or wet roads....But I don't try to drive in snow or icy weather.

Tire pressure is 30-32 psi.

Just a tip....I had to learn early on... that I have to be very gentle on the gas pedal....i.e. keep a very light foot on it when starting from a stop.

I haven't tried it myself yet but I've heard the Energy Suspension motor mounts will go towards helping the traction and wheel hop issues. I'll be installing some as soon as the weather warms up a bit here. Also, a strut/spring upgrade if yours are old and/or worn out. Most things that'll stiffen that front end should help a bit. Hell, even lowering it would help. Of course, there's always the expensive lsd option, as well.
Other than that, watch your angles and apply your throttle and steering inputs carefully and smoothly. Of course, it's not a sports car but the car will reward you.

I learned very early on that the gas pedal of the Vibe has a very fine line between idle and full throttle when taking off. Learning how to control wheel spin takes much care and attention to what you're doing with the clutch. Winterforce are great tires, I used them (studded) on my Vibe and have them currently on my Silverado. They preform very well at speed!

There's more vids like this on the YouTube channel...

star_deceiver wrote:I learned very early on that the gas pedal of the Vibe has a very fine line between idle and full throttle when taking off. Learning how to control wheel spin takes much care and attention to what you're doing with the clutch. Winterforce are great tires, I used them (studded) on my Vibe and have them currently on my Silverado. They preform very well at speed!

There's more vids like this on the YouTube channel...

Looks like you have a Head Cam....Camera. Where's the nearest gas station ?....you're below low on fuel... Or what is the yellow light?

The yellow lights: traction control off, stability control off.

star_deceiver wrote:The yellow lights: traction control off, stability control off.

Oh Okay...I never turned those off....so I never saw them before on the small display hole. I first thought that was the low fuel light. But that is a red or blue light over the gas gage.

Now I am wondering why you have them OFF driving on a snowy highway?

With these tires, sliding, turning, acceleration, the way the vehicle drives are all predictable. If I were to leave these systems on the car would try to correct a problem that doesn't exist or interfere when not expected to.

star_deceiver wrote:With these tires, sliding, turning, acceleration, the way the vehicle drives are all predictable. If I were to leave these systems on the car would try to correct a problem that doesn't exist or interfere when not expected to.

Interesting??? I'll have to learn more about how the Stability traction control system works.