GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

So im driving to work this morning and was going around this 90 degree sweeper turn and the rear end breaks loose and slides out, the road was wet but not overly and I wasnt going fast at all. I have snow tires on the car that were just recently put on so I was pretty surprised that it happened. This kind of thing shouldnt happen, what do think could be the problem.

Some slippery stuff on the road. You did not see it because it was wet. Also the tires need to rub off the mold release to get better grip.

That is a possibility but the car does feel unstable at times. The car is new to me, only had it a week. On the hwy it feels kind of twitchy, meaning big trucks and wind blow me around. I did notice alot of weights on a couple of the wheels.

It's a lightweight car with a large side profile. It gets blown around easily. What were you driving before?

Snow tires are often not known for their wet traction. Do you have the same model and size of tire at all 4 corners?

skinny tires don't help the feeling of being pushed. i noticed a big change going from my 235 summers to my 195 winters a couple weeks ago..

Also, if it hasn't rained in a while, a light rain can cause oil in the road to float on the wet surface and make it easier to lose traction, especially in a sharp turn at speed.

Also, the faster you go, the more vulnerable you are to getting blown around. What speed was your "not going fast at all"?

Im coming from a jetta, all 4 tires are the same size which is the 205s. I was doing about 50kms, all 4 tires are at 32 psi and the rubber is soft. After talking to a couple guys at work they seem to think that its the snow tires as someone else had mentioned here, they arent that good in warm wet weather. Im still getting used to the car so perhaps Im being over critical about things.

The Jetta's suspension and handling is definitely superior to the Vibe's. I suppose the Jetta has a longer wheel base and better aerodynamics as well.

Just take it easier with the Vibe.

Tires make all the difference in grip. You said you just put snows on, what brand and model are they? How many years old are they?

Tires are 2 seasons old and they are Nokian. Ive been testing out some cornering and I come to the conclusion that it is the tires, I can feel the side roll on them and it doesnt take much to break them loose, I just hope they do their job in the cold weather.

You might want to inspect your shocks and struts, as well as the sway bar links and control arm bushings.

Nokian winter tires are great, and shouldn't be losing grip too easily. The Vibe is lighter and has a softer suspension than the Jetta, but you shouldn't be able to easily kick the rear out.

What size are the tires?

Over-steer is difficult to get in the vibe. I drive in the northwest, have high-performance front and all season rear tires, and the progress rear sway bar. And only now do I get lift off over-steer, and only when the tires are cold and I apply brakes mid corner. The car should give you HEAVY under-steer in any other situation. If your front tires are the same as rear the geometry of the car will not change. We are all running a grandma Corolla chassis.

I like kumquat's suggestion. At 50 km/h you should be very safe in this car. Go to an abandoned parking lot and see if you can induce this without brake application. I need to do this too after I ended up backwards following my GF in Portland OR

I agree with the comment about there being something on the road that could cause it to be slick.. its pretty hard to get the rear of the vibe to kick out. it has a tendency to understeer in most situations. it can be fun sorta if you manage to make oversteer happen though. Dont lift! haha

I've recently put winter tires on my vibe and can say they dont inspire a lot of handling confidence.. they have a lot of side wall and on wet roads, I get a feeling like I should drive it gingerly.. theres just something about the compound or tread pattern too, I dont know what it is exactly.. but they're definitely not intended for spirited driving..