[sternyy]

So I had a drive from Chicago to Detroit today... took me 6.5 hours when it should be no longer than 4 hours. Anyways it looked like the freeway had black ice on it. After getting up to 25 MPH my backend felt like it was coming out from behind me everytime i was in a groove, or a icey looking spot under a bridge and over a bridge. It was real, real, real scary... 90% of the time the freeway was straight too.

The questions is, how can all these other cars go speeding 50 mph past me without sliding on the ice? If I was feeling this at 25mph, how the heck could they go 50mph without feeling a thing? The crazy things is that there were only about 2 other cars going my speed, but atleast 200 - 300 passing me. I felt like such a wimp but honestly I could not get up even passed 20mph without "feeling" like my back end was going to slide out.

Is it wierd to be going only 25mph and feel like you are losing complete control of your vehicle? Especially going straight? After I got passed Jackson, I could do over 70mph no problem too so its not like it was a mechanical problem. I was thinking that with the ice, the snow, the temperature, the groves in the road, that maybe the tread on the tires is horrible...

Any thoughts?

 

[mz6zoomzoom]

Because people aren't smart, is my guess

 

[pkoko]

most people assume they got big SUV or truck with 4x4 means they can fly through snow like it is not there. only to find out that 4x4 doesn't help in stoping and then they are in a wreck. hopefully no one gets hurt.

In icy conditions it really hard to get any traction. going 30 mph is too fast for that. going 55 in ice is like going 150 b/c stoping is probablity the same or really really long.

 

[indycop]

It is the tires--mine does the same thing--real scary!!!... I'm getting ready to put the tires and wheels from my (2000)Mustang on the Fusion-they do better then the michlin tires. I have General UHP Exclaim 245/45-17 on the stang. Mustang does better in wet and snow. I've had a few Taurus(SHO & LX3.8) cars and never had this problem.

 

[sternyy]

I was thinking it was the tread on the tires. 94 has some spots where the cement or blacktop has sunk down a bit from so many vehichles passing over... So maybe with the type of tread the tires have, the tires cant get traction to "climb safely" out of the grooves, giving me the feeling that my car was going to slide down back into the grooves.

I pulled over a couple times to check air pressure... loose lug nuts etc but there was no problem. My bro, someone who thought we were having car problems and I took a look at the tires and noticed the deep tread lines and thought, thats why you cant get good traction in the grooves and ice because the tread goes parralel with the tire, not perpindicular. They may be great with the rain, but ice on the freeway, watch out.

Also I just wanted to again say that there were about 200 - 300 CARS! I didnt even want to start on the trucks passing me. I was waiting to see another Fusion pass by, to see if they were sliding a bit but there was none lol.

 

[otaku]

Its usually SUV drivers who end up in ditches. I almost got hit by a mercedes suv a few weeks back as she slid on ice but I was able to avoid it. I've felt the car slip a few times but never felt out of control but I drive carefully and I assume the awd system helps some also. 50 mph in those conditions isn;t the brightest idea

 

[sternyy]

i agree, but I shouldnt feel it at 25 mph either... thats the problem. If i was feeling like loosing control at 25mph, how were other CARS not going crazy at 50mph.

My side street is covered in ice, and i tested it out at 30mph (be extremely careful of course)... i felt nothing. It has to be the grooves (impressions) in the freeway because it just doesnt make sense.

 

[Nr9]

[quote author=sternyy link=topic=68846.msg1193690#msg1193690 date=1170901777]
i agree, but I shouldnt feel it at 25 mph either... thats the problem. If i was feeling like loosing control at 25mph, how were other CARS not going crazy at 50mph.

My side street is covered in ice, and i tested it out at 30mph (be extremely careful of course)... i felt nothing. It has to be the grooves (impressions) in the freeway because it just doesnt make sense.
[/quote]

maybe you felt it because yo uwere going at 25mph. go faster and you won't feel it.

 

[bigred07]

i get the same feeling in the snow and ice and in one week my tires have come unbalance 2 times now only when it snows

 

[sternyy]

just a follow up I am getting some of the rear swaying now on dry pavement... a few told me it was my tread, but i find it wierd that I have been traveling on this freeway for 14000 miles and now at 14500 miles its started doing this.

 

[sternyy]

another checkup... i took my car in for a window leak, rotors and a TSB... and after... i dont really feel the sway in the back. I wonder if my rotors were bad, causing my rear left or right brake to sometimes stick, making my rear sway out a bit.

 

[slaterracing]

My stock 16's suck as well. cannot wait to put the 17's back on after snow is all gone. Next winter i will have snow and ice tires put on my steelies and get rid of these crappy stock one. Custom tires 9 months out of the year and steel wheels with snow tires the other 3 months.

 

[Dre1015]

Yesterday, I finally got the chance to see how bad the stock tires suck in the snow. We got about 4inches and It felt like the front end was constantly pulling to the left and right. I was driving on a highway doing about 40mph. Not really a major problem because we don't get much snow in my area.

 

[mtl1977]

When Detroit got a first major snow, my Fusion was at the dealer (and still is 14 days later). :angry: The Edge FWD rental was great in the snow!

In the earlier smaller snows of later 06/early 07, the stock tires were average. But I hope they last 36k miles with 1/8" of tread so I don't have to buy new tires before the lease is up.

 

[RedFireSEL]

We just got several inches of snow last night. The Fusion on the stock Michelins got me home. The temp was in the mid 30's so there was no ice on the street. As far as light snow traction goes, I'm happy.

 

[BlueFordRedSchwinn]

I think the stock conti's are decent. I did get stuck this morning getting out of my drive way but there was probably 12+ inches still in the street. The only reason I even attempted to get out was my neighbor just made it out a few minutes before me. He drives a Civic. I usually turn traction control off when i'm going 30 or less, it's just a pain in the ass more than it helps, especially in deep snow.

 

[slaterracing]

We are under a blizzard warning right now and i am glad they closed my work because i would have have called in. No way the fusion would have made today. Here is what the fusion will be getting before next winter.

 

[MechWarrior]

slaterracing, what kind of winter tires are those ? I use 4 Dunlop Graspic's on my stock Mustang GT, on 4 dedicated alloy wheels, they do just fine until 4 inches of snow & she starts to bottom out, GAME OVER.
Not really wanting to buy 4 snows for my FWD Fusion, that's why I got FWD in the 1st place !!! My Dad's Buick Regal LS goes ANYWHERE with his stock all season Gooyear Eagle LS. She is 1 SWEEEEET ride

 

[slaterracing]

[quote author=MechWarrior link=topic=68846.msg1276909#msg1276909 date=1174334977]
slaterracing, what kind of winter tires are those ? I use 4 Dunlop Graspic's on my stock Mustang GT, on 4 dedicated alloy wheels, they do just fine until 4 inches of snow & she starts to bottom out, GAME OVER.
Not really wanting to buy 4 snows for my FWD Fusion, that's why I got FWD in the 1st place !!! My Dad's Buick Regal LS goes ANYWHERE with his stock all season Gooyear Eagle LS. She is 1 SWEEEEET ride
[/quote]

They are an off brand from Tire Rack call WinterForce M+S here is a link at $57 each they look like the best deal

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&place=4

 

[MechWarrior]

slateracing, Thanks for the link. I like Tire Rack, bought my 4 Dunlop Graspics / wheel set from them, GREAT deal. Discount Tire is really good too.
Still not happy about having to buy a snow tire / wheel set for a FWD car. I know tires are 1 of the most important things on a car, but still, it's FWD. Wait & see I guess.