How to PREVENT fishtailing?

Question

Hi.

What should I do to PREVENT a 95 Pontiac Trans Am from fishtailing in rain/snow? I do not drive like a maniac, and the tires are fine. I have been told that this is just a "Firebird thing" that I need to get used to.

The only vehicles that ever gave me any trouble with fishtailing were an SUV and a Jeep. The Jeep I actually lost control of for a few seconds and it went into a spin, but I regained control and managed not to hit the oncoming car, the sign, or the telephone pole. :)

Thanks for your help. I've been driving a F250 diesel pickup for YEARS so this is a BIG change for me... but a Trans Am is my dream car so I want it to be a good change.

Answer 1

Put some sand bags in the trunk to add a little weight over the back tires.  It will help a little.

Answer 2

Fishtailing is cool why stop it????

Answer 3

Sounds to me like driver error, either to heavy on the gas, or over steering.  Make sure the best tires are on the back of the vehicle.

Answer 4

you could get a front wheel or all-wheel drive car and this would never happen. Audi S4?

Answer 5

Check your tires frequently during the winter particularly before winter weather hits. Make sure they're not bald and that they have enough air. You can purchase specific tires for the winter if you choose, but all-season tires work fine for driving in snow if you are careful.

Place something heavy in the trunk of your car or bed of your truck. Aim for around 50 to 100 pounds. Large bags of sand or salt are good options that are cheap and can be used later so it's not a waste of money. The extra weight helps to improve traction as your tires hit pavement each time.

Reduce your speed while driving in ice and snow. This way if you need to come to a quick stop you give yourself extra space in case you slide. Leave a larger distance between yourself and other cars as well.

Drive more cautiously than usual. Avoid jerking the steering wheel and instead change lanes or make turns gradually and smoothly. When you need to stop quickly depress the brake pedal gradually on cars without anti-lock brakes and put the car into a lower gear if you feel it begin to lock up. On cars with an anti-lock brake system (ABS) push the brake pedal all the way down and do not release it until you are fully stopped.

Back off the gas if you feel your car begin to slide and try to regain control of the vehicle. When this does not prevent the fishtail effect, gently steer the car out of it being aware of all cars and everything else around you so that you can minimize damage if needed.

Answer 6

Ease off the gas and consider putting chains on your tires, look online for the right kind to use/how to put on properly

Answer 7

Good tires

Answer 8

Sorry, but thats not a good car for bad weather. No way to control the loss of traction other then different tires. You have a much to aggressive tread pattern on those high performance tires. A good step is to get a second set of rims and  tires for winter driving. Look for  "all season"  or " M+S" (mud & snow ) in the tread guide. The Tire Rack as options for all high performance cars with that problem. Your car was meant to be driven in bad weather.

Answer 9

let up on gas - dont stomp on breaks

Answer 10

Lighten up on the accelerator.  Fishtailing is caused by the rear tires spinning and not getting traction.  The only way to stop it is to pretend you have a raw egg under your throttle foot.  If you feel the rear end breaking loose, gently back off the throttle and steer into the turn.

Answer 11

honestly if u can i would just get a bad weather vehicle i work at a ford dealership so people r always buying mustangs but they dont usually drive them in rain or snow just because they dont have good control in bad weather im sure just like a trans am wouldnt i mean im sure u dont wanna have to do that but u could get studded tires for better traction or chains for the snow but other that than i havent theslightest clue

Answer 12

if  your skidding to the right..turn your wheels to the left  skidding to the left...wheels turn right...the point is all your power is on your right back tire...

Answer 13

Fishtailing is not usually a problem in the rain or on wet roads...Skidding is...Solution - slow down if on the highway, to no more than 55 mph...Above that and not only do you face loss of steering control, but your vehicle kicks up spray which  in effect, blinds drivers following closer than 100 feet...Easy on the brakes and down shift...On surface streets, give yourself extra distance to brake...Be extra cautious at night.

On snow covered roads, best to go with chains...This forces you to go slow - no more than 15 mph for the Trans Am - and about guarantees good traction on soft and hard packed surfaces and will minimize any loss of control on "black" ice.

Remember that your Trans Am has a lower center of gravity with better throttle response than its predecessors.

All the best