Poor wet weather performance 2001 malibu

Ive got a 2001 malibu. Ive owned a lot of front wheel drive cars and have found them all to be fairly safe and stable in wet weather and snow. This car has always been terrible in the rain and snow. Its not so much the front wheel traction but the back end breaks free quite easily in the rain and forget about the snow. My old rear wheel drive camaro was better. Its had 4 different models of tires on the back, all with the same results. Dry traction is fine but wet weather handling is horrible. Is this typical for this model or do I possibly have a problem with my car?

Im gonna guess by the lack of replies that no one else is having this problem. If there is any kind of snow on the ground its as if my back wheels are just skids that meander back and forth as I drive. Also the back tires wear quickly and unevenly too, faster than the front which wear evenly. The car was never hit, could it have come with a messed up rear allignment from the factory that is causing all of this?

Do you keep your tire pressures in check? I run my rubber at ~34-38 psi in winter and ~30-34psi summer; No unusual problems. Although my allweather tires aren't great in the snow, my front tires would push before the back break free.

what brand & model tires are you using? My 01 Malibu with BF Goodrich Traction TA'S is like a tank in the snow. I can also drive the same in the rain as I do when it's dry with these tires.

Ive had the original tires, affinity, I think, cooper lifeliners, another brand that I forget and now Ive got the cheap Khumo tires which are actually pretty nice but they're worn now and need to be replaced again. The front has been through 3 sets and the 3rd is looking fine and now (66k) the damn rear is on the verge of wearing out the 4th set. Is there a rear allignment adjustment for this car? Or is it fixed at the factory?

I'm not sure if there is an adjustment for the rear. I just get the wheels balanced and rotated every 6k miles. I've had 1 alignment done at 40k miles and they said it was fine. Try a good set of tires and get them balanced and rotated regularly. Have the alignment checked. BF Goodrich tires wear like iron for us, we have them on both cars.

Up here where summer is three months of bad skiing :icon16: , I've learned to deal with my 01's wants & needs for tires. The rear end does have alignment issues, which first manifested itself with really rapid outside wear despite balance & pressure. No matter what the rubber that was on her.
That said, I find her behaviour in snow very good with the right rubber on her (pure snow tire) and absolutely pathetic in rain (even with Aquatreads & the like). Soon she'll be wearing Goodyear comp t/a's which is the best handling in the wet I've come across yet.
Hope that helps.

Up here where summer is three months of bad skiing :icon16: , I've learned to deal with my 01's wants & needs for tires. The rear end does have alignment issues, which first manifested itself with really rapid outside wear despite balance & pressure. No matter what the rubber that was on her.

That rapid wear on the outside is exactly the problem my 01 has. Have you ever had it looked into? Id be interested in hearing any thoughts on this.

Hi,, I have cooper lifeliners on mine right now. It tends to feel loose on ice more than I thought it would but no tire wear issues at all. All four of my tires wear the same and look great after 30,000 miles on them. I do have a problem with these tires though. They will not stay balanced. I have fought this problem from day one. I have had them checked over and over and I still have a shake at 70 mph. I figured after 30,000 miles if one was bad or had a messed up belt I would see unusual wear on that tire but all look perfect to each other. They still have a slight shake in them right now in fact. This car was never wrecked and I had the wheels check for runout or bend. Perfect.. One local shop I took it too, laghed at me because he said lifeliner huh? Need a balance job lately? Is that a problem with this tire? I swapped tires off my G/F car to mine and it drove like a dream. She had some cheap something tire and it made my car sweet.. NO MORE LIFELINERS FOR ME EVER ! Anyone ever had a simular experience like this? Advice? Thanks in advance !

That rapid wear on the outside is exactly the problem my 01 has. Have you ever had it looked into? Id be interested in hearing any thoughts on this.


Well, since the old girl set some trouble codes this morning, I'll get her rear end checked out while she's in.

I'll get her rear end checked out while she's in.

Diagnosis:

Too much junk in her trunk.

Diagnosis:

Too much junk in her trunk.

Never more than a case of Corona :naughty: .

Well, I had my new tires mounted today and showed the guy how the old ones had worn. First thing he asks me is if the car has ever been hit. (no). He said that the wear is extreme and that there is a rear toe adjustment but he doesnt know if it can cure such extreme wear. Im taking it in for 4 wheel alignment next week. Hopefully that can cure all these problems. Btw, with the new front brakes, rotors, tires, the car drives as new.:)