2002 Accent - - winter driving problems

Hi all, just got a 2002 Accent here in northern Missouri, and love it
to death...except it seems to be next to useless slick roads.

Even a TINY bit slick. The other day, we just got a light dusting of
snow at like 27 degrees, and not much more than a 10 mph wind...and I
swear, soon as I got up to 25 mph, the thing started "swimmming" like
crazy, I got the distinct feeling the read end was gonna start
whipping around any second.

Anyone else experiented this? I have been used to a 4 wheel drive
(station wagon) the last few years or so, but have driven lots of
different cars on ice all the time, and this feels way weird.

Are these front-wheel drive autos?

I wonder if doing something like getting 200 lbs of feed bags or
something and putting in the truck would help??

 

Yep, that's typical. The current Accent's a light little car
(2250-2350 lbs) with little 13" wheels and a pretty soft suspension.
It won't actually break out on you, but it feels like it wants to.

Yep, all the Hyundai cars sold in the US are front-wheel drive.

That will help the ride out some, but if it really bothers you a
lot you'll want to upgrade to bigger wheels, stiffer springs, and new
swaybars to tighten up the suspension.

David Thompson

"The humans founded America, mastered the nuclear forces, and destroyed
the original Mars about thirty thousand years ago."
"So George Washington was there when they split the atom?"
"Could have been."

-from "Triumph of the Terrans", copyright 24L1042

 

Move up to 185 tread next tire change, big improvement.

 

I've got Michelin Artic Ice snow tires on my 2003 Accent. No problems
going on ice and in snow.