Slipping and slidding

150,000 MILES • 5.7L • V8 • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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SHAMLOS
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
My car slips and slides when it rains. I had it put on a diagnostic machine but the mechanic said nothing showed up wrong.
Oct 16, 2018 at 5:04 AM
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CARADIODOC
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 34,413 POSTS
Diagnostic testers are for electronic problems that can be detected by one of the numerous computers. This problem is related to the alignment. The wheels are trying to go in different directions, and the car will follow the tire with the most weight on it when they have equal traction, and it will follow the tire with traction when the other one slides on snow or water. This can be caused by worn steering and suspension system parts, or by simply being out-of-alignment.

The best approach is to have the car inspected at a tire and alignment shop. Besides checking for loose and worn parts, the mechanic will "read" the tire wear patterns. Most commonly it is "total toe" that is wrong, meaning the wheels are not perfectly parallel when traveling straight down the road. That will leave a feather-edge pattern on both tires on that axle. This can happen on the front and the rear axle, but it most noticeable when it is on the front one.

Here is a link to an article that might provide more information:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-car-tires-work
Oct 16, 2018 at 8:56 AM
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