putting weight in trunk of ford focus...

bignateyk

Lifer
Apr 22, 2002
11,288
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I have a front-wheel drive ford focus, and it is absolutely TERRIBLE in the snow/slush.

Trying to take a turn on a slushy road surface even while going less than 10mph usually results in some sliding.

Anyone know about how much weight I would need to put into the trunk to make it handle better in the snow?


edit: for stupidity
 

radioouman

Diamond Member
Nov 4, 2002
8,632
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LMAO... a rear wheel drive Focus?

Yes, please put lots of weight in the rear to make it handle better.
I think that you should buy 25 of the 80 lbs bags of Quikrete.
 

bignateyk

Lifer
Apr 22, 2002
11,288
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and by rear wheel i meant front wheel. But will adding weight in the trunk make it handle better?
 

mundane

Diamond Member
Jun 7, 2002
5,603
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Originally posted by: bignateyk
and by rear wheel i meant front wheel. But will adding weight in the trunk make it handle better?

The whole point of adding weight is to put it more-or-less over the axle responsible for power.
 

KLin

Lifer
Feb 29, 2000
30,882
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In case it hasn't been mentioned, Ford doesn't make a RWD Ford Focus.

/rock salt
 

bignateyk

Lifer
Apr 22, 2002
11,288
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Originally posted by: mundane
Originally posted by: bignateyk
and by rear wheel i meant front wheel. But will adding weight in the trunk make it handle better?

The whole point of adding weight is to put it more-or-less over the axle responsible for power.


So basically the car is just terrible in the snow.
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
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Originally posted by: Tizyler
I thought FWD was supposed to handle pretty good in snow?

ANY Wheel drive will be horrible in the snow if your tires suck.
 

nweaver

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2001
6,813
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yeah, most FWD are great...my Geo Metro was out with the big trucks after a few storms...turns a few yeads ;)

(as a disclaimer, it was my wife driving, she is a great driver, and it was her car, before we were married)
 

teckmaster

Golden Member
Feb 1, 2000
1,256
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its just your tires because I have a ZX3 focus and no problems in the snow. Right now I'm running Hankooks on it.
 

eLiTeGoodGuy

Golden Member
Jun 6, 2001
1,175
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86
Welll.. If the Focus was RWD I would do what I did every winter. I had a Ford Tbird it always slid around no matter what tires I had. I put ~250lbs of Sand in the trunk, it made the car more stable when driving around. And when I did get stuck, I just tore open a bag of sand and put it on the ground for traction
 

buck

Lifer
Dec 11, 2000
12,273
4
81
I skidded off the interstate with only a couple of inches of snow on the road in my focus. That car handled like ass in bad weather, it was a 2k3 though.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,599
1,003
126
What kind of tires do you have on it? If you have performance tires on it then there's the majority of your problem right there. Get a set of snow tires and it should handle great in the snow.