trouble in the rain?
04-04-2014, 02:59 PM
#11
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Foothills East of Sacramento
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As mentioned above tires are king. Bald tires are satan. Tons of accidents from people who make the comment: " I was just about to get new tires".
I have summer performance tires (Drizzles) and I avoid driving in the rain or wet/damp road conditions if it is at all possible. If not, I drive like an old man in a '27 Model T.
As mentioned above, avoiding water channels are important as well as unusual surfaces such as metal road surfaces on bridges, etc.
I would like to add there are 3 kinds of hydroplaning from an aviation perspective.
You have viscous hydroplaning when you are in a skid and a thin film of water serves as a barrier between the tire and road surface. This is the sideways skid from bald tires. Most airplanes don't corner much on the ground.
You have reverted rubber or "steam" hydroplaning in which the rubber kind of melts during heavy skidding/braking thus trapping water in its reverted rubber state.
You have dynamic hydroplaning in which the tire tread rides up on the water and in effect becomes a sled. Tire pressure is the most important factor here. 9 times the square root of the tire pressure (in psi) gives you the speed over which you can hydroplane. (Knots) Commercial jet tires are north of 200 psi so you have a higher speed than autos. Don't forget jet tires are pretty much bald like racing tires with 2 grooves in the tread but they are designed to go in one direction for the most part! Straight ahead.
So, keep your tires properly inflated (duh) but if in doubt, over inflate in the rain as much as you can. You can easily see that most autos can hydroplane around 45-50mph. (Some differences with different tires and knot to mph conversion)
I have summer performance tires (Drizzles) and I avoid driving in the rain or wet/damp road conditions if it is at all possible. If not, I drive like an old man in a '27 Model T.
As mentioned above, avoiding water channels are important as well as unusual surfaces such as metal road surfaces on bridges, etc.
I would like to add there are 3 kinds of hydroplaning from an aviation perspective.
You have viscous hydroplaning when you are in a skid and a thin film of water serves as a barrier between the tire and road surface. This is the sideways skid from bald tires. Most airplanes don't corner much on the ground.
You have reverted rubber or "steam" hydroplaning in which the rubber kind of melts during heavy skidding/braking thus trapping water in its reverted rubber state.
You have dynamic hydroplaning in which the tire tread rides up on the water and in effect becomes a sled. Tire pressure is the most important factor here. 9 times the square root of the tire pressure (in psi) gives you the speed over which you can hydroplane. (Knots) Commercial jet tires are north of 200 psi so you have a higher speed than autos. Don't forget jet tires are pretty much bald like racing tires with 2 grooves in the tread but they are designed to go in one direction for the most part! Straight ahead.
So, keep your tires properly inflated (duh) but if in doubt, over inflate in the rain as much as you can. You can easily see that most autos can hydroplane around 45-50mph. (Some differences with different tires and knot to mph conversion)
04-04-2014, 03:17 PM
#12
Registered User
Spun her out once, not speeding, in the rain with fairly new tires... Didn't hit anything or anyone. Ended up facing the wrong way on a one-way turn. Was def an eye opener. If I wasn't bringing her home from the shop after getting the calipers powder coated I'd have not driven in the rain. I avoid driving this car in the rain... Will prolly even more so with the LS1.
Beginning of the season. Let's all be safe!!
Beginning of the season. Let's all be safe!!
04-04-2014, 05:16 PM
#13
I 3 season dd my S. I make sure I have good tires, I have VSA, and I don't even give rain a passing thought.
Sure, I drive more cautiously in the rain, just like I would in any car. But with VSA I don't have to take any extra special precautions more than with any other car.
I always find it humorous how the same people that berate the very existance of VSA are so quick to state they drive their S like a Grandmother when there is rain.
Sure, I drive more cautiously in the rain, just like I would in any car. But with VSA I don't have to take any extra special precautions more than with any other car.
I always find it humorous how the same people that berate the very existance of VSA are so quick to state they drive their S like a Grandmother when there is rain.
04-05-2014, 04:42 AM
#14
Join Date: Jul 2013
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I had my S slide quite a bit on what I considered a subtle turn. My tires are virtually new but are pretty "domestic", so I can't complain but I have to be careful - that's for sure. I don't intentionally drive my S in the rain as I have options but I appreciate this thread. In future, if I get caught in rain, I will remember this.....I hope!
04-05-2014, 04:10 PM
#15
^ all of the above. A lot of people describe their vehicles as being jittery in wet conditions, check your alignment for toe settings being out of whack, and of course the tires. Don't wait for tires to get to the wear bars.
04-05-2014, 05:31 PM
#16
Careful there Car Analogy, people who drive around in any car, paying no attention to conditions, & depending on an electronic gadget to act as a guardian angle for them, are heading for the smash repair shop. It is not a matter of if, but when.
Actually I find my S2000 is no problem in real wet, & is in fact less likely to be effected by standing water than any front drive shopping trolley I have driven. I use only the best tyres, & change them, regardless of wear, if they get to 5 years old, but I do that on all my cars.
I do find the S particularly twitchy on just damp new bitumen. I had a moment when the edge of a passing rain shower had left new bitumen damp, but not wet enough to see. Still, I would much rather to be chasing a wayward tail, than sliding helplessly into the scenery, when the front end lets go on a front drive thing. A mile further on, where the road was running wet, it was no problem.
Yes my old Triumph TR7 will handle deep water better than the S, but if the S had the same narrow tyres to cut through the water as the Triumph, I'm sure that there would be no difference.
I don't consider it driving like granny, to be careful in the wet with a S2K. Years ago I raced an F1 Brabham Repco. If you think an S is twitchy in the wet, try 330 BHP in a car weighing only 1100 pounds. When half an inch of throttle will spin up the back, throttle control is everything. It is almost as important in a light sports with a fair bit of power, & driving sensibly should be the norm, & admired as sensible.
We had a saying in racing in those days, "to finish, first you have to finish'. No point having been the quickest driver on the track, as you slide backwards off it. So never be ashamed in driving intelligently.
Actually I find my S2000 is no problem in real wet, & is in fact less likely to be effected by standing water than any front drive shopping trolley I have driven. I use only the best tyres, & change them, regardless of wear, if they get to 5 years old, but I do that on all my cars.
I do find the S particularly twitchy on just damp new bitumen. I had a moment when the edge of a passing rain shower had left new bitumen damp, but not wet enough to see. Still, I would much rather to be chasing a wayward tail, than sliding helplessly into the scenery, when the front end lets go on a front drive thing. A mile further on, where the road was running wet, it was no problem.
Yes my old Triumph TR7 will handle deep water better than the S, but if the S had the same narrow tyres to cut through the water as the Triumph, I'm sure that there would be no difference.
I don't consider it driving like granny, to be careful in the wet with a S2K. Years ago I raced an F1 Brabham Repco. If you think an S is twitchy in the wet, try 330 BHP in a car weighing only 1100 pounds. When half an inch of throttle will spin up the back, throttle control is everything. It is almost as important in a light sports with a fair bit of power, & driving sensibly should be the norm, & admired as sensible.
We had a saying in racing in those days, "to finish, first you have to finish'. No point having been the quickest driver on the track, as you slide backwards off it. So never be ashamed in driving intelligently.
04-06-2014, 02:16 PM
#17
I agree that driving sensibly in the rain is not driving like a granny, yet that is what many here apparently resort to. They state they drive their S in the rain only when no other option, and then they drive very, very cautiously, the whole time in fear of spinning out, white-knuckle the whole time.
Me, I drive like its any other car, which is to say sensibly. I don't just throw caution to the wind and expect VSA to save me when I do something stupid. But I don't drive 45 on the highway worrying about every little puddle I see either. I don't fear the rain nor hesitate for a second to drive my S in the rain. But I do respect the rain.
Good tires and VSA are the combo that makes driving the S a relaxed experience free of fear.
Me, I drive like its any other car, which is to say sensibly. I don't just throw caution to the wind and expect VSA to save me when I do something stupid. But I don't drive 45 on the highway worrying about every little puddle I see either. I don't fear the rain nor hesitate for a second to drive my S in the rain. But I do respect the rain.
Good tires and VSA are the combo that makes driving the S a relaxed experience free of fear.
04-06-2014, 05:00 PM
#18
yeah. i've driven mine (03 ap1) in driving rains many times with no issues whatsoever- even a spirited drive on the dragon last year in driving, torrential, where's noah's arc, rains with not a misstep.
I have newer tires and an alignment and 26 years of driving under my belt.
the people above talk sense. listen to them.
darcy
I have newer tires and an alignment and 26 years of driving under my belt.
the people above talk sense. listen to them.
darcy
04-07-2014, 07:49 AM
#19
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Foothills East of Sacramento
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I agree that driving sensibly in the rain is not driving like a granny, yet that is what many here apparently resort to. They state they drive their S in the rain only when no other option, and then they drive very, very cautiously, the whole time in fear of spinning out, white-knuckle the whole time.
Me, I drive like its any other car, which is to say sensibly. I don't just throw caution to the wind and expect VSA to save me when I do something stupid. But I don't drive 45 on the highway worrying about every little puddle I see either. I don't fear the rain nor hesitate for a second to drive my S in the rain. But I do respect the rain.
Good tires and VSA are the combo that makes driving the S a relaxed experience free of fear.
Me, I drive like its any other car, which is to say sensibly. I don't just throw caution to the wind and expect VSA to save me when I do something stupid. But I don't drive 45 on the highway worrying about every little puddle I see either. I don't fear the rain nor hesitate for a second to drive my S in the rain. But I do respect the rain.
Good tires and VSA are the combo that makes driving the S a relaxed experience free of fear.
04-07-2014, 08:58 AM
#20
There are no tires called "Drizzles". I suspect you have Dunlop Direzzas. There are several Direzza products, I suspect if you had the more appropriate tire for the S (The ZII)you would probably be pretty pleased with the wet performance as these extreme performance tires have very solid hydroplane and wet traction performance scores. I suspect you have the lower level DZ102 or more likely the older DZ101 which have significantly lower wet performance scores.