Hi folks, I need input here:

I?ve had two cases of vicious and extreme rear end break-away in the wet on the track ( at Spa Francorchamps on Spoon rims/Sport Cups ?245 rears & at Dijon Prennois on standard rims/S02s ? due to expected rain!) ending up with backwards travel at high speed with, unfortunately, contact with a wall or rail. In both cases the angle of impact was small resulting in suspension breakage and some bodywork and not terminal damage to the car !
I?ve been tracking the car for > 2 years (and having few issues with controlling oversteer) and have had my S2K since oct 99 ? and had started to modify alignments ?.

Alignment prior to first incident

Front Caster L/R 5

 

*Assuming* you didn't mash the throttle or end up hydroplaning...

Driving in the wet only has one difference to dry weather driving: the limit is lower. A car in wet weather will behave exactly the same as in the dry. In simplistic terms, if you car tends to oversteer in the dry it will oversteer all the same on wet pavement. Did I mention that a car will behave the same in wet weather as it does in the dry? Really it does.

The big difference is that you have to drive smoother AND slower because the limit of adhesion has diminished.

If you hit a puddle of standing water and hydroplane, whatever you were doing before losing traction is what you will continue to do after you lose traction. For example: If you are turning at even throttle and begin hydroplaning, you will continue turning. Techinically I call this spinning since you are no longer in control though.

Same goes for acceleration, if you excede the available amount of traction by applying more throttle the rear tires lose traction. No traction in the rear? Guess its time to spin again...

Monkeying with tire pressures and alignment settings will improve wet weather performance at the sacrifice of dry weather performance. Less camber and more air in the tires will help on wet pavement, but it will cost you in the dry. With that in mind, the alignment settings for your second incident are similar to what I would recommend for optimum wet weather performance.

 

Slight correction to Jerry's advice on tire pressure:

Somewhat lower tire pressure helps some in the damp/wet.

Much higher tire pressure supposedly helps in standing water.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Tedster
Slight correction to Jerry's advice on tire pressure:

Somewhat lower tire pressure helps some in the damp/wet.

 

My most spectacular slide ever was in my S2000 in the rain. I flew backwards for what seemed like minutes. Doesn't seem to do it with the bigger front sway bar. What sway bar are you running?

 

You can reduce your camber setting and/or dial in your suspension for more body roll. Get rid of the rear sway bar for a more effective use of your existing camber settings and to help with transitional response.

One more thing to take note of -experiment with driving lines in the wet. In some cases, the natural line will yield the least amount of grip and driving off-line where the surface is more porous will yield better traction.

 

Thanks for the comments,
the suspension is standard, although have recently added a strut tower bar + a lower front reinforcement piece

I agree with the comments on prudence needed in the wet, my issue is with the brutality of the breakaway, it seems be too brutal to be catch-able...and is this normal ?

btw I enjoy controlling oversteer, or even maintaining it (kinder on tyres in the wet !) although this is not relevant for good track driving !

brgds