RE-71's were the sh!t back in their day, I loved those! Haven't come across anything lately that "did it all" like those bad boys

 

You all forgot one important variable as to why some people are having problems and others are not.

Tire Pressure.

Get a good calibrated gauge.

Set them to 32 psi all around.

Then see if they still hydroplane.

Rule number one in troubleshooting any problem;

Check the simple things first!

 

IMO, there is nothing inherently dangerous about the car or the tires.

However, the question is an interesting one that has a complex answer. Simply stated, hydroplaning occurs when a tire loses contact with the road surface as it lifts up onto a film of water. The likelihood of this happening is primarily related to vehicle speed and tire patch surface area and shape. YOU control vehicle speed and YOU can inspect the tires to know when they are worn out. Also bear in mind that the slope of the road often varies, so the depth of water while it is running off the road also varies. These complexities demand conservative driving when conditions are prone to allow hydroplaning.

I think that the people that report that they don't have problems with hydroplaning either intuitively or analytically understand how to drive when the road is very wet. Most of us have hydroplaned in the car (as people do in many cars) and were either not aware of it or it did not result in a problem. In many situation where hydroplaning is possible, the car will warn you before hydroplaning occurs by getting "light". An experienced and attentive driver will compensate for this warning by slowing down. The "feeling of lightness" is manifest in reduction of steering feedback. Perhaps those with very worn rear tires were not sensitive enough to this important signal from the less worn front tires.

One of the most important responses to "that floating feeling" is to ease off the throttle. If you hydroplane on one rear wheel while travelling at highway speeds the back end will push around since one tire has grip and the other does not. The Torsen differential exacerbates this by applying power to the side with grip.

If you don't underrstand what I'm talking about, just slow down anyway and make everyone on the road a little safer .

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by CoralDoc
[B]

 

Most cars will hydroplane given the circumstances. The "feel" and effect of hydroplaning on the car will vary. Cars with open diffs (FWD or RWD) will just have the one or two tires spin freely and you just feel a "loss in power" effect. Car's with LSD's will have either the front or rear end depending on FWD or RWD step sideways...

Cars with VSA or all-speed TCS or DSC or whatever the stability assist system is they use will be the most immune to the hydroplaning "effect" They will still hydroplane but the effect is felt less.

 

I'm making an appointment with the dealer to have my alignment checked...

 

Personally, I'd seek out an alignment shop that had a reputation for doing good work on sports and racing cars rather than taking it to a dealer.

cal

 

TXRacer - I really hope you get your suspension settings checked. I would find it very interesting to see just how many cars have had their settings knocked out during transport. As soon as I get my car in the spring this is something I am going to do.

 

So, for a quick recap, here are some issues that might contribute to a spin:

o Tire Pressure
o Tire Wear
o Alignment
o Bump Steer

For a FAQ, it would be good if someone knowledgable could give a paragraph or two on an item (or items) to let readers know how to check for improper settings, what good settings are, etc.

Anyone care to do a write up for one of the first three? Jason sent me a good link for Bump Steer, plus it's not something that can be corrected easily (or at all so far).

Still would like to do a test of two cars/drivers to better determine if these (or other items) make as much difference as the reports would suggest.

 

I think this is an excellent idea. I totally agree with keeping away from driver error for the purposes of the thread.

Alignment settings are something that obviously needs checking.

I suspect the variant wil be tyre pressure, tyre pressures and tyre pressures!

There's a sticker on the door jamb on my drivers door that advises 32psi all round. For STREET use I can't see any point in changing that. I'm sure Honda and Bridgestone didn't just pluck that figure out of the air. I run mine at 32 psi all round and I find a drop of as little as 2lbs can make the car start to feel much less well planted! I check my pressures once a week with a calibrated guage I've had for some years.