alright, so in the past two years, i have owned a b13 sentra xe, which hydroplaned and crashed into the back end of another car, totalling my car, and today, with my b13 se-r, i was driving back from taking a delivery from my pizza store, im coming up to a long turn, not really going to fast, and my car doesnt want to turn. hydroplaned again. hit the curb pretty good with my left front wheel. tore out the half shaft, cracked the control arm, dented my fender, cracked my brake disc backer plate, and im betting my tie rods need replaced now. if anyone can tell me why i keep having hydroplaning problems with my b13s, or can help me out with a left front fender, black, thanks.

I have those issues too. Prob becuase i'm using Yokohama avs100's on stock 14" rims. With such little road contact and a tire that dose'nt have very good wet traction it's no wonder!! Oh well, I'll just drive slow in the rain for now.

see, im running 195-55-14 dunlop sp8000's, they're supposed to have pretty good wet traction, but it seems to me that they dont. my car just didnt turn at all, and now ive got a whole bunch of crap i need to fix.

I'll go out on a limb here and just say that you are probably just going too fast. :confused: :rolleyes:

Looking for a cheap tire that does really well in the water? Pick up a set of Kuhmo 712s.

Aaron

What tires do you use? There are some that have decent traction on wet roads. :)
Of course, no tire, abs system, or traction control can overcome the forces of nature. ;) Wet pavement=loss of traction

in most situations, you're just going too fast for the conditions.

however, my car still has hydroplaning problems. with my old tires, i could spin all day long down the highway (in 5th gear) when it was raining. now i have 195/55/15 falkan ziex ze-512's and the last time i was in the rain i hydroplaned once again. it really doesn't matter to me, i just don't get why i'm still doing it with wider tires that have a LOT more grip.

If I remember correctly from what I learned a couple years ago in physics, when you are hydroplaning the water is pushing your tire off the road. It only takes 1/8" I believe. No amount of traction from the tire is gonna help if it isn't touching the road. Can't fight and when against nature in this case. It's sad, but true. I agree, though, go with the Kuhmo 712's. A friend of mine has them on his 240 and we get great traction.

It sounds to me like you have a lot of torque and power, or your roads really suck, like here in Dallas. Best bet is to slow down in that car while it's raining. Maybe i should take my own advice there.... me slow down? not likely. Good luck!

Originally posted by Monsoon
i just don't get why i'm still doing it with wider tires that have a LOT more grip.

I don't know if the physics are the same with rain as it is with snow, but for better grip when there are elements on the road, skinnier tires are usually better. You want your tires to cut thru the water or snow to get to the pavement. Think of the concept of snowshoes--they let you stand on top of the snow rather than sink through it.

Anywho, I don't seem to have hydroplaning problems with my car. Had them all day long with my 240 (wider tires), but none with my sentra :)

I've noticed this problem too. Even when my tires were brand new they didn't do that well. I usually pull up on my e brake when the front slides and swing the rear end into the slide and that helps a lot. I think these cars just have a lot of go with little to keep them in control. Handling used to be good but I'm thinking my bushings and my struts are showing their wear, plus I drive the car a lot harder than I used to. Brakes suck ass. Trying to stop when I've got it up around 80-100 gets hairy. They usually fade almost completely out and I end up smoking them. I need to get an SE-R and do the BABK upgrade.

Originally posted by NismoSER


I don't know if the physics are the same with rain as it is with snow, but for better grip when there are elements on the road, skinnier tires are usually better. You want your tires to cut thru the water or snow to get to the pavement. Think of the concept of snowshoes--they let you stand on top of the snow rather than sink through it.

Anywho, I don't seem to have hydroplaning problems with my car. Had them all day long with my 240 (wider tires), but none with my sentra :)
NismoSER is right about thinner tires for better grip. The wider your tires are, the more likely you'll hydroplane. That's why a lot of those "high performance" tires have those unidirectional tread designs to help evacuate water from under the tires. But even so, the laws of physics can only be bent so far. No tread or compound can make up for the lost traction. PERIOD.
There's just no way around it people, when it rains you have to drive slower, brake sooner and softer, go around turns more slowly, and be ready for anything. In other words, give yourself and the other drivers more room to make a mistake when the roads are slippery.;)

I think the problem is a "loose nut behind the wheel."

In other words, slow down in wet conditions.

Monsoon: Wider tires hydroplane easier than narrow tires. NismoSER was spot on with his explanation.

alrighty, got you on that. i usually take it slow and keep a space cushion, when it's raining, because i'm a total paranoid nut about my cold air intake. thus, i try to keep out of the "spray" that the cars kick up while in front of you.

Don't they make some sort of bypass valve or somethign for the CAI? I've heard of it, but never seen it. I have seen people temporarily turn their CAI into a WAI during rain to avoid the hydro-lock and frying the MAF. Just a thought, for Monsoon and any others who have the same worry. I'll probably be doing the same when I get a CAI, go back to WAI temp.

I think AEM makes that bypass valve you're talking about for like $60 I think. I don't worry about water with mine, but I plan to make a baffle that will cover the hole in my bumper that I can install quickly and easily without tools. I'll probably fab up a plug out of wood and make one out of fiberglass eventually and when I do I'll offer the info on how to make one or make them and sell them if there is enough demand.

I am definately intersted in seeing your info on that. Let me know how it goes with selling it. I just might go ahead and buy one in addition to the AEM valve. no chances that way.

i will quote the movie -GONE IN 60 SECONDS

"...hell honey, I can't swim! So ya know what I do? I stay my black ass out the pool!"

:D

about hydroplaning, not only does it have a $hit load of pep and torque , but it also doesnt help that the damn thing is way too damn light for water driving, i have had that problem for soooooooooo long i thought that i was just a shit driver, tires, the driver, and the weight of the car are a factor..........what do ya guys think?

after having everything looked at by some professionals, i was told that a big reason that i hydroplaned was because i had old tires. not bald, but old, so they didnt do what they shouldve. i seriously was not driving too fast when i hydroplaned recently, the car shouldve been able to make the wide turn at the speed i was going. i mean, hell, while my car was sitting up on the grass, people drove by me going faster than i had been.

Resistance to hydroplaning is based soley on your tire's ability to displace water. Nothing else. Rain tires with half the tread gone will perform better in the rain than new tires meant for dry conditions. Obviously, loops, you were driving too fast for the conditions.