Are The Awd's Known For Hydroplaning

[L8TR V8S]

hey guys i just want to know if it is normal for my awd to hydroplane whenever it rains becuase when it does the back end feels like it wants to swing out??? Is this normal??

 

[johnfsmith]

No, Sounds like you need new tires or have tires that weren't meant for the rain.

 

[howie3]

No, Sounds like you need new tires or have tires that weren't meant for the rain.

Have you ever drove an awd in the rain or snow? Because mine car is like L8TR V8s and I have brand new tires, all seasons. Don't know what it is or how to fix ir though. I will follow this thread close also.

 

[napkinthief]

just because its awd doesn't mean you will never lose control, you are sacrificing a lot when you go fast in the rain or snow

no matter how many of the wheels are actually grabbing traction, there can always be slipups

as stated, new tires for rain or snow really help by directing the water into the threads and out the wheel, other then that, just try not to go too fast.

 

[Slippi84]

Listen guys awd is not mean you have 100% tranction 24/7. When it rains especialy this is true. Think about it if there is a area where it is real slick from like a light drizzle and one tire hydroplains a little what makes you think that if the ara is big enough and all your tires hit it they won't do the same.

 

[napkinthief]

^ exactly thank you slippi

id just like to add, you hydroplane mostly when going over 35, and your tires cant displace the water quick enough and it gets under the part of the thread that touches the road

other times when your car slips, but is not hydroplaning would be the first 3-7 minutes of rain. this is especially true in dusty areas and at the bottom of hills. The rain washes all the dirt and gravel and whatever is on the road surface down the hill, and then the ground acts like a dirt lot, and you may be mistaking something like this for hydroplaning

my fwd hydroplanes anytime i go over 28-30 mph, usually highway. if you do hydroplane, just try to keep the tires aimed at the direction the car is moving, and dont use the brakes, nothing will help you until the car naturally slows down and grabs contact, and if your wheels are aligned with the angle your car was drifting, you will barely notice anything except a slight tug, if your wheels are off you will feel the car grab and jerk hard, not something you ever want to feel on a highway for the first time you hydroplane (bad experience)

 

[johnfsmith]

Have you ever drove an awd in the rain or snow? Because mine car is like L8TR V8s and I have brand new tires, all seasons. Don't know what it is or how to fix ir though. I will follow this thread close also.

Sure have or I wouldn't have posted an answer... if you have good tires made for the weather you're driving in one way to fix it would be with your foot... learn throttle control...

 

[rice_rocket]

I would say you guys have bad bad tires...

I have used the Falken FZR high performance summer tires for years now, and have absolutely no problems with hydroplaning, even going 80mph on the highway. I have recently gone into "retirement" and am using hankook all-season high performance, and still have no problems at all in the rain. Stay away from the big puddles, and slow down. And to note, please don't think you can take corners hard in the rain, you'll end up spinning out.

 

[Jafro]

I had some really crappy tires on my car when I first bought it. They had tons of tread and huge sidewalls, but that's all the detail I'm getting into about them.

When taking extremely sharp on/off ramps, my car had a tendency to break traction on the rear tires and drift through these exits sideways when the roads were wet. It didn't do this just once. It would do this sometimes when I didn't expect it. I quickly got rid of those tires and the problem was solved.

Any time you are turning on a wet road with a 2g AWD and hit the gas, the rear wheels should kick out. This is normal. You have a LSD rear, and when you hit the gas, it locks. Your wheels turn at the same speed instead of independantly in the turn, and the result is traction loss and oversteer. The front wheels will keep you going where you're aiming because your front differential is an open diff, and those wheels will rotate independantly (thus keeping traction).

Sounds to me like you got sideways and it scared you.

 

[irjoshy]

I had the same problem with my Dean tires.... which are a knockoff of Coopers, however, as soon as I switched to some Yokohama AVS's I have yet to hydroplane even with spirited driving down hills in the rain....

-Josh

 

[h3o]

hows your camber/caster/toe (alignment) also check your tires and suspension. these could all be problems with hydroplaning. or the obvious in which you are driving way to fast

 

[Defiant]

Yeah, something sounds wrong. Mine's steady in the rain. Higher tire pressures (with decent tread) help a lot in the rain, too. More PSI to the road surface, better water displacement, better grip in a smaller contact patch.

 

[eclipsh]

If you've lowered the car definately check the alignment. Before I had mine checked the car was very squirmy. Now with some Bridgeston Potenza 009's I don't hydroplane at 60-70. Of course, i slow down for big puddles and corners... FWIW, the tires I'm running work fairly well in snow too.

 

[eclipsh]

BAH, double post.

Anyway, the alignment fix helped a lot and not having bald tires.

 

[howie3]

It sounds to me like all of you fwd guys are jealous that you don't have awd. I think it has to do with caster-camber cause our cars have bad understeer from factory. Someone else talked about it a couple post above. Who knows... it make driving fun though. Peace.

 

[TuRtLe Tsi]

the awd drivw guys think they are invisable just cuz they got more traction than most... let me tell you this my buddy thought the same thing with his sti until he wrapped it around a tree with my best friend in the passenger seat... but anyways yeah man i agree with most of the people above its probably your tires if not get under the car and look around for anything that doesnt look right...

 

[eclipsh]

the awd drivw guys think they are invisable just cuz they got more traction than most...

We're invisable from having traction?! SWEET. No speeding tickets for me.

 

[Carter97GSX]

My GSX has traction problems in the rain as well, and although you guys make some good points about the driving speed and alignment you're forgetting a couple important things.

I don't know about you guys, but I have wider aftermarket wheels and tires. The wider the tire is where it touches the road the easier it will be for you to hydroplane. Hydroplaning happens when the water cannot move out of the way fast enough, and that happens at a lower speed when the water has to move around a wider tire. Also, these cars are pretty light, and the weight of the vehicle is just as important because a heavier vehicle will be able to force more water out of the way before it is lifted resulting at hydroplaning at higher speeds than the lighter counterpart.

You can NEVER eliminate hydroplaning, but here are some things that can ensure that it will happen at higher speeds:

1. Buy tires made for the rain (tires with large channels between the treads that force the water to the sides of the tire)
2. Buy narrower tires to decrease the surface area in contact with the road (this hurts traction when its dry so you don't like this idea)
3. Make your car heavier (this makes your DSM slow, so you don't like this idea either)
4. Buy a giant spoiler to add downforce and increase load on rear tires (these look dumb)

One last thing. If you lower your car the tires will not be in full contact with the road. Instead, they will sit slightly on the inside edge leading to the inside of the tire wearing out much faster than the outside. This will actually help with hydroplaning due to the corresponding decrease in contact area between the tires and the road.

I hope this helps with your hydroplaning problems, and until you get the problem worked out just drive SLOW.

 

[98RedDragon]

yea like said above dont do the big wing on the back option, i hate cars that have GIGANTIC wings on the back, that just look retarded. on the other hand my friend who has a civic put a big wing on the back and he says it made him "faster"......pshh what a loser

 

[Whiplash]

I have a huge wing on my TSI. I look for huge puddles, then I give it WOT and as soon as I notice that my car is starting to hydroplane I press the "turbo" button and my car adjusts the wing in such a manner that my car lifts off the ground for 5 seconds, and I fly over the puddle...

 

[Defiant]

Also, these cars are pretty light,

First time I've ever seen that comment about the bloaty, puffy, stuttering, club-footed pig that is DSM.

 

[Carter97GSX]

You are absolutely right. The car is not light, but rather it has low weight/tire area. Also, the 200lbs of stereo equipment in mine may be helping to keep those rear wheels on the ground.

 

[h3o]

First time I've ever seen that comment about the bloaty, puffy, stuttering, club-footed pig that is DSM.

my cars light only 2225lbs