I need advice on hydroplaning (sp?). I already have the Pilot sport all season, yet whenever I go over 35 mph on local roads, I still hydroplane. Is there anything else I can do? I was driving on the highway when it was down pouring last night and was going about 60 and still had a hard time going in control. Am I going too fast? How fast do you guys go when it's pouring down rain outside?

 

How deep is your tread depths? If your tires are kind of thin, you will hydroplane. It's possible you were driving to fast for the conditions of the road. Some road surfaces hold more water than others.

 

You have to play it by feel man. If it's not a total monsoon here in GA, then you can pretty much drive normal speeds (still not toally safe, I might add)...

When we get the "gulley washer" type rain, your car could literally float away if you're on the wrong street downtown...

 

Like Deezo said, it probably has to do with the tread depth. On most highways, you should be able to go 50mph. But, if your tread is low, then 35 sounds right. This doesnt mean its okay, it means its time to get new tires

 

It doesn't matter what tire you have, once you hit about 25-30 mph your car is hydroplaning and you may not know it, or it may not feel like it. Just drive as safe as possible. But if your tire tread is low, then it would be a real good idea to get new ones.

 

Actually the speed at which you hydroplane is dependent on your tire pressure. (If I remember right its the square of the tire pressure)

Some of the newer treads out there help push the water away but it is mostly the tread depth as was said.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...s_wetperf.html

 

Tread depth and the ability of the tire to shed water quickly. My speed depends mainly on the severity of the rain... been goin as slow as 35 on the highway and still having some hydroplaning, but other times can go 65+ on wet roads with no signs of hydroplaning. If you do start to skid tho, I've always heard DONT hit the brakes. That causes worse hydroplaning cause the tires stop rotating. just a quick word of advice there

 

for me to hydroplane at 30mph i must be literally driving in a lake. I would get new tires asap or just avoid 3 feet deep water. dunno even at worst of weather i never get it till like 60-70mph.

 

wrong... please explain this.

hydroplane has to do with tire, water depth, and tread depth... different combinations of those make hydroplaning happen at different speeds, NOT "25-30mph"

 

Please explain this to us.

When I had Pirelli P6000 Sport Veloce tires. The tread got low and I hydroplaned on roads that I never hydroplaned on when the tires where new.

When I had Dunlop Sport A2's, I never hydroplaned even when the tires got old and worn.

I have Bridgestone RE950's now and never hydroplane and it rained like a bastard last night on my way home from work.

Different tires handle water in different ways.

 

2K2wanabe and deezo, You guys are probably right..I just thought that I had read somewhere that your car can be riding on the water that is actually on the road at that time at those speeds...maybe I am completey wrong...guess I'll have to search for the real definition...Is that not right though...when your car is riding on the water above the road...is that not hydroplaning? Like you guys said, I'm sure tread and water depth has something to do with it as well.

 

Note that ig you have an inch of water on the ground and trying to drive 50-60 mph, you will hydroplane but you should know when to slow down when driving in bad weather conditions.

 

Look, if you're hydroplaning at 35 mph, i bet ya wont hydroplaning with new tires, okay?

 

that is right, but what causes hydroplaning is a factor of tread depth, kind of tire (make, maker, type of rubber), type of tire (summer, all-season, etc), depth of water, type of road surface (how much water it's holding)... I've gone 65 in pouring rain and not had problems and gone 25 in light rain and slid all over... there are many factors that determine when you will hydroplane and what makes it fun is you never know if you're going to until you do

 

in addition and agreement to not hitting the brakes - NEVER HIT THEM while hydroplaning use the accelerator to feather your way out of the situation.

 

Here is some really good info that I found about hydroplaning...pretty good explanation.

The amount of water on the road, your speed and the condition of your tires affect your car's ability to maintain its traction with the road. To avoid hydroplaning, keep the following in mind:

Be aware of potential hydroplaning conditions: standing water, raindrops bubbling on the road, or a sloshing sound from your tires.

Steering is preferred to braking at speeds above 25 mph because less distance is required to steer around an object than to brake to a stop. In wet weather, sudden braking often leads to skids.

Slow down, avoid hard braking or turning sharply, drive in the tracks of the vehicle in front of your and increase your following distance.

With only 1/12th of an inch of water between your tires and the road, each of your tires has to displace one gallon of water per second. Maintaining good tread and properly inflating your tires will increase traction and allow water to escape from under the tires.

Choose a speed consistent with the amount of water on the road. At 30 mph or less, properly inflated tires with good tread will maintain contact. Even brand-new tires will lose some footprint contact at speeds as low as 35 mph. At 60 mph, water may separate the tire from the road and cause hydroplaning.

 

agreed on the Dunlops... best rain tires I've driven in. As for my Falken Azenis Sport, I've lost traction plenty of times in 1" water, 25mph. It's embarassing to have nice rims and going 25 in the slow lane on the highway.
Jae