Hydroplaning issues

[TheHorse13]

Originally Posted by Russtl

The tires are a major factor. Does anyone have any recommendations for tires that handle well in the rain?

I used to slide through puddles like a swamp runner fan boat. I did not like this feeling to say the least. Thankfully, the 2011 model does not behave like the 2014 in traction loss situations.

I went to Continental Extreme Contact DWS tires; they perform excellent in rain, snow and cold weather. The trade off for this is that you lose just a little bit of the sticky traction that you get in the summer months with the stock Pirellis, however, you have confidence year around on how your car will respond in varying conditions.

[Criticalmass]

Originally Posted by Splitter

I may seem like an a-hole by saying it, but its what works for me.

You can hydroplane going as slow as 20mph in much less than an inch of water.

If all four wheels go water-skiing and stabilitrac starts applying brakes. It's all over. You are better off without it on in these scenarios, but you can't really predict when they will happen either.

[Criticalmass]

Originally Posted by Evergreen6

It's a performance car. That is its primary purpose. The goal isn't for GM to protect its customers from themselves, although they do try in many ways. This isn't one of them.

Consider also that using an all-season tire or a snow tire when trying to get the most performance out of the car could be equally dangerous.

All the good All-Season tire options are at places like Tire Rack, and some can be had cheaper than stock Pirelli's. Places like Tire Rack even carry snow tires. --so I doubt it's a "bean counter" issue seeing how the P-Zero is an expensive, and very good, tire when used for its intended purpose.

Even Corvette owners believe GM should offer the OPTION of all-season or summer only when purchasing. I believe they should as well. We don't all live in Arizona. Hell, in Florida, it rains EVERY day during the summer for about 30-60 minutes and they are usually pretty heavy storms. Yet in the winter time they might get 1 or 2 rain events unless there is a hurricane.

And if that's not the goal then why all the damned nannies on these cars? The nannies can and do tend to make issues worse especially with a driver who is used to driving without them (meaning: they already know how to drive and what to do).

[Criticalmass]

Originally Posted by TheHorse13

I used to slide through puddles like a swamp runner fan boat. I did not like this feeling to say the least. Thankfully, the 2011 model does not behave like the 2014 in traction loss situations.

I went to Continental Extreme Contact DWS tires; they perform excellent in rain, snow and cold weather. The trade off for this is that you lose just a little bit of the sticky traction that you get in the summer months with the stock Pirellis, however, you have confidence year around on how your car will respond in varying conditions.

They are an excellent tire, the only thing I don't like about them is their softer sidewall. You lose a bit in the cornering department because of it.

[High Magnitude]

I'm not sure if my car hydroplaned or I was driving on cold tires but it was in the winter and it had been snowing lightly and I took a turn a bit too fast and I totally spun out. Luckily there wasn't any damage as it was an empty, wide road but I consider myself to be very lucky.

[Criticalmass]

Originally Posted by High Magnitude

I'm not sure if my car hydroplaned or I was driving on cold tires but it was in the winter and it had been snowing lightly and I took a turn a bit too fast and I totally spun out. Luckily there wasn't any damage as it was an empty, wide road but I consider myself to be very lucky.

You probably just hit a patch of ice. Snow should not really be an issue if you are careful, but a thin layer of black ice on the road is the devil.

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by MjM804
I don't get it. Growing up, I've had Trans Am's and Camaro's and Corvette's. Meaning no disrespect to anyone, but how the hell don't you pay attention to what kind of tire you have on your car? To this day, just like when I was younger, I am always seeing what is the next best thing. I don't care where you are, what weather you drive in, owning and driving a car like this, how don't you know what kind of rubber you have? Should the dealers tell you what kind of tires are on there? Most likely. But, when ever i'm ordering a car or buying one off the lot, car or truck, one of the first things I check out is what tires they come with. Size, ratings etc. So, to me, hearing people complain about gm and dealers about the tires, come on. Do your homework and pay attention to the details. Tires are one of the most important things you are riding on, you shouldn't have to have someone else point out what tires you have on your car and if they meet your driving conditions. All in my opinion of course!

Originally Posted by TexasTex

Welcome to America, 2015. Where the millennials are more concerned about trend, iPhones and handouts, than anything else.

See if I've got this right . . . it's OK to let mediocrity (driven in turn by customer ignorance and disinclination to learn) define the way the performance-oriented trims of our cars are configured???

Keep in mind that once all-seasons are specified as the only OE tire type for a given car model line that the mfr no longer has reason to tune the rest of the suspension and handling for performance any better than his mid-size FWD sedans. Would you really want the Camaro SS to have trouble bettering the cornering stats and handling "feel" of a nothing-special trim version of a Malibu or an Impala?


Like MjM, I just can't comprehend buying a car having serious performance potential and not wanting to know a thing about the tires that it rolls on. They're just too important. I understand a minivan or Aveo/Sonic/Spark shopper not caring very much about his vehicle's tires beyond their being round and capable of holding air, but not an SS or GT buyer not knowing at least a little more than that.


Norm

[Mint]

Get tires with more tread if you plan on driving in the rain fast

[gajagfan]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

Originally Posted by MjM804
I don't get it. Growing up, I've had Trans Am's and Camaro's and Corvette's. Meaning no disrespect to anyone, but how the hell don't you pay attention to what kind of tire you have on your car? To this day, just like when I was younger, I am always seeing what is the next best thing. I don't care where you are, what weather you drive in, owning and driving a car like this, how don't you know what kind of rubber you have? Should the dealers tell you what kind of tires are on there? Most likely. But, when ever i'm ordering a car or buying one off the lot, car or truck, one of the first things I check out is what tires they come with. Size, ratings etc. So, to me, hearing people complain about gm and dealers about the tires, come on. Do your homework and pay attention to the details. Tires are one of the most important things you are riding on, you shouldn't have to have someone else point out what tires you have on your car and if they meet your driving conditions. All in my opinion of course!

See if I've got this right . . . it's OK to let mediocrity (driven in turn by customer ignorance and disinclination to learn) define the way the performance-oriented trims of our cars are configured???

Keep in mind that once all-seasons are specified as the only OE tire type for a given car model line that the mfr no longer has reason to tune the rest of the suspension and handling for performance any better than his mid-size FWD sedans. Would you really want the Camaro SS to have trouble bettering the cornering stats and handling "feel" of a nothing-special trim version of a Malibu or an Impala?


Like MjM, I just can't comprehend buying a car having serious performance potential and not wanting to know a thing about the tires that it rolls on. They're just too important. I understand a minivan or Aveo/Sonic/Spark shopper not caring very much about his vehicle's tires beyond their being round and capable of holding air, but not an SS or GT buyer not knowing at least a little more than that.


Norm

The majority of the people that buy the SS or GT are buying it to say look what I have, and have no intention of using it to anywhere near its potential. Your not that way. I am not that way. The majority of the folks on this site are not that way. I would think this situation is even more evident with Corvettes and even with higher end cars like Porsches, Ferraris, and Lambos. Its just the facts, and thank God for those people, because there are not enough of us that really want to understand and car to make it worthwhile for these manufacturers to build the cars we love.

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by Mint

Get tires with more tread if you plan on driving in the rain fast

Learn to drive with a delicate touch on the controls in the wet, too. Sudden steering or pedal inputs can and will upset the car all the way to a spin if you're careless or clumsy enough about this.

Do an autocross in the rain so you can better find out for yourself where your tires' poor weather grip limits are. If you really want to know where the limits are and get an even better idea about how much grip is or is not there, make one run with the Stabilitrak turned off after you've been through the course a couple of times (so you'll have a better idea about where it goes).


Norm

[Red2014SS]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

See if I've got this right . . . it's OK to let mediocrity (driven in turn by customer ignorance and disinclination to learn) define the way the performance-oriented trims of our cars are configured???

Keep in mind that once all-seasons are specified as the only OE tire type for a given car model line that the mfr no longer has reason to tune the rest of the suspension and handling for performance any better than his mid-size FWD sedans. Would you really want the Camaro SS to have trouble bettering the cornering stats and handling "feel" of a nothing-special trim version of a Malibu or an Impala?


Like MjM, I just can't comprehend buying a car having serious performance potential and not wanting to know a thing about the tires that it rolls on. They're just too important. I understand a minivan or Aveo/Sonic/Spark shopper not caring very much about his vehicle's tires beyond their being round and capable of holding air, but not an SS or GT buyer not knowing at least a little more than that.


Norm

I don't think that's the issue at all. No one said anything about accepting mediocrity. It's not as if Pirelli P-Zeros are the be all, end all of tires. (They are standard equipment on Ford F-150 FX4 pickups too!... lol.. I kid you not!)

The point is, there are better tire options and Chevy could've gone with them. Yes, everyone should know their tires - Agreed. We car guys do. We know everything about our cars. But how about the 16 year old girl getting a V6 RS for a birthday present? How about the wife who drives the SS to work and gets caught in the rain or unexpected temp drop? Most people who buy Camaros aren't like us. That doesn't mean Chevy should accept mediocrity, but it doesn't absolve them of responsibility when it comes to a quality tire on new car.

Once more, this thread is about someone who hydroplaned and crashed. I'm just kicking the Pirellis out there as a probable cause. Someone else blamed the guy's wife. I think the Pirellis are an acceptance of mediocrity. If anyone disagrees, that's cool with me.

[trashmanssd]

he has hydroplane issue's also.

[Beardface]

I have the Pirellis on my car, and have driven through some heavy stuff and not have had any real issues so far. I have to wonder if some of the issues with the hydroplaning described here are more an issue with the tires themselves or with the way people are driving in inclement weather. Personal experience, when the weather gets bad, I will never allow the car to really rev up, cause the last thing I would want to do is put a lot of torque on those back wheels, especially in a RWD with 300+ HP, and I'd keep it in the most civilized driving mode possible. I do have to wonder if driving a SS a little too hard during inclement weather is leading to most of these issues.

[trashmanssd]

He is doing it right