akirk wrote:I think it can depend on how wet...
various tactics:
- drive the 4x4 instead of the RWD sports car is an obvious one - the z3 shimmys and jumps if one wheel loses traction through water - the Kuga (now octavia - but same Haldex system) seems happy as long as one of 4 wheels is reasonably dry
Alasdair
petes wrote:akirk wrote:I think it can depend on how wet...
various tactics:
- drive the 4x4 instead of the RWD sports car is an obvious one - the z3 shimmys and jumps if one wheel loses traction through water - the Kuga (now octavia - but same Haldex system) seems happy as long as one of 4 wheels is reasonably dry
Alasdair
Not really normal to have different cars for each season though, is it?
petes wrote:akirk wrote:I think it can depend on how wet...
various tactics:
- drive the 4x4 instead of the RWD sports car is an obvious one - the z3 shimmys and jumps if one wheel loses traction through water - the Kuga (now octavia - but same Haldex system) seems happy as long as one of 4 wheels is reasonably dry
Alasdair
Not really normal to have different cars for each season though, is it?
akirk wrote:I have wellies for the wet, and normal shoes for the dry - seems to be an extension of the same logic and probably not all that unusual around here!
titian wrote:Ensure that your demisting system is switched on as soon as you get into the car, wet bodies soon mist up the windows.
Take a lighter grip on the steering wheel, it helps transmit twitches when a wheel begins to loose grip, then tighten up you grip immedisately to avoid the effects of standing water pulling your steering in one direction or the other.
Avoid pools of standing water if at all possible - remember that a roadside pool of water may hide a flooded mineshaft! Look well ahead, plan your drive with smooth positioning to avoid the worst of the standing water.
Maybe it's time to check and replace your wiper blades?
Whilst 1.6mm may be the legal minimum tread depth, on wet roads it's often safer to change your tyres at double that say, 3.5 - 4 mm.
StressedDave » Tue Jul 14, 2015 6:38 am
titian wrote:
Take a lighter grip on the steering wheel, it helps transmit twitches when a wheel begins to loose grip, then tighten up you grip immedisately to avoid the effects of standing water pulling your steering in one direction or the other.
Personally, I never have anything other than the lightest grip possible. You don't actually get any benefit from a gorilla grip on the wheel even in standing water.
titian wrote:StressedDave » Tue Jul 14, 2015 6:38 am
titian wrote:
Take a lighter grip on the steering wheel, it helps transmit twitches when a wheel begins to loose grip, then tighten up you grip immedisately to avoid the effects of standing water pulling your steering in one direction or the other.
Personally, I never have anything other than the lightest grip possible. You don't actually get any benefit from a gorilla grip on the wheel even in standing water.
Have you never found yourself driving along a country road (or even on a motorway for that matter) in heavy rain, where due to the road layout you are forced to hold a nearside position, and the accumulation of water gripping the two nearside wheels begins to pull you into the nearside, firm up your grip, right hand pulls down against the forces pulling you into the nearside and the soft verge, it just may be a "gorilla grip" for a few moments - but you remain on the black stuff!
TripleS wrote:titian wrote:Ensure that your demisting system is switched on as soon as you get into the car, wet bodies soon mist up the windows.
Take a lighter grip on the steering wheel, it helps transmit twitches when a wheel begins to loose grip, then tighten up you grip immedisately to avoid the effects of standing water pulling your steering in one direction or the other.
Avoid pools of standing water if at all possible - remember that a roadside pool of water may hide a flooded mineshaft! Look well ahead, plan your drive with smooth positioning to avoid the worst of the standing water.
Maybe it's time to check and replace your wiper blades?
Whilst 1.6mm may be the legal minimum tread depth, on wet roads it's often safer to change your tyres at double that say, 3.5 - 4 mm.
....so long as you remember to change back to tyres with a minimum of 1.6 mm tread when the roads are dry, though this can get a bit tyresome when we find the roads changing from dry to wet and vice versa several times during the course of one journey.
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