Wondering if anyone else has noticed this...

I had new tyres/wheels stuck on my Fabia about three weeks ago, and I really got to love the sharper handling / cornering,etc. The trouble is its been dry for all that time and this morning is the first time I've driven in proper rain/wet conditions.

The bloody car was skitting about all over the place. I got major oversteer around a roundabout in Exeter this morning, nearly dumping the car into a nasty looking kerb. This could be just me being too complacent with the wheels in the dry I didn't adapt enough for the wet, but it felt like it was handling worse than when I had my old wheels in the wet with the conti tyres on them.

Is it possible that narrower tyres give more grip in wet conditions, or maybe the Marshall low profile tyres are less efficient at dispersing the water that causes aquaplaning than the old conti's? Any feedback on this would be cool, especially any insults you want to throw at the fact that my driving is solely to blame... :drive:

Not sure on the aquaplaning thing - you might find it was just slippery. It tends to be

worse when it rains after a dry spell.

So, I'd say, easy on the throttle...

Rob.

There is some logic actually, larger surface area will give good grip \traction in the dry, but lower psi to the ground so more chance of aquaplaning.

The "perfect" tyre is one that has a large surface area, but a design that "cuts" into the surface tension of the water, the "chevron" type pattern tyre seem best at this.

Originally posted by robmawer

Not sure on the aquaplaning thing - you might find it was just slippery. It tends to be worse when it rains after a dry spell.

This is due to the amount of rubber left on the tarmac, which gives (obviously) good grip when dry, but is a pain to drive on when wet. You'll find that after a while the wet roads become less slippy as the rubber has been washed away.

Q.

Yeah, that's the one...

Another thing that annoys me is all these new roads (eg. latest/final stretch of the

M60 - completed less than 2 years ago I think), that then have big signs over them

saying "warning - road liable to flooding". Hard to believe that in these modern

days of space travel, mobile phones and microwaves, they still can't engineer a

road with decent drainage...

Rob.

Edit: Well that will teach me to type so slowly! All of the Above.

After a dry spell roundabouts are excellent, err I mean very dangerous. All the oil/deposits build up, you might run slightly wider, pick up more gunk and induce a little more "spirit" to your normal drive.

Tyre width does effect (aswell as tread pattern) aquaplane and wet abilities. Similar to snow, big fat tyres are worse than skinnies, weight is distrubuted more and ess pressure is effectivly applied, allowing the tread to rise aka aquaplane.

I had major understeer with a bit of snap on my way in this morning, but I was planning for it and wanted it, knowing that it was greasy and the all the above.

Don't know the marshall tyre, but quite possibly not a good wet weather tyre. I am sure that soon we will be using two sets of tyre. Unless the winter gets any milder of course. The Toyo's I have on now are excellent in the wet, they really do clear the water and find a bit of grip. Just as excellent in the dry, but I guess there are better for really dry days.

Look at it this way you know you saved her today, so have some fun on the way home; I do.

I'm hoping to have a bit more fun than normal, as its drying up this afternoon. My normal bit of "fun" is on a sliproad off the M5 onto the A30 westbound. Its got a tight-ish right hand 270 degree bend with a 30 mph speed limit. Sod that - inside lane at 70mph is my normal tactic as long as no-one is blocking the way - I could never do that with my old wheels - Even 60mph used to make the car start to skitter toward the outside of the bend and "complain" a bit. Another benefit I reckon is the more speed you carry through a corner like that the less acceleration required at the other end...?

I've noticed exactly the same thing since I swapped to bigger wheels and tyres.

I've got the Toyo Proxes as well which are great in the wet, although the fronts grip so well that I get oversteer.

Its actually possible to "throw" the car into oversteer by being slightly agressive with the steering. It doesent slide as such but I can get the back end to step out a foot or two if provoked.

Great fun, may the wet weather continue!