Feeling sloppy on wet roads
Feeling sloppy on wet roads
On the chance that I will sound stupid or be laughed at I have to ask.
I have relatively new Yokohama Avid HS4 235/45 R17’s on my Evo. They were on the car when I bought it around four months ago. They feel great on dry pavement even on moist pavement. But the rural roads around here that get a lot of heavy traffic from all weights of vehicles are very uneven, they pretty much have tire tracks in the road, making wet roads not so fun.
When it rains, there are spots that sometimes hold about a half inch or so of water. Driving on these roads the Evo feels really sloppy. This is my first AWD car; I have felt the hydroplane in both RWD and FWD thought it could be felt it was less of a sloppy feeling less over all movement. I drive these roads to go to work and know the roads well enough to know where the worst spots are and at what speeds are safe to drive. I drive safely when the roads are wet and even more so now that I have the Evo. Not only because I don’t want to wreck the car but because the sloppiness I feel does intimidate me. It is hard to explain really but it feels very different than in other cars/trucks.
My question is though is it really me, the tires, or just the way the Evo handles on wet roads? I really don’t think it is me but more possibly my experience with an AWD car, I basically feel the car pulling a lot more so than with the types of drive. I think the tires are the major culprit with this but will add in the latter as well. I do not think it is the Evo, though I could be wrong.
If it is the tires what are some very nice all season tires that are good on wet roads that also have some performance to them? I have thought about the Ecsta ASX, but would like some other input on them and other tires.
Just want to point out I am not trying to drive like a nut job on wet roads but I would like to feel safer driving on wet roads.
Any help or thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks
Raist
I have relatively new Yokohama Avid HS4 235/45 R17’s on my Evo. They were on the car when I bought it around four months ago. They feel great on dry pavement even on moist pavement. But the rural roads around here that get a lot of heavy traffic from all weights of vehicles are very uneven, they pretty much have tire tracks in the road, making wet roads not so fun.
When it rains, there are spots that sometimes hold about a half inch or so of water. Driving on these roads the Evo feels really sloppy. This is my first AWD car; I have felt the hydroplane in both RWD and FWD thought it could be felt it was less of a sloppy feeling less over all movement. I drive these roads to go to work and know the roads well enough to know where the worst spots are and at what speeds are safe to drive. I drive safely when the roads are wet and even more so now that I have the Evo. Not only because I don’t want to wreck the car but because the sloppiness I feel does intimidate me. It is hard to explain really but it feels very different than in other cars/trucks.
My question is though is it really me, the tires, or just the way the Evo handles on wet roads? I really don’t think it is me but more possibly my experience with an AWD car, I basically feel the car pulling a lot more so than with the types of drive. I think the tires are the major culprit with this but will add in the latter as well. I do not think it is the Evo, though I could be wrong.
If it is the tires what are some very nice all season tires that are good on wet roads that also have some performance to them? I have thought about the Ecsta ASX, but would like some other input on them and other tires.
Just want to point out I am not trying to drive like a nut job on wet roads but I would like to feel safer driving on wet roads.
Any help or thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks
Raist
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 9,002
Likes: 12
From: somewhere testing various tires, brakes, and suspensions.
Evos seem to track with the roads more than other cars I have had. They just sit in/out of the wear ruts. That said, if there are puddles the car will pull into them as it hits the water. Or if you are going quick enough will go over the water puddles (hydroplane).
If the tires are newish and have good tread then they should be able to cut the water well. If they are getting low then they will not work through water as well.
What is the alignment on the car? How does the car feel on smooth roads in dry and wet conditions?
I have done track days in pouring rain and speeds over 130 - on smooth roads the car tracks quite well. My guess is that the road ruts + rain are the issue and not the car. Also, the ASX tires worked great for me as AS tires. I had them on my car for the last 2 winters.
If the tires are newish and have good tread then they should be able to cut the water well. If they are getting low then they will not work through water as well.
What is the alignment on the car? How does the car feel on smooth roads in dry and wet conditions?
I have done track days in pouring rain and speeds over 130 - on smooth roads the car tracks quite well. My guess is that the road ruts + rain are the issue and not the car. Also, the ASX tires worked great for me as AS tires. I had them on my car for the last 2 winters.
May want to consider alignment changes...With 0 toe from the factory, assuming thats what it is today, the car will have a tendency to wonder, in this case do to ruts and water- . Have a little negative toe added to the front tires and it will track straighter and have less tendency to wonder.
The road ruts here are horrible you can see them on dry days. I would love to lower my car some but the roads I drive (Evo is my DD) make me worry about suspension and possible damage. In fact the past month I have had to dodge a pot hole half the size of one lane and what looks to be a good 2” to 3” deep if not more. These roads are traveled by a large number of people and heavy equipment (farm equipment and 18 wheelers).
I normally run low to mid 30’s for tire PSI so maybe I should go up a few to test out the handling then, didn’t even think about trying that. The tires also have plenty of tread as I said they look fairly new. As for the alignment I am not sure about that at the moment haven’t had a reason to think it was that, because on level roads and the highway there is no pull at all everything feels as it should. Even these roads are not bad when it is dry for the most part. When you pass though you can feel that you are coming out of the grooves worn into the road.
On the even roads that are wet and no puddles the car feels good, no issues really. So I guess then it is mostly the roads and my being new to an AWD and how they handle in rutted roads with puddles. What you say makes me feel better, at least I understand it is not all me now.
These roads I definitely would not be driving 130 on when they are wet lol. I barely do the speed limit in these conditions. If I went much faster I am pretty sure I would end up in the ditch or worse.
Thanks for the input, gives me some things to try and consider.
Raist
I normally run low to mid 30’s for tire PSI so maybe I should go up a few to test out the handling then, didn’t even think about trying that. The tires also have plenty of tread as I said they look fairly new. As for the alignment I am not sure about that at the moment haven’t had a reason to think it was that, because on level roads and the highway there is no pull at all everything feels as it should. Even these roads are not bad when it is dry for the most part. When you pass though you can feel that you are coming out of the grooves worn into the road.
On the even roads that are wet and no puddles the car feels good, no issues really. So I guess then it is mostly the roads and my being new to an AWD and how they handle in rutted roads with puddles. What you say makes me feel better, at least I understand it is not all me now.
These roads I definitely would not be driving 130 on when they are wet lol. I barely do the speed limit in these conditions. If I went much faster I am pretty sure I would end up in the ditch or worse.
Thanks for the input, gives me some things to try and consider.
Raist
I run the Kumho ASX on my DD evo. Ran it in snow before also. It works wonders. Though the sidewalls could use a bit more thickness to it (has a little more sway than stock), they are great all season tires.
Evolved Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 6,902
Likes: 151
From: Grand Island, NE
I’m not familiar with the HS4 tire. However, tires with stiff sidewalls (for handling) will follow grooved roads and have the other bad manners you describe.
For bad and wet roads like you describe I’d suggest a very soft tire that can conform to the surface. Dunlop snow tires with silicon rubber meet this requirement and they wear forever – you can run them all year if necessary.
You are giving up most of the handling for a car that will track straight without fighting you. So, I’d suggest a second set of rims with aggressive tires for when you want the Evo experience.
For bad and wet roads like you describe I’d suggest a very soft tire that can conform to the surface. Dunlop snow tires with silicon rubber meet this requirement and they wear forever – you can run them all year if necessary.
You are giving up most of the handling for a car that will track straight without fighting you. So, I’d suggest a second set of rims with aggressive tires for when you want the Evo experience.
