Tirerack tread depth article
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,407
Likes: 46
From: Tampa FL
Tirerack tread depth article
Tirerack put out an article about tread depth and safety in wet conditions.
I really believe them on this one. I don't let my wife's or my car ever get below 4/32.
I did a 360 at 70mph one time in my Camaro due to low tread depth on a just rained on highway. I wasn't braking or turning when the spin occurred either.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=85&
I really believe them on this one. I don't let my wife's or my car ever get below 4/32.
I did a 360 at 70mph one time in my Camaro due to low tread depth on a just rained on highway. I wasn't braking or turning when the spin occurred either.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=85&
Banned Scam/Spammer
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 518
Likes: 0
From: Oldsmar FL
Interesting article, thanks for the post...I had a car hydroplane on me once and did the 360 thing and luckily no one was near me except the guard rail which saved me from who knows what...
Race Director
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 14,542
Likes: 5
Tirerack put out an article about tread depth and safety in wet conditions.
I really believe them on this one. I don't let my wife's or my car ever get below 4/32.
I did a 360 at 70mph one time in my Camaro due to low tread depth on a just rained on highway. I wasn't braking or turning when the spin occurred either.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=85&
I really believe them on this one. I don't let my wife's or my car ever get below 4/32.
I did a 360 at 70mph one time in my Camaro due to low tread depth on a just rained on highway. I wasn't braking or turning when the spin occurred either.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=85&
NASA (among others) has done a wealth of research, and it doesn't matter how deep your tread is, if you are driving to fast. Anything more than 57 mph in your Corvette, and you are asking for trouble.
Here's why:
http://howthingswork.virginia.edu/page1.php?QNum=1342
"...a NASA study showing that there is a minimum speed at which a tire will begin to hydroplane and that that speed depends on the square root of the tire pressure. Higher tire pressure tends to expel the water layer and prevent hydroplaning, while lower tire pressure allows the water layer to remain in place when the vehicle is traveling fast enough.. a large truck tire is typically inflated to 100 PSI and resists hydroplaning at speed of up to about 100 mph. But a passenger car tire has a much lower pressure of about 32 PSI and can hydroplane at speeds somewhat under 60 mph. That's why you have to be careful driving on waterlogged pavement at highway speeds and why highway builders carefully slope their surfaces to shed rain water quickly."
Two more links, one with a table to make the math easier:
http://oea.larc.nasa.gov/PAIS/Groove.html
and
http://www.mountainflying.com/hydroplane.htm
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,225
Likes: 0
From: Currently living in and loving... Chico, CA
Good advice there. My son learned about all the above plus positraction and throttle in the rain after spinning one-and-a-half in his Camaro. Fortunately, it stopped at the "lesson learned" stage.
