frog

Let's not discuss just yet please I want to find out what the general feeling is before we get into the discussion.

Just being curious as it seems to be a common belief

RWD_cossie_wil

iTrader: (9)

they handle exactly the same as they do in the dry, just with less physical grip

JjCoDeX75

Am restaining myself tilll we are allowed to offer our reasoning!

JJ

pete mcrash

iTrader: (1)

ya cant say yes or no..............depends on the/what car...........but yes!!!!! all cars handle worse in the wet

RWD_cossie_wil

iTrader: (9)

???? explain?

cozmeister

iTrader: (1)

I think RWD cars only handle 'badly' in the wet if you drive or treat them badly... Or if they're running on slicks or have bad suspension!

bud-weis

which RWD cars in particular??

in general no they don't...so long as the driver is aware that smashing the throttle on mid corner will result in a bit of drama! but that's true of FWD cars too, but it's a little less scary.

a mate has a 330ci that seems to handle the wet just like it handles the dry...but it's fitted with proper tyres and it's built properly,

pete mcrash

iTrader: (1)

explain what????.............someone explain badly first

RWD_cossie_wil

iTrader: (9)

cars handle EXACTLY the same , nothing changes except grip level, castor camber and rebound/ spring rates etc do not move themselves when it rains.......

All it is is less mechanical grip on the road

pete mcrash

iTrader: (1)

i know that.....cheers..........but for the purpose of this stupid fookin' question im taking the word "handle" in a overall sence..............

bud-weis

but that's not quite true is it?

well obviously the part about the geometry changing is true...but a car that is setup to go fast in the dry ...could be a load of shite in the wet.

what i'm saying is although nothing changes, the car becomes badly mannered because the suspension setup isn't suited to wet conditions, be it too stiff or whatever.

cozmeister

iTrader: (1)

I think the question is more 'is the handling less predictable, hence more difficult to interact with'...

Rich_w

Voted No.

But they do require more finesse. Thats where people fall down (off into a ditch! ) If anything the whole "Balance" thing makes for better handling in the wet than an equivilent power FWD car

However, Im loving this quote!

Stu @ M Developments

iTrader: (12)

I can think of plenty of cars that handle perfcetly well in teh wet. Plenty.

But its all about teh car, teh tyres and the scenario.

Example.
My last Sapphire was about 20 seconds quicker round the ring in the pissing down rain than it was bone dry. Timed and proven beyond a doubt, with video evidence... and teh ring was the ONLY place it would have been faster, due to a number of reasons...

RWD_cossie_wil

iTrader: (9)

true, but a well set up car generally behaves like it does in the dry, on;y it tends to loose grip a bit sooner and needs to be driven much more smoothly

GARETH T

if im driving,,,, yes

cozmeister

iTrader: (1)

No manhole covers in the middle of the road to slip on for one

bud-weis

i'm guessing the tyres and brakes stayed cooler due to the nice wet track?

bud-weis

correct

mines awful only cos of the tyres though, they are pretty poor in the rain which acts as a good deterrant for driving fast in the wet

Stu @ M Developments

iTrader: (12)

Tyres. Man those F1s were garbage... never again would i take a saff on F1s to teh ring!!

No matter what you did with pressures, they were goosed after just over half a lap. Felt like blamonge

Unless it was raining... then they would do nearly 2 laps.

bud-weis

Graham S1

all depends on the talent of the driver.

this last week or two has been great, loadsa sideways fun at the legal limit or less.

JjCoDeX75

Without wishing to question u, but how can this be, Stu? was this car or driver?

Logic dictates that dry = grip = faster

I myself like to hide when it rains at the ring, but that's me - Southern Fairy! LOL


JJ

bud-weis

check his reply above....dry weather meant the tyres went like jelly after half a lap....in the wet they remained good for the whole lap..and more

cozmeister

iTrader: (1)

The last week or two's been a nightmare Every roundabout all I hear in my left ear is the missus saying "behave yourself!"

JjCoDeX75

Sorry - typing on phone so takes ages - post came whilst writing!

That would explain it - F1s are litter in dry - I shredded a set.on the M5 at the ring v quickly!!!

Never bought em since

Graham S1

a pair of earplugs lasts longer if you only use them in one ear at a time.

4x4

good point. i always look at the man hole covers n think they should have a few layers of some sort of grippy surface on them, sure its not hard

stevetinks

well in my all powerful 1.8 sierra things got super fun/deadly in the rain, when i had a set of 6.5j focus tyres on the back. (were on the car when i bought it) several times, even pulling out of junctions was a brave feat. now i have a set of 8 j compo's on the back, back end hasn't stepped out once in the wet, so i'd say its all down to how you drive. blaming handling in the rain is a poor excuse if you wrap it up, as your driving style should change according to weather conditions. but then thats just in a 1.8. I imagine it would be a lot different in a real engines sierra

RichardPON

This is going to be the age old debate about the difference between handling and grip, and has already been answered it would seem.

dojj

iTrader: (3)

no it's not, they've just fitted it with some electricery to stop it from goin off when it goes round corners

i rememebr alex telling us that the new M4 thingy he's got tells the insurance company when you turn the traction control off so they don't pay you when you bin it

it's not that i'm saying the car will handle like a barge with it off, but it's cheating all the same because, in teh wet, the much wider rubber means you have more chance of aquaplaning and therefore more chance of binning it than you would in a thinnly wheeled car with half the rubber on the road due to the need to shift less water to create the dry patch

as to the question "do rwd car handle badly in the wet" it's all down to driver ability, michael schuimaker can drive his car in teh wet much quicker than most other F1 drivers in less powerfull cars and they are rwd whihc just goes to proove that you need to have david couthard in front of you to beat him

RichardPON

It's nothing to do with driver ability whatsoever.

That's how YOU handle a car in the wet, which is completely different from how a car handles.

bud-weis

dojj

a 330ci is a very well built, well balanced car that handles all conditions well, regardless of it having any gizmo's, it's a good all rounder that you don't really need to alter your driving style regardless of the conditions (to a certain point obviously).

My Sierra is the opposite, it's shit in the wet ( because of the tyres, as i mentioned above ) just the other day i pulled into morrisons and the car went properly sideways...i was doing a little over 20mph

but as Pon says that's more to do with grip than handling tbh.

whilee

my capri is shite in the wet...sorry ment to say more fun when wet

frog

I see you've all read the first line about discussing this

Except for JjCoDeX75

Maybe to help clarify what I meant
Any car will be worse in the wet in terms of lap speed, breaking, cornering, etc..., being front, rear or 4x4 drive, that's pretty obvious.

I've heard people say "oh, your car is rwd, I bet it's a handful in the wet", "I wouldn't have one, too dangerous", etc...

So, is that the general view, they are dangerous and shouldn't be touched with a barge pole ?

Those with common sense (as has been said above) will mention it's all about finesse, respecting the car's ability and conditions, etc...

Joe Bloggs (not on PF according to votes so far) in my experience seems to think it's just a loaded weapon, which it can be in the wrong hands, but handled carefully, it's not.

Nash

iTrader: (3)

You have pretty much got it spot on imo with that last sentence

ivorbiggun

Well I sit down to pee, that's cos I'm a lazy cu*t and the Dr said I mustn't life anything heavy.......

edd

26 morons said they dont lmfao

ivorbiggun

That's 'lift' obviously