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Why do Camaros hydroplane so easily?

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Old 11-24-2011, 03:16 PM
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Originally Posted by myk
I've always said that I don't know how anyone drives in snow, ice, etc in ANY kind of a vehicle...
As usual, tires make all the difference. With the right tires, it's actually pretty shocking how easily one can drive in the snow, even with only 2-wheel drive. Ice is more tricky though, and by far the most dangerous.
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Old 11-24-2011, 04:43 PM
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Originally Posted by myk
Eh, guess I'm just a spoiled city boy-I bitch and complain when I see 1 inch deep pothole. Honestly I wouldn't know what to do on an unpaved road in less than ideal conditions. I've always said that I don't know how anyone drives in snow, ice, etc in ANY kind of a vehicle...
For a Camaro driving in the snow? You can forget about it. Plan on getting stuck often if the snow plow hasn't come through yet.

My first two cars, a '97 Chrysler Sebring and an '03 Monte Carlo SS were champs in the snow. Being FWD they are FAR better at driving in the snow and not getting suck, sliding, etc.

Anything on ice is going to be dangerous, AWD, RWD, FWD, doesn't matter.
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Old 11-24-2011, 05:53 PM
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Yeah, when I lived in New York and Pennsylvania my dad drove us around in a '77 (?) Skylark and he never seemed to have a problem in the snow, rain, etc. I would imagine that ice is completely undriveable, right?
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Old 11-24-2011, 06:19 PM
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Originally Posted by myk
Yeah, when I lived in New York and Pennsylvania my dad drove us around in a '77 (?) Skylark and he never seemed to have a problem in the snow, rain, etc. I would imagine that ice is completely undriveable, right?
Yes. Completely.
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Old 11-24-2011, 06:36 PM
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Originally Posted by WhiteKnight '01
For a Camaro driving in the snow? You can forget about it. Plan on getting stuck often if the snow plow hasn't come through yet.
You'd be amazed at how much snow a Camaro can plow through with skinny snow tires and some weight in the trunk. I drove through many blizzards and unplowed parking lots with my '02 car in previous years, with true snow/ice tires (Blizzak WS60, 225mm width on a 16x7.5" wheel). I would keep 100lbs of extra weight over the rear (gravel bags), and never let the gas tank get below the 1/2 mark (more weight). Never once did I get stuck, and we get some pretty serious snows here in Chicago.

It's something you just have to get used to. I found that I was actually able to do better with the traction control turned off most of the time.
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Old 11-24-2011, 07:59 PM
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Here in Michigan I see a lot of Fbodies and Mustangs on the roads during the winter. V6 for the most part, but if you use common sense it's not an issue. People forget that the vast majority of vehicles back in the 50's and 60's were RWD. If you want a challenge driving in the winter try a 2wd truck with no weight in the bed.

Originally Posted by myk
I would imagine that ice is completely undriveable, right?
Depends on the condition of the ice. If it's rough you can drive on it, but you need to exercise an extreme amount of caution. Smooth ice with no snow on top of it for traction is next to impossible to drive on. It can be done though.
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Old 11-24-2011, 08:33 PM
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Originally Posted by MI-Z/28
People forget that the vast majority of vehicles back in the 50's and 60's were RWD.


In terms of the domestic brands, they were all RWD except for the Toronado and Eldorado of the late '60s, and of course the 4x4 trucks. I know there were various Euro models that were already FWD by that time though, but these were rare in the US in those days.
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Old 11-27-2011, 08:24 PM
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I am seriously considering going back to a slimmer tire up front. Back roads in my area pull my car all over the road, It is also pretty sketchy in the rain, nothin i cant handle though.
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Old 12-07-2011, 02:27 AM
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A car will slide easier in the rain with stiffer springs but hydroplaning is not an issue.

And I wouldn't worry about a wide tire in the rain because the first ultra-high-performance street tires were based on F1 rain tires. And it's like this, the super tire has large gaps in the tread for the rain and then it's wider to make up for the rubber taken away by the gaps. Just look for the right tire tread design.
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Old 05-15-2017, 08:05 PM
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I was driving my 2013 Camaro SS2 on the highway in the rain doing speed limit and hydroplaned into a 360 totaling my car - it spun out as if I was on ice and it was 70 degrees out - Horrible handling on wet roads
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Old 05-16-2017, 01:04 PM
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Tires!
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Old 05-16-2017, 03:58 PM
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80% tire and 20% throttle response. Eagle F1 and KDWs were the best rain tires with performance that I've used. I honestly try not to drive if there's a chance of rain.
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