We've been over this, Ivan. You're correct, but it still doesn't apply to the truck. Go back and read WHY that truck is the worst-handling vehicle on this list and you'll see why conventional arguments don't apply to it. In other words, the only thing that saved us that day was the tread design and compound of the tires! With more weight and a rear-drive vehicle, there's also a different effect from weight-transfer when cornering, so the weight/better resistance to hydroplaning only applies to straight-line driving.
Everyone keep in mind that Ivan started it! I was perfectly happy arguing about brakes now. LOL Brian ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ivan Diaz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, January 31, 2003 12:25 PM Subject: CRX: RE: crx-digest V1 #461 > Actually, the weight of the vehicle has everything to do with its resistance > to hydroplaning. A vehicle hydroplanes when the vehicle is lifted off of the > pavement by water that isn't being displaced fast enough by the tread > pattern of the tire. The more downward force (weight) being applied by the > tire, the faster the vehicle needs to be moving to develop enough water > pressure to overcome the weight of the vehicle, given identical tires. A > larger contact patch on the tire means less weight per square inch of > contact patch, so the water doesn't need to provide as much force per square > inch of contact patch to overcome the weight of the vehicle, which in turn > means it can lift the vehicle at a lower speed. A heavier vehicle means a > larger contact patch (and as a result, a wider tire) can be used, since more > weight is being applied per square inch. Instead of using a narrower tire to > make for a smaller contact patch, treads can be designed to channel water > away appropriately, compensating for the larger contact patch. > > Now, the difference in wet performance between a 16" tire and an 18" tire, > given the same width, would be determined differently, having more to do > with the angle of the curve of the tire vs the angle of the road. The > difference between these two tires would be minimal. > > Conclusion: Given identical vehicles, with a such a small difference in tire > diameter (two inches), resistance to hydroplaning is more of a function of > tire WIDTH than diameter. > > You don't need an engineering degree to use deductive reasoning. =P > > -Ivan >
