WTF! How can my tires be THIS bad in the rain?

[Ultima]

Like I've mentioned, I got my first car ('88 Dodge Shadow) on Monday. On that same day, I almost totalled it when I skidded in the rain.
Well, today it was just *barely* raining and the ground was just a bit wet, but I was skidding all over the place! I even skidded while taking off, I wasn't flooring it or anything, and my motor makes less than 100hp! When braking, if I brake slowly, then slowly increase the pressure then maybe I can get strong braking without locking the wheels because of weight transfer but otherwise I gotta pump them. I almost killed a jaywalker today because of the damn tires. Any idea how they can be so bad? I tried to find traction ratings on them but couldn't find any.

FYI, they're 185/70R14 88S M+S Kelly all season tires (radials).

 

[ndee]

Originally posted by: Ultima
Like I've mentioned, I got my first car ('88 Dodge Shadow) on Monday. On that same day, I almost totalled it when I skidded in the rain.
Well, today it was just *barely* raining and the ground was just a bit wet, but I was skidding all over the place! I even skidded while taking off, I wasn't flooring it or anything, and my motor makes less than 100hp! When braking, if I brake slowly, then slowly increase the pressure then maybe I can get strong braking without locking the wheels because of weight transfer but otherwise I gotta pump them. I almost killed a jaywalker today because of the damn tires. Any idea how they can be so bad? I tried to find traction ratings on them but couldn't find any.

FYI, they're 185/70R14 88S M+S Kelly all season tires (radials).

all season tires are suck.

 

[vi edit]

how much tread is left on them? Look at the wear bars.

 

[TomC25]

1. real skinny tires

2. most likely the tread is worn down

3. no anti-lock brake system

 

[Jzero]

How old are they?

 

[Electric Amish]

How new are they?

amish

 

[amdskip]

sounds like you need new tires and brakes

 

[StageLeft]

You need new tires. Mine were so bad that in the rain I'm sure braking distance increased by at least two times. I just replaced them this week. Yours are probably shot.

 

[vi edit]

1. real skinny tires

I would think that skinny would actually be preferable. Less surface area to spread across the water to hydroplane. Narrower tires will dig into the water better, I would think. Same thing on snow/ice. Narrow is better since it cuts in better.

I know from experience that my wide performance tires on my old GTi were a terrible hinderance in the rain, and that car hydroplaned like no car I'd owned before.

 

[FeathersMcGraw]

Originally posted by: Ultima
Like I've mentioned, I got my first car ('88 Dodge Shadow) on Monday. On that same day, I almost totalled it when I skidded in the rain.

If they're not new tires, I'd get the tread depths measured right away. As in "assume your car may not be safe to drive" right away.

 

[Ultima]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
how much tread is left on them? Look at the wear bars.

The tread on the front tires is getting pretty low, no wear bars yet but they're pretty low. Anyway, I didn't think it could be just that cause when it's not even raining.. when it's just a *bit* wet.. the tires still suck ass. Maybe it's the rubber compound.. and yeah, they're all seasons. The guy who sold me the car doesn't even remember when he last changed the tires.. lol

 

[TomC25]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

1. real skinny tires

I would think that skinny would actually be preferable. Less surface area to spread across the water to hydroplane. Narrower tires will dig into the water better, I would think. Same thing on snow/ice. Narrow is better since it cuts in better.

I know from experience that my wide performance tires on my old GTi were a terrible hinderance in the rain, and that car hydroplaned like no car I'd owned before.

Really? I didn't think of it that way. I just figured more tire surface touching pavement for road driving would always be better.

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: Ultima

Originally posted by: vi_edit
how much tread is left on them? Look at the wear bars.

The tread on the front tires is getting pretty low, no wear bars yet but they're pretty low. Anyway, I didn't think it could be just that cause when it's not even raining.. when it's just a *bit* wet.. the tires still suck ass. Maybe it's the rubber compound.. and yeah, they're all seasons. The guy who sold me the car doesn't even remember when he last changed the tires.. lol

Sounds like that might be your problem there. you might want to look into it before $200 on tires becomes a $500 accident deductable, $500 insurance rate hike, and $200 tires.

 

[Thegonagle]

In smallish lettering on the sidewall (often, it's only on one side of the tire, so sometimes it ends up on the inner sidewall when the tire is mounted), you will find three ratings: Treadwear, temperature, and traction. Traction is a rating of wet braking ability. If that traction rating is anything other than "A", there is a major part of your problem. It means that the tires were super cheap, and should be replaced. An experienced person in a good tire shop should be able to help you pick out something that's pretty decent in the rain. They should also be able help you figure out if a 195-width tire can fit on your rims.

EDIT: It doesn't sound like hydroplaning is the problem here, so a narrower tire won't help in this situation (nor will a wider tire hurt), when the roads are merely damp, and there is not enough water to create a hydroplane effect.

 

[Jzero]

Yeh get new tires...even if the tread is still deep enough, the rubber could be so crusty and oxidized that they are still crap. I've owned 2 used cars and on both of them I bought new tires soon after getting them b/c the owner didn't remember how old they are and I figured $200 on tires is a small price to pay for safety.

 

[SaintGRW]

Originally posted by: TomC25

Originally posted by: vi_edit

1. real skinny tires

I would think that skinny would actually be preferable. Less surface area to spread across the water to hydroplane. Narrower tires will dig into the water better, I would think. Same thing on snow/ice. Narrow is better since it cuts in better.

I know from experience that my wide performance tires on my old GTi were a terrible hinderance in the rain, and that car hydroplaned like no car I'd owned before.

Really? I didn't think of it that way. I just figured more tire surface touching pavement for road driving would always be better.

wider tires are better, you have more traction and that's what you want. as for breaking check the tread, and check the brakes too. you said when it was just *barely* raining..that takes no effect the 1st inch of rain is the worst especially if it hasn't rained in awhile it picks up all the oil off the road and in turn makes it very slippery. just try to get a little more used to the gas and the car and you should be fine.

 

[Thegonagle]

Wider tires are not better when there's accumulated snow on the road.

 

[jemcam]

Originally posted by: Garfang
Wider tires are not better when there's accumulated snow on the road.

 

Wider tires are not better when there's accumulated snow on the road.

Correct,skinnier tires will sink down and bite the surface better.

Read Carefully

 

[MomAndSkoorbaby]

Yeah, as Skoorb mentioned we had to get new tires really badly...we were skidding all over the place like Slip 'n Slide!

 

[Vic]

Yes, it sounds like your tires suck, however (and I can't believe no one noticed this before), you mentioned that it was *barely* raining and that the roads were just slightly wet. This is actually when the roads are slickest, because the rain has lifted the oil and grime to the surface, but it has not rained enough to wash it out.

 

[Kadarin]

Other factors that affect traction: As tires get older, the rubber compounds in them can dry out and the tire will then have less traction in general. Also, you'll notice on most tires that when they're new, they have all kinds of grooves and edges (sipes) that don't go all the way down through the tread blocks, so when the tires wear down, these disappear and the traction will get worse.

 

[SaintGRW]

Originally posted by: PSYWVic
Yes, it sounds like your tires suck, however (and I can't believe no one noticed this before), you mentioned that it was *barely* raining and that the roads were just slightly wet. This is actually when the roads are slickest, because the rain has lifted the oil and grime to the surface, but it has not rained enough to wash it out.

read my post...

 

[Ultima]

Originally posted by: PSYWVic
Yes, it sounds like your tires suck, however (and I can't believe no one noticed this before), you mentioned that it was *barely* raining and that the roads were just slightly wet. This is actually when the roads are slickest, because the rain has lifted the oil and grime to the surface, but it has not rained enough to wash it out.

Yeah.. but that's not the only time. Just after a rainfall when the roads are drying but still wet I also have this problem.. I have this problem when it's raining (even worse!).

Hmm, I'll go look for traction ratings on the tires now.. I couldn't find it before but I'll look again.

 

[Ultima]

They're Metric Radials M+S Kelly All season 185/70R4 88S. DOT C2J6. There's not much else except for a warning of explosion if mounted improperly and the maximum weight it can bear, and what I suppose is a serial number.