rain +bad tires=very bad things
May-19th-2003, 01:28 PM
#1
Protege Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 28
rain +bad tires=very bad things
Hi everyone,
I think I am being punished. Three months ago my boyfriend and I got into a car accident that caused nearly $5,000 damage to his 01 Tacoma. We were fine but the truck was in bad shape and it took a month of negotiations with the insurance company to get everything straightened out. My BF got it back a month ago after getting fixed and yesterday we got into another accident. This time it was very similar to the first wreck. It was raining really hard and we were driving on a two lane divided interstate when his back tires hydroplaned and caused him to lose control. I screamed and the next thing you know we were in the middle of the interstate spinning around. We spun around 4 times before the guard rail stopped us. We decided that the rain and the fact that his tires were so slick that we hydroplaned and lost control.
Thankfully, we were okay and didn't hit anybody else but the truck is scratched all to hell and the back tail light area looks like a piece of crumpled up paper.
Why does this keep happening to us! We weren't driving very fast when it happened. We were traveling about 65 in a 65 mph zone. This accident happened on the exact same road that the first one did.
Talk about luck, if it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have none at all.
I think I am being punished. Three months ago my boyfriend and I got into a car accident that caused nearly $5,000 damage to his 01 Tacoma. We were fine but the truck was in bad shape and it took a month of negotiations with the insurance company to get everything straightened out. My BF got it back a month ago after getting fixed and yesterday we got into another accident. This time it was very similar to the first wreck. It was raining really hard and we were driving on a two lane divided interstate when his back tires hydroplaned and caused him to lose control. I screamed and the next thing you know we were in the middle of the interstate spinning around. We spun around 4 times before the guard rail stopped us. We decided that the rain and the fact that his tires were so slick that we hydroplaned and lost control.
Thankfully, we were okay and didn't hit anybody else but the truck is scratched all to hell and the back tail light area looks like a piece of crumpled up paper.
Why does this keep happening to us! We weren't driving very fast when it happened. We were traveling about 65 in a 65 mph zone. This accident happened on the exact same road that the first one did.
Talk about luck, if it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have none at all.
May-19th-2003, 02:01 PM
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Even with the adjustable shocks and springs and strut bars on my Protege... when it rains, I am driving like an old man , why? because I know my 13's are not up to par, and the thread is not all that great. so I don't push it. 65 tends to be to fast by my rain standards..
I wish you the best of luck , I am pretty sure his insurance will go up and they will bitch and moan about fixing the cars.
Bruce
I wish you the best of luck , I am pretty sure his insurance will go up and they will bitch and moan about fixing the cars.
Bruce
May-19th-2003, 05:46 PM
#3
whatever
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: cyberspace, where else?
Posts: 490
Glad you're OK. Pickup trucks are especially bad in the rain, because they're SO light in the back. I once spun out my 83 Datsun p/u in the middle of downtown Duluth because the back end hydroplaned. Scared the hell out of me.
Best thing you can do is find a wet parking lot with nothing in it, find where the limits are, and then stay below them.
Best thing you can do is find a wet parking lot with nothing in it, find where the limits are, and then stay below them.
May-20th-2003, 08:41 PM
#4
Certified Sick Individual
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Houston, TX.
Posts: 1,141
Light pickups are very easy to spin, heavier pickups are not so bad. I've never spun the F-150 but I did spin my Ranger once. I was coming around a U-Turn, hit an unexpected bump with my rear passenger tire, and whoosh the backend came around and I was looking at a Suburban coming straight at me. Got it back under control before it spun again but scared the hell out of me. Most important thing I learned from owning a compact truck:
Buy a couple of bags of sand or cement and throw them in the back so that when it is raining or snowing those back tires don't come loose (an extra 100 pounds works wonders). Just tie them down right up against the tailgate. That and replace the tires, it is extremely dangerous to drive a compact on slick rear tires. I switched mine to a more passenger car type tread and never had grip problems afterwards.
Buy a couple of bags of sand or cement and throw them in the back so that when it is raining or snowing those back tires don't come loose (an extra 100 pounds works wonders). Just tie them down right up against the tailgate. That and replace the tires, it is extremely dangerous to drive a compact on slick rear tires. I switched mine to a more passenger car type tread and never had grip problems afterwards.
May-20th-2003, 08:51 PM
#5
Hooray for Zoidberg!
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Posts: 491
Man, that sucks!
I have been in a hydroplaning accident too. My friend's 1999 Suzuki Grand Vitara had some slick tires and when the rain came down....
We hit a big puddle of water at about 65 mph, the car spun around 4 times, hit the center divider and slid all the way across 3 lanes and into the side wall of the freeway. I didn't have my seatbelt on for some reason and I was thrown out of the car and flew about 80-100 feet. My girlfriend found me unconcious and bloody.
That wasn't fun
You should MOST definitely get new tires. Mine have about 1-2 percent life left and it's pretty scary when it rains. I can spin the tires in 5th gear from 65 to 80 mph, that's how bad traction is. And DO slow down A LOT.
I have been in a hydroplaning accident too. My friend's 1999 Suzuki Grand Vitara had some slick tires and when the rain came down....
We hit a big puddle of water at about 65 mph, the car spun around 4 times, hit the center divider and slid all the way across 3 lanes and into the side wall of the freeway. I didn't have my seatbelt on for some reason and I was thrown out of the car and flew about 80-100 feet. My girlfriend found me unconcious and bloody.
That wasn't fun
You should MOST definitely get new tires. Mine have about 1-2 percent life left and it's pretty scary when it rains. I can spin the tires in 5th gear from 65 to 80 mph, that's how bad traction is. And DO slow down A LOT.
May-21st-2003, 08:51 PM
#6
2002 RX-7 Spirit 'R'
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 872
hehe i love practicing my hand brake drifting in de rain 
... and thas only when no other cars are around.... like non in sight... otherwise i drive normally.... and my tires are pretty bald now.... but ye around traffic in the rain... i'm pretty cautious..... i don't one anyone else getting hurt too
... and thas only when no other cars are around.... like non in sight... otherwise i drive normally.... and my tires are pretty bald now.... but ye around traffic in the rain... i'm pretty cautious..... i don't one anyone else getting hurt too
May-22nd-2003, 04:10 PM
#7
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 28
Thanks I will definitely put some sand bags in the back of his truck when I get the chance. That is a good idea.
KpaBap-what an awful experience you had. you made my accident seem like a vacation. I am glad you are able to tell about your experience. I think we have learned our lessons about speeding and all of that. You should have worn your seatbelt though! I am really surprised you didn't get more injured than you were.
Here at home there have been three deaths from hydroplaning this week. I also found out there were 23 hydroplaning accidents in my hometown the same time that we wrecked.
I have one lingering question from all of this. I wonder why his airbags didnt go off. Both were on but for some reason they didn't deploy. Hmmm....
KpaBap-what an awful experience you had. you made my accident seem like a vacation. I am glad you are able to tell about your experience. I think we have learned our lessons about speeding and all of that. You should have worn your seatbelt though! I am really surprised you didn't get more injured than you were.
Here at home there have been three deaths from hydroplaning this week. I also found out there were 23 hydroplaning accidents in my hometown the same time that we wrecked.
I have one lingering question from all of this. I wonder why his airbags didnt go off. Both were on but for some reason they didn't deploy. Hmmm....
May-22nd-2003, 07:48 PM
#9
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,130
After the first accident I would have bought new tires. That's crazy to have bald back tires on a light RWD pickup truck. Im sorry to hear this and I hope your ok . And for the airbag comment 2 days ago I saw a 98 Toyota Avalon smash head on into a telephone poll at 45 and not one air back came out wtf is up with that?
. And for the airbag comment 2 days ago I saw a 98 Toyota Avalon smash head on into a telephone poll at 45 and not one air back came out wtf is up with that?
May-22nd-2003, 09:26 PM
#10
half import half domestic
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Northern New Jersey
Posts: 184
Sorry to hear about that. Hope you guys (and girls) recover ok. What really pisses me off is when the weather is bad outside and you still have these morons wanting to race and speed on wet or even icy roads.
My Mechanic told me that once you notice the tread is thinning on the rear tires, it's time to rotate the fronts to the back. Even in the owners manual, it states that the tires with the best tread should be on the back of the vehicle. I guess to prevent slides and fishtailing.
My Mechanic told me that once you notice the tread is thinning on the rear tires, it's time to rotate the fronts to the back. Even in the owners manual, it states that the tires with the best tread should be on the back of the vehicle. I guess to prevent slides and fishtailing.
May-22nd-2003, 09:30 PM
#11
half import half domestic
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Northern New Jersey
Posts: 184
Originally posted by Mark_02DX
Airbags only go off if the car's hit in the front. Side airbags only go off if it's hit in the side. The sensor's directional.
Airbags only go off if the car's hit in the front. Side airbags only go off if it's hit in the side. The sensor's directional.
The way cars are now days, I should have bought an airplane But I'm scared of being blown out the sky by some terrorist *******.
May-22nd-2003, 10:47 PM
#12
Certified Sick Individual
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Houston, TX.
Posts: 1,141
Originally posted by project626
Believe it or not, SIDE AIRBAGS will deploy also from a FRONTAL impact. That really sucks because it's like 1300-1500 per airbag.
Believe it or not, SIDE AIRBAGS will deploy also from a FRONTAL impact. That really sucks because it's like 1300-1500 per airbag.
May-23rd-2003, 11:48 AM
#13
Protege Newbie
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 28
Well, the airbags should have went off. The front of the truck was hit but was done so that the front was hit at an angle then slid and damaged it down the passenger side. I think it should've went off. But oh well, it wouldn't have helped things anyway.
By the way, new tires are going to be put on today
By the way, new tires are going to be put on today
May-23rd-2003, 12:01 PM
#14
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Quebec, Canada
Posts: 20
Originally posted by mazdagirl370
Well, the airbags should have went off. The front of the truck was hit but was done so that the front was hit at an angle then slid and damaged it down the passenger side. I think it should've went off. But oh well, it wouldn't have helped things anyway.
By the way, new tires are going to be put on today
Well, the airbags should have went off. The front of the truck was hit but was done so that the front was hit at an angle then slid and damaged it down the passenger side. I think it should've went off. But oh well, it wouldn't have helped things anyway.
By the way, new tires are going to be put on today
I think the final equasion here should be:
rain + bad tires + speed + no seatbelt = very bad things!
Tech
May-23rd-2003, 12:19 PM
#15
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Well we were both wearing our seatbelts, which is why I am able to write this post today.
I don't know if my head hit anything because it happened so quick but the next day my forehead was extremely sore but no bruises so it is a possibility that my head did hit the dash.
I don't know if my head hit anything because it happened so quick but the next day my forehead was extremely sore but no bruises so it is a possibility that my head did hit the dash.
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