Wet Roads?

[Datzun76]

Just curious if this problem is common among Z owners.

Every time I drive on wet roads or rainy days my Z slides all over the place when turning. (average speeds nothing above 55).

I have good tread on the tires and suspension does not have any problems.

If the road conditions are normal the car will hug the road like glue.

[thefastestz]

My Z was doing this and it turned out I had one bad rear wheel cylinder and only one rear tire was actually braking.

After I replaced the rear wheel cylinders it held good like you would expect.

I found out by jacking up the rear of the car and I told a friend to press the brakes One tire was braked the other was free rolling.

[Ed]

If your car is sliding around on wet roads you could try a few things. First make sure you are not braking in a turn. Have the allignment checked to make sure everything is rolling properly. Next check your tire pressure. Try around 30psi to start with and see how that feels. Have you had your car lowered? Stiffer suspension won't handle real well on wet roads. Besides that maybe you could try something I learned up here in snow country, throw a couple of sand bags in the back orf your car for extra weight.

[2ManyZs]

A lot of it could be in your tire tread design. What kind of tires do you have and have you changed the sway bars at all?

I raced in the rain, and a lot of it depends on your tire choice and your choice of sway bars. Since I doubt you have a welded rear you can rule that one out....:tapemouth

A Z should be pretty good in the rain in stock form with the right tires on it. Tire choices are almost as critical in wet weather as they are(or would be if you had to deal with it) as choosing a set of snow tires.

[Datzun76]

I dont normally brake when going into an average turn. Will look at having the wheel cylinders checked. Tires are Bridgestone and almost new.

Since nobody else seems to encounter this same problem I guess I will have to check all of them out.

[Alfadog]

Tyre tread pattern matters A LOT...

especially whne you go from 0 tread to really nice directional stuff ROFL

[beandip]

:classic: Another factor is the tire width , if you have installed wide tires they could be hydra-plaining. Another factor is the depth of the water you are driving in and at what speed your going. When you have the alignment checked be sure and have it checked at both ends and square not just the front end. The car could be tracking slightly cockied and you dont know it . What does the tire wear look like ? Are the treads cupping or wearing uneavenly ? A good alighment shop will check this. But of course if you just recetly have changed tires or rotated them be sure to tell them. When I mentioned wide tires , when you increase the width of the tread, and if there isn't enough passages for the moisture to escape to the side, and or the weight of the car is not sufficent to stick the tires to the pavement , you will hydra-plane. Especially with a light car like a Z . I hope this helps.:classic:

[59ghia]

If I go into a turn around 30mph and give a little more steer I start to get "understeer" Personally I think its my Sumitomo tires.

[Ed]

My Z, before I took her apart:cry: would handle like it was on rails. Wet or Dry. I would seriously have to push her real hard to break traction. Then is was usually the front that would push. My tires are Yokohama 215/60 14 rear and 195/60 14 front.

[EScanlon]

Are you talking ALL rains, or are these the FIRST rains to hit your area.

Up here in the Pacific NW we get a lot of rain, so much so that we don't tan, we rust. However, during the summer months we usually get a good long dry period. When the rains begin again, in the fall, we find that the roads are "slicker" than later on in the winter.

The reason for that is that there hasn't been enough rain to wash all the films deposited on the roadway during the summer. Oil, Anti-Freeze, Grease, dust, dirt and whatever that cars seem to shed during the summer will create a nice slick coating on the roads the first few days / weeks depending on how much rain and how fast.

Go driving around then like you do in summer and you'll slide. Drive around like you will later on in winter, when more rain will have fallen and you've gotten used to it, and you'll slide.

When the rains first start, it's time to be extremely careful as ANY car could go for a whooops slide.

FWIW