Rain and Concrete are two very unforgiving characters (Not 1M crash)

DooBs · 11-14-2011, 07:44 AM

(Not 1M)

All this time I've been so excited anticipating to drive my 1M when it arrived, but yesterday I had a reality check.

It was raining down in San Diego and I was driving home late in my Accord.
All was well until I was going up a hill with a slight right at the crest and well you know the rest of the story.
I hydroplaned, 180 right, corrected, stopped hydroplaning, gripped, and hydroplaned and spun 180 left.
Hydroplaning in reverse with full opposite lock hoping my tires would bite again, I sat helplessly staring, back the way I came, at the traffic lights I had just passed, and the tall trees in the distance.
A second later I just knew that all I could do was wait, and that at this rate my car was barely slowing down.
CURLUMP... my rear left was up on the curb only a quarter mile from my lot.
I'm sure you all know that shitty feeling you get after an accident.
I check where I just jumped the curb, couldn't even spot a mark.
So I pull it off the curb, FWD for the win, it drives, but as you can imagine not well.
I can feel the rear left wobbling and turning unevenly, like a flat, but more vigorously and side to side.
Limping to the lot, with the rear fishtailing as I increase my speed I keep it in control and park the car.
All was fine and tire still inflated, but with some MAJOR camber

I had to have a short laugh.

In a nutshell, be careful out there.
I'm actually some what glad I got this reality check before my car arrived.
I was reminded of what can happen even at normal speeds.
Now I've been reminded to double check myself before the excitement of the 1M takes the better of me.
I hope all of you will do the same.
Be safe and when you have fun, be smart.

T1T2GRE · 11-14-2011, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DooBs

(Not 1M)

All was fine and tire still inflated, but with some MAJOR camber In a nutshell, be careful out there. I'm actually some what glad I got this reality check before my car arrived. I was reminded of what can happen even at normal speeds. Now I've been reminded to double check myself before the excitement of the 1M takes the better of me.

+1. I was driving my Sky Redline home on the TPK here one night after work, and was actually tooling around just below the limit (if ya can believe it), enjoying the drive. Pager was off and I was relaxing to some tunes, but awake as can be. The next thing I knew I had no steering. Zippo. It was just hydroplaning along the grooves on the TPK

. Just as the left rear was sliding out, I had already let off the gas and gotten it back under control. Definitely a check-your-shorts kinda moment. It would have been a close encounter with the overpass or a nice drop. They've since repaved that section, and the grooves are gone, but...wow. I don't even take the 1M out in the rain. Not worth the risk for me. Maybe once in a blue moon for essentials on low-speed backroads, but very rarely. That's what the 'Zuk is for.

Did you get your 1M yet OP?

Pete_vB · 11-14-2011, 12:06 PM

You guys from SoCal forget what rain is. Good that the reminder came while you were in your beater.

Somewhat impressive that managed to spin a skinny tired fwd car, by the way. The 1M is going to be about 100x easier to do that in...

Quote:

Originally Posted by DooBs

It was raining down in San Diego and I was driving home late in my Accord.
All was well until I was going up a hill with a slight right at the crest and well you know the rest of the story.
I hydroplaned, 180 right, corrected, stopped hydroplaning, gripped, and hydroplaned and spun 180 left.
Hydroplaning in reverse with full opposite lock hoping my tires would bite again, I sat helplessly staring, back the way I came, at the traffic lights I had just passed, and the tall trees in the distance.
A second later I just knew that all I could do was wait, and that at this rate my car was barely slowing down.
CURLUMP... my rear left was up on the curb only a quarter mile from my lot.
I'm sure you all know that shitty feeling you get after an accident.
I check where I just jumped the curb, couldn't even spot a mark.
So I pull it off the curb, FWD for the win, it drives, but as you can imagine not well.
I can feel the rear left wobbling and turning unevenly, like a flat, but more vigorously and side to side.
Limping to the lot, with the rear fishtailing as I increase my speed I keep it in control and park the car.
All was fine and tire still inflated, but with some MAJOR camber

I had to have a short laugh.

Dackelone · 11-14-2011, 12:13 PM

OP... this is the reason why every German knows you should have new fresh rubber on the road. IF your tires are older than five years or have less than 4mm of thread... toss them. You just can not take chances on worn out tires or old hard ones. They are you ONLY connection with the road.

Just today I was talking to a BMW owner... he asked me IF I had snow tires on my 1er. I said hell yea! He was complaining about how expensive a second set of snows are. I said... it is still cheaper than the damage caused by a simple accident. Remember that accident you aviod will pay for those tires. Same goes for attending a driving school. You need the basic tools.

11-14-2011, 07:44 AM	#1
DooBs Captain 50 Rep 779 Posts Drives: 1 Series M Coupe 697/740 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Los Angeles / San Diego, California iTrader: (1)	Rain and Concrete are two very unforgiving characters (Not 1M crash) (Not 1M) All this time I've been so excited anticipating to drive my 1M when it arrived, but yesterday I had a reality check. It was raining down in San Diego and I was driving home late in my Accord. All was well until I was going up a hill with a slight right at the crest and well you know the rest of the story. I hydroplaned, 180 right, corrected, stopped hydroplaning, gripped, and hydroplaned and spun 180 left. Hydroplaning in reverse with full opposite lock hoping my tires would bite again, I sat helplessly staring, back the way I came, at the traffic lights I had just passed, and the tall trees in the distance. A second later I just knew that all I could do was wait, and that at this rate my car was barely slowing down. CURLUMP... my rear left was up on the curb only a quarter mile from my lot. I'm sure you all know that shitty feeling you get after an accident. I check where I just jumped the curb, couldn't even spot a mark. So I pull it off the curb, FWD for the win, it drives, but as you can imagine not well. I can feel the rear left wobbling and turning unevenly, like a flat, but more vigorously and side to side. Limping to the lot, with the rear fishtailing as I increase my speed I keep it in control and park the car. All was fine and tire still inflated, but with some MAJOR camber I had to have a short laugh. In a nutshell, be careful out there. I'm actually some what glad I got this reality check before my car arrived. I was reminded of what can happen even at normal speeds. Now I've been reminded to double check myself before the excitement of the 1M takes the better of me. I hope all of you will do the same. Be safe and when you have fun, be smart.
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11-14-2011, 12:13 PM	#4
Dackelone European Editor 10528 Rep 22,992 Posts Drives: N54 e82 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Bayern, Germany iTrader: (1)	OP... this is the reason why every German knows you should have new fresh rubber on the road. IF your tires are older than five years or have less than 4mm of thread... toss them. You just can not take chances on worn out tires or old hard ones. They are you ONLY connection with the road. Just today I was talking to a BMW owner... he asked me IF I had snow tires on my 1er. I said hell yea! He was complaining about how expensive a second set of snows are. I said... it is still cheaper than the damage caused by a simple accident. Remember that accident you aviod will pay for those tires. Same goes for attending a driving school. You need the basic tools.
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