Here I am

wet pavement driving!

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$#%&^*%## Big Three

Poor Guy - giving up on his Dmax

what is the deal with these trucks on wet roads? I have to nearly always use 4WD when the roads are wet. or i have to idle through the first 4 gears :D



i have had all kinds of trucks in my short time of driving but these things for their weight seem to be the worst.
 
Well... I don't know what kind of truck you have, as you have no signature. But, if your talking about a CTD, I'm not sure what your problem is. I drive mine in the WET Northwest all the time and don't have any problems. That being said, we are all aware of what hydroplaning can do to traction... :eek: Maybe you should check you tires... ;)
 
Mine is terrible also since I have added the mods. On wet roads, I can spin both tires anytime under 35MPH, and I have broken traction when the transmission shifted into TC lockup at 60. If I go over 2200 RPM under 35 while accellerating, the tires will spin. I am thinking about putting a 35 gallon gas tank in place of the spare tire to add some weight to the back.
 
rain driving

As a long-time racing driver, and wet weather specialist... let me try to explain a couple things about the dynamics of driving on a wet surface. We all know what hydroplaning is; what most folks dont understand is that a heavier vehicle isnt any less succeptible!! The thing about our diesel Rams that kills our wet performance is weight-bias... that is, the percent weight over the front vs. the rear. It's much like a Porsche 911 in that a large portion of the weight is over one end making wet handling... umm... interresting. Keep a mental picture in your head when it rains: the vehicle is just a machine that will only REACT to your inputs, it doesnt do things on its own. So what you want to do is be gentle and smooth with all your inputs: steering, braking, shifting and accellerating. RPMs are your enemy. Short-shift everything and *squeeze* the throttle rather than pounce on it. Your hands on the wheel should be soft and gentle with no abrupt herky-jerky inputs. I tell my students that it's sorta like how you treat a lady... . if you are soft and gentle and nice to her, she will do nice things for you... . if you are rough and violent, she does bad things back!
 
I've met a few that like it a little rough;) :p :D



I have limited slip that really makes turns interesting, especially under throttle. the bald tires don't help either:rolleyes: :D
 
ToddT

You didn't say what you have for a truck. New tires or old, mods or not. All things make a difference. Remember this, The diesel engine is heavier than the gas engine. That means that there is even more weight on the front and even less weight on the rears. With this in mind you can see that with bad tire and or mods the rears will break traction even easier than a similar truck with a gas engine. My . 02
 
And now that I have read all the threads, BCFAST stated it prefectly and I could have saved my breath, or print as it were. :D



You might also remember the high torque value of a diesel compared to a gasser. If you follow the advice of BCFAST you won't go wrong.
 
The weight bias is something to keep in mind. You can change this by adding weight over the rear axle. Make sure it is secured. It is really not fun to have a sand bag or such dent the cab.



Also, proper tires and tire pressure. I adjust my pressures to make sure that I have proper wear across the entire tire face. This will give me the largest contact patch (i. e. the best traction as long as I am not hydroplaning).



A racing slogan: Smooth and smart equals fast.



I also noticed a big difference between my 3/4 ton and the dually. I seemed like no matter what I did the 3/4 ton spun on launch when wet even with the posi.



There is also tire sipping. I have not tried this personally, but probably will on my next set.
 
I get it

Don't worry Todd I get it. :-laf I to have problems in wet weather my damn foot just keeps slipping of the clutch at 2,800rpms when I shift the gears. ;) If I try I can be good in the last 3 gears at least. :D



Gome on guys don't you get it yetOo.

Big D
 
My truck spins the tires on wet roads, icy ones too. Do you think the problem might be the lift pump, or maybe the track bar???
 
I wouldn't have bald tires if dry pavement and 3000rpm stomp shifts were'nt so hard on them:-laf:-laf



It might have something to do with the 900ftlb of torque:rolleyes:



Fishtailin is fun anyway:D
 
If you're worried about spinning your tires, then you could get a duradud so you can't spin the tires no matter how hard you tried... :D :D :D



Charles
 
OK, I am also a long time racer but my wife is not and she gets around OK[when I let her drive] I will admit I have a glass canopy and a 250lb tool box in the back. HOWEVER, if you flat peddle it around corners you can get onto trouble real quick. That's when you realize there is a 1000lb engine up front.
 
I don't mind driving my truck in the rain, but my starts hitting me when I get 20 degrees to the lane. It reminds me of my youth and my 340 powered Valiant. Hammer the throttle and steer into the slide!
 
icy roads

All that having been said - and some of it said very well - I would have to say that this isn't a truck for new drivers under slippery conditions. Even driving smoothly, there is enough torque when easing into the throttle to break tires loose when it is a little slippery. And, if there are uneven expansion joints, the problem is exacerbated. I've had the rear thinking about overtaking the front without accelerating on slippery hills - definately not a time for cruise control! Safe driving to all.



Ray
 
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