Rainy Weather and Camber?

[PatrickJamesYu]

So Google gave me unclear answers and I find you guys on this forum are much more knowledgeable.

Are heavy camber specs bad in rainy weather?
I recently read in a thread about this but it was just a sub topic that came up, but never answered.

Arguments
Camber is bad because it is less contact from tire surface with possible traction.

Camber is good because it is less contact surface to cut through the water, allowing the tire to grip the ground quicker.

[sLiCk]

I think that is too general of a statement to make. Are we talking straight line traction or cornering? Too much or too little both have their drawbacks so ultimately you'd need to find that sweet spot which will vary depending on car setup and road surface etc.

[ep3colin]

im running 4.1 degrees in the rear and no problems at all

[PatrickJamesYu]

I think that is too general of a statement to make. Are we talking straight line traction or cornering? Too much or too little both have their drawbacks so ultimately you'd need to find that sweet spot which will vary depending on car setup and road surface etc.

Okay you're right
I'm meaning in a more daily driving kind of way.
Occasional canyons but more strictly daily driving
Is it potentially dangerous to have aggressive camber setting for daily daily drivers?
Example: -3F -5R

[SkareKrow]

Bump for someone who knows the answer 8ˆ) Very Interesting topic!

[HondaFreak]

Well, do you think you have a bigger contact patch with 3* of camber than with say 1*? Probably not. Not unless you corner everywhere you go. This comes from my moto riding, brake hard only with a maximum contact patch. I.E. "Vertical" and straight. I dunno, I think people take camber past the point of functionality. Just my opinion though.

Christian

[PatrickJamesYu]

Well, do you think you have a bigger contact patch with 3* of camber than with say 1*? Probably not. Not unless you corner everywhere you go. This comes from my moto riding, brake hard only with a maximum contact patch. I.E. "Vertical" and straight. I dunno, I think people take camber past the point of functionality. Just my opinion though.

Christian

I agree with this fully about the contact patch area in ratio to camber
but I'm asking about this situation in rainy weather
I've heard several arguments about more contact surface is better in rainy weather because their will be more possibility of a proper grip to the ground.
But also an argument against is that camber provides a "sharper" contact area which allows for it to cut through the surface water, allowing for a "push-away", allowing grip.

Thanks for the input!

[Hasbro]

If your tire is capable of efficiently channeling the water then the more contact patch the better. You could make a thousand what ifs and get a thousand different answers.

[talonXracer]

If your tire is capable of efficiently channeling the water then the more contact patch the better. You could make a thousand what ifs and get a thousand different answers.

second the tire condition, without proper tread depth it doesnt matter what the camber is you will be hydroplanning. Even with above average camber settings the tires tread will ride flat at proper tire inflation pressures(other than the super short sidewall tires, 40 aspect and lower).

[Paul 631]

You won't need as much camber in rain as you would in dry conditions.
Rainy conditions equal less grip, suspension will not go through it's travel as a result, tires will deform less etc...

On a car that will see track time, people soften the dampers, sway bars and sometimes even change the spring rates in order to create more roll; in that case you might only need to very slightly back off the neg. camber...

[Zzyzx]

as Paul 631 brought up, it really matters on intended use. Are you trying to tune the car to perform its best in wet weather or are you just concerned about hydroplaning?

If you are worried about hydroplaning then don't worry about camber settings, worry about tire condition & tread depth. Remember, just like in snow, a smaller contact patch is better in the wet for overall grip. granted tires designed to shed water will perform just as well if not better regardless of size.

[PatrickJamesYu]

Okay things are becoming more clear

So final thing if you guys want to input to it

I will be running -3 front, -5 rear.
205-45-16x8 tires.
I generally just don't want to hydroplane and die.
These tires are year-round tires.
Brand new.

[Zzyzx]

-5 rear... Seriously?

Why on earth would you actually want - 5 deg camber on the rear?!?!!!?

[PatrickJamesYu]

-5 rear... Seriously?

Why on earth would you actually want - 5 deg camber on the rear?!?!!!?

to fit my stupid +0 wheels on my stupid car
Haha, no functional reasons.
What about like -4 all around?
These aren't exact, I'm kinda just throwing numbers out

[Zzyzx]

for performance you'd be looking to match camber to the needs of your suspension & tires. regardless, you are going to end up with more on the nose then the rear (assuming you want the car to handle well).

for an aggressive street setup I'd be looking to run the nose at -2 to -3 where as the rear would not go more then -1 deg.

otherwise, what are you setting the car up for? just a style or something?

[dirtyMETHOD]

for performance you'd be looking to match camber to the needs of your suspension & tires. regardless, you are going to end up with more on the nose then the rear (assuming you want the car to handle well).

for an aggressive street setup I'd be looking to run the nose at -2 to -3 where as the rear would not go more then -1 deg.

otherwise, what are you setting the car up for? just a style or something?
...
.Agreed...


I to have friends who drive VWs that are totally non-functional. They seem to think that camber=cool,pus$y,custom,etc...then they have to constantly get new tires,parts,etc.

Sh!t, if I was in business for car parts.... "stance"is the way to go: that way you can wear your parts faster than I can stock them.

Stick to function as a daily driver: I have pondered what looks nice & what works nice. Find a happpy median and you will be ok...

And camber in the rain seems more of a myth. It all depends on what touches the ground, not what doesn't.........