General Warning and Fuel Tank Heat Shield

[ttufrosty]

General Warning: To those of you who own the 3dr LB take care on wet roads and driving in rain. Wife and I were driving home from Iowa down I-35 during a nasty downpour the other day doing roughly 65. Well long story short, lost control, car did 1 360 on my side of I-35, continued into another 360 though the median, and finished up in the left lane of oncoming traffic. Yeah it sucked. So it seems these little cars that get oh so great gas mileage can and will hydroplane at very low speeds in rain. It was my first ever experience at hydroplaning, no fun at all.

The car survived very nicely except for one thing. It seems that the trip though the grass managed to tear up the gas tank heat shield. It is still attached at a couple of places but is now unattached in one location. I have manged to get it back into somewhat of it original shape to protect from heat, but how necessary is this piece. Does it need to be replaced ASAP or can it wait until I get back to Texas. Thank is advance.

[brickhardmeat]

Yeah, not made for off roading.

[Mead]

Thanks for the heads up, > 2300 lb car is great on gas but gotta be careful

[SailDesign]

I'm still wondering what "very low speeds" and "doing roughly 65" are doing in the same description. ANY car will hydroplane, and the stock tires (RE92s) have a reputation for it, whether deserved or not.
Don't get me wrong, there is PLENTY of sympathy behind those words - my wife nearly totalled herself and 4 kids in '87 by hydroplaning, our car and 2 others were totalled, wife with pelvis bust in 3 places. Not fun, even if no damage done, but plain scary.

[ttufrosty]

This is my first small car, so very low speeds on a highway in rain is 65mph. My old car was an Impala and I could go through rain without stopping. I just didnt adjust my speed for the small car. One of those things you dont think about until it happens.

[foober]

Good thread. I've hydroplaned in a couple of vehicles. Trucks and cars. It will happen. Its unnerving when it happens. So when it rains and the roads are very wet slow down and drive carefully.

[88ShelbyZ]

I hydroplaned and spun in a 74 Dodge Dart on a major highway, That's scary! But I have noticed that the car loses traction more easily in the rain than most cars I've owned. Probably just because it's soo much lighter.

[brickhardmeat]

I hydroplaned and spun in a 74 Dodge Dart on a major highway, That's scary! But I have noticed that the car loses traction more easily in the rain than most cars I've owned. Probably just because it's soo much lighter.


are you still on stock tires? suspension?:confused:

[petesimac]

Yeah, 65 in a really bad downpour is not a smart idea. My other car is an all-wheel drive Forester, and I wouldn't go 65 in a downpour, even in that car. Any car will hydroplane; the solution: slow down. Glad no one was hurt.