Sunday, June 16, 2013

Can an electric wheelchair hydroplane when it is raining?

Question by Live_Love_Laugh: Can an electric wheelchair hydroplane when it is raining?
Is it possible with the friction from the tires or would they have to have a faster velocity like the speed of a car?


Best answer:

Answer by mustanger
I don't think an electric wheel chair will get up enough speed to hydroplane. You can hydroplane at pretty low speeds on bald tires but you still need more speed than a wheel chair will achieve.



What do you think? Answer below!

5 comments:

  1. Only if you put a 350cid in it along with wheelie bars then it will.

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  2. is this a real question<

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  3. I've never hydroplaned below 25mph, but it might be possible in the 15-25 mph range due to the wheelchair's lower weight, especially if you add wide, smooth tires. I don't know how fast standard electric wheelchairs can go, though I'm sure someone has hot-rodded one. People make 70mph riding lawnmowers, for cripe's sake. I think it would be fun to find out. If you wreck and break a leg--well, you've already got a wheelchair!

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  4. There are very few, if any power chairs or scooters that can go faster than about 15 mph.

    Considering that and the weight of the chair, batteries and passenger, that's a LOT of load on some pretty skinny tires. The more pressure on the rubber contact surface, the more friction. It's actually pretty hard to even SKID a power chair on a paved surface, much less get any lift from hydroplaning on water.

    Have you ever seen one of these raise even a "rooster tail" going through a puddle?

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  5. As a chair tech, I have never seen a chair hydroplane. Speeds are too low, tires shed water too well, weight distribution, etc.

    If you are planning on blasting through water, hydroplaning is not your main concern- wet electronics and bearings are.

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