Rainsports, what am I doing wrong? They feel TERRIBLE!

[whom]

I just cannot get on with the rainsports, I don't imagine all the hype is for nothing so what am I doing wrong?

I've got a pair of 195/45/16 XL on a stock 182. I've got a pair of T1R's about half worn on the other two wheels.

I started off with the Uniroyals on the front at around 35psi and they just felt terrible. Terrible understeer and a huge slip angle. Very poor steering feel around the centre point before they "load up". Then I dropped the pressure to around 32 and they felt better. In fact they were fine but that was all.

So 1000 miles later I decided to swap front to back. T1R's front 34psi, rainsports rear 32psi. Steering suddenly felt a huge amount better. But at the rear? Unbelievably bad. My car feels like it's going to throw me off the road. When turning in I get a great initial "bite" and the turn begins, then 1/3rd of a second later the rainsports decide to do something and I get a increase of turn rate (if that makes any sense?). As in, my steering happens in two stages. What I ask for, then I stop turning the wheel then the rainsports decide to throw some more turning in for no reason. It currently feels like my entire rear axle is suspended by a couple of elastic bands. It feels dangerous, even a long way from the limit.

Now I know:
- They are new tyres with more tread
- They are rain tyres and so quite soft
- The tread pattern is such that they are bound to be quite soft laterally


But I can't understand how they get such high praise on here with such terrible dry weather performance despite their ability in the wet.

What am I missing?

 

[The Chubby Pirate]

They're probably the best tyre i've driven on - fantastic in all conditions.

​Unsure what would be causing your grief!

 

[whom]

They're probably the best tyre i've driven on - fantastic in all conditions.

​Unsure what would be causing your grief!

What pressures do you run? Do you notice a "bedding in" period when you get new ones?

 

[The Chubby Pirate]

On my old 182 from memory i was on 32/33 front 29 rear, and almost immediately doing their job!

It's funny because i rate T1-R's as good as i do with 'Wanli's'. Not good!

 

[Cup_Phil]

They're horrid shite

 

[Lawro]

They're horrid s**te

+1 Couldn't get on with them either.. My mate has had numerous sets on his 182 and loves them, really can't see why.

 

[Lal B3N]

They are a mid range all round tyre.

If you want a decent high performance tyre then you shouldn't even be considering these.

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

i find them to wear down dam sight faster than the conti's i had on before.

 

[whom]

Seems I'm not the only one! Under ALL steady state conditions they great. Good acceleration, braking and ultimate cornering grip. But any sort of transitional phase they just seem to disconnect you from the road...

 

[Chri5]

As above, I bought a couple to stay legal whilst getting some money for a full set of AD08's, under normal driving conditions they're fine but if you want to go for a "blast" they feel a bit soft in the sidewalls.

Maybe its just because the last couple of sets have been track biased tyres (R1R's and now AD08's) with stiff sidewalls, which give very good and direct turn in and change of direction, in comparison.

 

[JON13S]

I get on well With them on the cup. Running 34 front 32 rear as I believe they're not xl. I did opt for 205 width so maybe that's making up the difference. Mind you I don't explore the limit's of the car too much but they seem reassuring in adverse weather. Lack of abs and all.

 

[The Chubby Pirate]

They're horrid s**te

​Haha, calm down, hardly shite!

 

[Adam G]

They're a tyre designed to work well, when driven sensibly in the wet.

 

[MRBILLYUK]

On my old 182 from memory i was on 32/33 front 29 rear, and almost immediately doing their job!

It's funny because i rate T1-R's as good as i do with 'Wanli's'. Not good!

+1 I hated the Toyos i had on my 172 , they were absolutely crap in the wet . I also love the Rainsports in the wet and dry . I run the fronts at 36psi though as the tyrewall does seem a little soft .

@ the OP . I don't know if running 195's makes any difference , it does seem strange you're not getting along with them at all .

 

[whom]

It isn't even about driving sensibly, they currently make the back end feel very unstable. I don't think it is the sidewalls more the tread blocks being so thin and soft. I've tried dropping the pressure so that the edges do more of the work but it hasn't helped much.

Yeah the T1R's aren't great in the wet that is for sure, I used to have Pilot Sport 3's and I miss those. Should have just bitten the bullet and got a new pair of the premiums!

It could be that 195 isn't helping but I'm pretty sure 5% width is making too much difference.

 

[MRBILLYUK]

It isn't even about driving sensibly, they currently make the back end feel very unstable. I don't think it is the sidewalls more the tread blocks being so thin and soft. I've tried dropping the pressure so that the edges do more of the work but it hasn't helped much.

Yeah the T1R's aren't great in the wet that is for sure, I used to have Pilot Sport 3's and I miss those. Should have just bitten the bullet and got a new pair of the premiums!

It could be that 195 isn't helping but I'm pretty sure 5% width is making too much difference.

The thing is with tyres , it's more down to a personal choice . You'll get some people who rave over one tyre , saying they're the best thing since sliced bread , then you'll get another group of people who think they're utter sh1te . I know that doesn't help your problem . But it's a debate that's being going on for years . Personally , i think the Rainsports are a brilliant tyre , maybe only bettered from my own experience by the Exalto PE2's . But if you weight up the price versus performance of both tyres , i would say the Rainsport wins . The only thing to do mate is bite the bullet and try a completely new brand of tyre and see how you get on with those .

 

[Fred@BTM]

I don't get on with them either

 

[Chri5]

I'm not saying my tyres are the be all and end all, but if you've never tried a semi slick tyre then I think you'd be very pleasantly surprised at the performance and feel.
As said its all down to personal preference, but for me I like the handling as sharp as it can be. But obviously cost plays a big part in tyre selection

 

[whom]

Great to hear all the feedback guys. I'm going to see how I get on with them on the rears for now and see if I get used to having jelly for tyres.

Failing that, I'll stick them on the front, wear them down a bit, put them on the back half worn (hence stiffer I hope!) and then get them back on the front come winter when they should earn their keep!

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

From your writing, I think you understand more about tyres and handling than the average bear but perhaps missed the most obvious thing.

Check your pressures when they're hot. Sounds like you're running them high to start with then they get very hot and over inflated when you're pressing on !

On track on a full set they were a bit naff after many miles of being nailed but pressures rocketed. Very high 30s on a cold Feb. day. Set them to about 30 when hot at the back and see how you get on....?

:approve:

 

[Ady182]

I have Rainsports on the front of mine atm, not as grippy in the dry as I would like but awesome in the wet. Average price - average tyre. I think they are pretty good tbh.

 

[SC03OTT]

Are they on the right way 'round?

 

[whom]

Are they on the right way 'round?

Yes

From your writing, I think you understand more about tyres and handling than the average bear but perhaps missed the most obvious thing.

Check your pressures when they're hot. Sounds like you're running them high to start with then they get very hot and over inflated when you're pressing on !

On track on a full set they were a bit naff after many miles of being nailed but pressures rocketed. Very high 30s on a cold Feb. day. Set them to about 30 when hot at the back and see how you get on....?

:approve:

Yeah I noticed when I first put them on the rear all four corners were +2psi up from what I set them too the night before. I dropped them back to what I wanted them at and went for a drive straight away. Helped a tad but not a huge improvement. Running 30 at the reat atm, might even try lower to try and get the solid side bits to do more work. I am hoping they will come into play once the tread wears a bit but not hopeful.

Just looking at them with such skinny blocks and deep tread it was always inevitable that they'd be a bit like they are. Just surprised by the severity.

I've also noticed the blocks starting to round off at the top, I'll upload pictures tonight to help explain.

 

[Ray Gin]

I have 4 on my 182, 32psi at front 30 rear. Been great for me so far. Haven't driven it on a track but on some quick blasts they grip fine for me.

 

[bertieg]

i had some on my old VTS, and they were shockingly hateful things. i was slated for it on saxperience, but i stand by them being utterly shocking, biggest waste of £250 of my life

 

[Keenan172]

I ran these on my old 172 and thought they stood up to job no bother, yet my brother has them on his subaru sti and he hates them, doesn't rate them at all

 

[bmh.01]

They're cheap for a reason and mid range at best.

 

[Daniel]

34psi cold is mentally hard. I ran mine at 29 psi cold which after a play with a mate on some back roads ran at 36psi 'warm'.

No wonder they feel terrible.

(I only became aware of this after running 888's at 32psi cold and then half way through a trackday wondering why i'd killed a tyre. It was 48 or something ridiculous by lunchtime! lol)

 

[RSprojects]

WARNING back end being skippy can be down the worn shocks!when i bought my 182 it came with four s**t tyres and grip was not great. I replaced the front with pilot sport 3's ( i do recommend) and grip levels jumped hugely! car generally felt gripps on falt and bump free corners but otherwise back end felt really really skippy. At first i thought it would have been the rear tyres as they are odd and one is good and one is budget. but after searching on here rear end skipping out and feeling unstable in normally because your rear shocks are fucked! if your still on the shocks the car came with then they NEED changing they will 100% make it drive a s**t ton better! ever since i changed mine my back end feels much more planted and i can attack bumpy county lanes with confidence infact grip is amazing its good to know that when I get 4x yoko ad08's its going to grip even better!
its also worth knowing that poor wheel alignment and if other suspension components have not been changed yet it can cause issues with handling and grip and just wont feel as refined.

 

[riz]

WARNING back end being skippy can be down the worn shocks!when i bought my 182 it came with four s**t tyres and grip was not great. I replaced the front with pilot sport 3's ( i do recommend) and grip levels jumped hugely! car generally felt gripps on falt and bump free corners but otherwise back end felt really really skippy. At first i thought it would have been the rear tyres as they are odd and one is good and one is budget. but after searching on here rear end skipping out and feeling unstable in normally because your rear shocks are f**ked! if your still on the shocks the car came with then they NEED changing they will 100% make it drive a s**t ton better! ever since i changed mine my back end feels much more planted and i can attack bumpy county lanes with confidence infact grip is amazing its good to know that when I get 4x yoko ad08's its going to grip even better!
its also worth knowing that poor wheel alignment and if other suspension components have not been changed yet it can cause issues with handling and grip and just wont feel as refined.

Common fault, my Clio was terrible wheni bought it. A large man from Staffordshire called Yoz diagnosed it.

 

[whom]

WARNING back end being skippy can be down the worn shocks!when i bought my 182 it came with four s**t tyres and grip was not great. I replaced the front with pilot sport 3's ( i do recommend) and grip levels jumped hugely! car generally felt gripps on falt and bump free corners but otherwise back end felt really really skippy. At first i thought it would have been the rear tyres as they are odd and one is good and one is budget. but after searching on here rear end skipping out and feeling unstable in normally because your rear shocks are f**ked! if your still on the shocks the car came with then they NEED changing they will 100% make it drive a s**t ton better! ever since i changed mine my back end feels much more planted and i can attack bumpy county lanes with confidence infact grip is amazing its good to know that when I get 4x yoko ad08's its going to grip even better!
its also worth knowing that poor wheel alignment and if other suspension components have not been changed yet it can cause issues with handling and grip and just wont feel as refined.

It had two new rear dampers around 30K ago. Also, before the rainsports I never had any reason to doubt the suspension in any way, shape or form. (T1R and PS3 (which I loved and with I'd spent the extra £30 a corner on)

34psi cold is mentally hard. I ran mine at 29 psi cold which after a play with a mate on some back roads ran at 36psi 'warm'.

No wonder they feel terrible.

(I only became aware of this after running 888's at 32psi cold and then half way through a trackday wondering why i'd killed a tyre. It was 48 or something ridiculous by lunchtime! lol)

Wow that is quite a steep rise! I found them at 36 warm at the rear since I had forgotten to drop the pressures after swapping front to back.... I then dropped them to 30 and went straight out still warm. Better but still not great. Currently at 30 cold.


It is really starting to feel like there are people who like them for ultimate grip in all conditions (with the exception in my experience of accelerating out of corners where they wash away), and those that dislike their "dynamic" behaviour, or the behaviour before they "load up". I've a friend who dislikes the steering on his 172 and I think it is down to 4x new 15" rainsports. Makes my 16" wheels feel like 13" with 80 profiles! I dread to think how the 15"s feel.

 

[MRBILLYUK]

It had two new rear dampers around 30K ago. Also, before the rainsports I never had any reason to doubt the suspension in any way, shape or form. (T1R and PS3 (which I loved and with I'd spent the extra £30 a corner on)



Wow that is quite a steep rise! I found them at 36 warm at the rear since I had forgotten to drop the pressures after swapping front to back.... I then dropped them to 30 and went straight out still warm. Better but still not great. Currently at 30 cold.


It is really starting to feel like there are people who like them for ultimate grip in all conditions (with the exception in my experience of accelerating out of corners where they wash away), and those that dislike their "dynamic" behaviour, or the behaviour before they "load up". I've a friend who dislikes the steering on his 172 and I think it is down to 4x new 15" rainsports. Makes my 16" wheels feel like 13" with 80 profiles! I dread to think how the 15"s feel.

When i first got my Rainsports fitted to the front i thought they felt weird drving home from the tyre fitters . That was going from PE2's , they did feel kind of vague , but i put that down to being new tyres and needing scrubbing in a bit . After a week or so i played about with the pressure , upping it a bit , trying it and seeing how it felt . Now i think they feel better running at a higher pressure of 36 psi from cold . Tbh , i've never checked the pressure after a good spirited drive , to see how much it's risen . I think i will do sometime this week , if i remember . It'll be interesting to see just how much it does rise when warm .

 

[Daniel]

I'm of the opinion that they're a good budget tyre. Nothing more.

That's why I now have pe2's all the way round on my Clio.

 

[RSprojects]

I'm of the opinion that they're a good budget tyre. Nothing more.

That's why I now have pe2's all the way round on my Clio.

what car do you have ? every post you say you have a diffrent car?

 

[whom]

what car do you have ? every post you say you have a diffrent car?

More than the number of posts you've read so far...?

 

[Daniel]

what car do you have ? every post you say you have a diffrent car?

If we're being technical, I've got about 55 cars and vans. But actually registered in my name I have about 8 or 9.

 

[whom]

MORE PICTURES YAY

straight ahead:

left:

right:

roundabout:

​

 

[BoatNonce]

Is it just me or are they narrower than the rim?

(I thought 182's are 205? Not that it makes a huge difference...)

 

[whom]

Is it just me or are they narrower than the rim?

(I thought 182's are 205? Not that it makes a huge difference...)

Yeah 182's are 205 but I am tight. Saved me around £9 per side...

Moral of the story - should have bought 195/45 PS3 for +£30 or 205/45 PS3 for +50 a side.

 

[Adam G]

Comparing a rainsport with a premium summer tyre is like chalk and cheese though. A wet biased tyre has a totally different compound and tread block style. Not designed for the same performance as a PS3 etc.