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

[whom]

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.

Well I realise that nooooowwwww!

But the way people rave on about the rainsport you would think that it doesn't make the entire car feel like it's riding on jelly.... it is SO bad that I couldn't recommend this tyre to anyone let alone sing it's praise. I would go as far as to say, that when bombing down a country lane, having these on the rear is down right dangerous.

 

[Adam G]

I can't see how you can describe a tyre as dangerous. Are you sure you're not just asking too much of the tyres?
Unless there's another problem with the car. My wife's Puma has budgets all round and I'm sorry but if that car breaks traction, it is because I am driving way too fast for a public road.

 

[Ray Gin]

I have hit corners at high speeds in them and felt fine....far from dangerous anyway.

 

[Chris n nic]

I completely agree with the op on this. I bought some of these (albeit 9 years ago or so) and went straight to the local petrol station to check the pressures after as it felt like I was floating around...went on the motorway and even with slight changes in direction it really did feel like it was going to just drift off the road. The tyre walls were much softer which I guess is what made them feel this way but it put me off. This was compared to the std contis so maybe if I had softer walled tyres to begin with it might not have been as noticeable.

It wasn't that the tyres were loosing traction but that it seemed to take an age to settle after minimal steering input

Chris

 

[Alex H]

I had them on the 1.2, loved them. Not so much on the cup. They're fine for normal driving, but a bit too wayward for B-road blasts in the dry, as gay boy above said.

 

[whom]

Yeah, as above, it's nothing to do with ultimate traction.

There is an unacceptable delay between input and reaction leading to a disconcerting lack of straight line stability.

They're back on the front now where at least they're safe if a little numb. I'm going to just run them down till they stiffen up then try them on the back again.

 

[M@tt_182]

I was happy with mine until I noticed the passenger side front has started to melt on the edge! Very rarely push the car and they've only covered 2k max. I'm keeping my eye on pressures etc so only time will tell how many miles they last.

 

[peanuthead]

I have a pair on the front of mine and am disappointed. The tyre walls seem way too soft even at higher psi.

 

[Ian_s]

I've just had 4 of these fitted after two sets of v12's and echo the op's comments. First thought was it felt like driving on jelly. Straight line stability is poor, ultimate grip once in steady state is not too bad but getting there feels horrible and like any sudden input would break traction. Braking stability is also poor, feels like I now have too much rear bias.

Hopefully will get a bit better once the tread wears a bit.

 

[M@tt_182]

Definite improvement when scrubbed in, they're a wet tyre though and they do perform well in those conditions. Might swap mine for something else for the summer months.

 

[whom]

New plan!

Take these off and stick them back on in the winter when the T1Rs run out.

So I can get pilot sports:

205/45/16 = 103 delivered
195/15/16 = 90 delivered

Is 10mm worth £13? (and before anyone says anything, I am talking about tyres... )

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

mine are going flat on the outside tread blocks did have a grove line in them , but they are now solid looking blocks. been on around 5k

cant fault them tho, coped well in the snow and rain. dry or hot weather and they wear quick.

bit comical taking corners at speed as its like on ballons lol.

deffo will have another set for winter, need something more solid for ' summer ' weather

edit: are the rain experts any better?

 

[.GAZ.]

One of the best tyres I've ran. Flying into roundabouts in the wet @ 60mph and getting zero understeer in one of my old RS Clio's.

 

[_WILL_]

I have 4 on mine. Utter crap. I didn't want to admit it but I hate them. I don't even think they are good enough in the wet to make up for their poor dry weather performance.

Not sure they are dangerous tho. Once they are loaded up they are predictable enough and their level of grip isn't too shabby for a road tyre. But I really don't like them.

i do wonder with all the variation in comments if there is a lot of variability in the tyres.

 

[Dan519]

i do wonder with all the variation in comments if there is a lot of variability in the tyres.

thats called personal taste, something that seems to elude the internet recently. Tyres and brakes are a very personal thing and just getting what everyone else does is a recipe for disappointment

 

[MicKPM]

I'll do the OP a swap for the Nexans I've inherreted on my new rims (which I've got to run until next week when my replacements arrive). I've lost all faith in my car now and abosultly hate it.

 

[whom]

thats called personal taste, something that seems to elude the internet recently. Tyres and brakes are a very personal thing and just getting what everyone else does is a recipe for disappointment

Of course personal taste isn't 100% reliable across the internet but what else do you have to go on when buying tires? These are the 5th and 6th tires I've ever bought! The first four were all the same too!!!! (P6000s on a ph1 1.4, my first car)

So I'd have to disagree with your recipe for disaster comment, although I see all too clearly what you are implying.

I'll do the OP a swap for the Nexans I've inherreted on my new rims (which I've got to run until next week when my replacements arrive). I've lost all faith in my car now and abosultly hate it.

You're not really making a good sale case.....

4000 posts! Congratulations haha

 

[Nick_Leeds]

New plan!

Take these off and stick them back on in the winter when the T1Rs run out.

So I can get pilot sports:

205/45/16 = 103 delivered
195/15/16 = 90 delivered

Is 10mm worth £13? (and before anyone says anything, I am talking about tyres... )

Also interested in this, have u got a link for them? I've got 195's on mine atm (P-Zeros) but dont have anything to compare them too.

 

[_WILL_]

thats called personal taste, something that seems to elude the internet recently. Tyres and brakes are a very personal thing and just getting what everyone else does is a recipe for disappointment

Yes I agree completely that personal preference can play a big part, but tyre variation can be fairly substantial. Major tyre companies still have these sorts of issues with premium tyres and work extremely hard and spend a lot of time and money trying to reduce the variation. I don't know the full background of uni royal but I am guessing they are not on the same level as some of the better known brands ( correct me if I am wrong about uni royals background ). So it would suggest they have the potential to not have as tightly controlled manufacturing processes. Equally I don't know of any OEM'S that spec them?

Even tyres left "on the shelf" for longer than others can make a noticeable difference. I am just surprised by how different people's views are.

Personal preference tends to be more about someone's response to a particular characteristic, where as the way I am reading some of the comments it would suggest that there seems to be variation in the characteristics themselves.

just getting what everyone else gets is not always a bad thing either, if the reason everyone gets them is because they are the best? But in this situation I regret getting them, I should have spent some more money!

 

[Dan519]

I could list a dozen brands and product that everyone on here gushes over that i've found to be utter guff. Wouldn't stop people gushing over them. Tyres aren't really any different


Whom - P6000s are dreadful, I don't know why they're still made. Seems like every car I buy has them on.
I've put BFGoodrich on my 197. quite happy with them. Had Hankook V12s on my 172, which were ok in the dry, better in the wet, but nothing special

 

[_WILL_]

I could list a dozen brands and product that everyone on here gushes over that i've found to be utter guff. Wouldn't stop people gushing over them. Tyres aren't really any different.

I can't disagree with that. Personal preference is always going to be a major factor with anything people buy. If you can make something that everyone likes then you are on to a winner!!

 

[Adam G]

It also depends on individual driving style to a certain extent.

 

[Scrooge]

Fill them with nitrogen so you don't get changing pressures.

 

[roberto.]

Fill them with nitrogen so you don't get changing pressures.

Srs? This was proven tosh by fifth gear.

 

[MG cup]

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

​Your buying cheap tyres for a start.

 

[MG cup]

Srs? This was proven tosh by fifth gear.

SRS? Its widely known nitrogen isn't affected much with temperature changes, basic physics. F1 use it for fun iirc. Explain that 5th gear,

 

[Dan519]

Air is mostly nitrogen anyway though. 85% roughly

 

[MG cup]

Yes it makes up 3/4 of the universe but that last quarter contains water and usually airs water content is concentrated once pumped through a compressor into a tyre.

You can say its an improvement although a small one.

 

[Scrooge]

My mate had it in his mps and the pressures stayed a lot more stable, I put it in mine and did a few tests and they stayed pretty much the same, then I changed my tyres and haven't had them refilled

 

[roberto.]

Pointless to argue about really, if you think it makes a difference then by all means go ahead.

As for rainsports, I've never had them. I'd rather pay the extra and have a tyre that's more consistent in all conditions.

 

[Scrooge]

Well yer, I wouldn't buy rain sports.

 

[whom]

Ideal gas law:

Pressure * Volume = number of moles * gas constant * Temperature
PV=nRT

Assume volume is constant and number of moles is constant, therefore:

Pressure is proportional to gas constant multiplied by temperature

Air
R = 0.287kJ/kg K

Nitrogen
R = 0.297kJ/kg K

(Source - University data book)

Therefore nitrogen is 3.5% worse. It causes +3.5% pressure rise over air. There might be a slight error because the weight of nitrogen might be slightly different to air filled. Either way, I am confident nitrogen has a negligible effect on tyre pressure with temperature.


The only reason I could think of for having nitrogen is to remove moisture in the air to stop it freezing or causing corrosion. And maybe to eliminate smaller particles that might be present in normal air. Air is 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen and 1% other gasses.

 

[Scrooge]

Full tyre with normal air, measure the pressure, hoon f**k out of it a see a change. Do the same with nitrogen and you'll see negligible change ime.

 

[whom]

Some reading has informed me that oxygen more readily permeates the tyres wall. Therefore reducing it's quantity will reduce pressure loss over time.

 

[JaredHasNoBrain]

edit: I like Toyo's.

 

[Ray Gin]

Flying into roundabouts in the wet @ 60mph and getting zero understeer in one of my old RS Clio's.

Same, although maybe not at 60 :rasp:

 

[The Fatty]

are you sure its the tyres and not your geo setup?

 

[whom]

are you sure its the tyres and not your geo setup?

Yeah, the car was fantastic with my old tyres. No sign of uneven wear on any of the old tyres either. And it was put over a hunter rig in the last 18 months.

 

[Fred@BTM]

Filling tyres with nitrogen is utterly pointless UNLESS the tyre is purged first which basically means you have to suck EVERYTHING under vaccum out of the tyre and then allow pure nitrogen in, adding nitrogen to atmospheric pressure tyres is the dumbest thing i've heard of, kwikfit and the like do the later, no one who "has nitrogen inflated tyres" has it done properly because it would cost you £30 per wheel probably, not £2.50 or whatever you've been mugged off for!

 

[Scrooge]

Who the f**k would use kwik fit lol
There's a few places that do it around here properly Fred.
I might try Helium, make the car lighter.