Terrible handling on Rainsports

[lwt]

Just fitted 2 Rainsport 5s to the back instead of Toyos, as a lot of PH’ers recommend them. (225/50R16 replacing 245/45R16). The car was a pleasure to drive on Toyos with precise handling so that I could put the car on a selected point to within what felt like mm. I have now done 100 of the most unpleasant miles ever. Right from go it was bad and I hoped that might fade after a few bed-in miles, but no. Steering is very ‘darty’ and once a turn is started it requires counter-steering to maintain turn rate and the same double input coming out of the turn. Self-centering is minimal. At 40mph its just about ok, at 50 its taking a lot of concentration and 60 is as fast as I dare go now. It feels as if its trying to kill me and overtaking is almost impossible as I can’t keep it in a straight line accurately enough. Both tramlining and bump-steer have appeared, neither existed before.
So, do I take a hit and go back to Toyos or do I perservere with the RS5s by getting a full suspension geo done?

[Oldwolf]

Please don't be offended... Have you checked the pressure? They are very sensitive to that in my limited experience.

[Olivera]

2024 AutoBild Summer Tyre Test:

Uniroyal RainSport 5 (second last in dry handling)
+ Good aquaplaning qualities, safe wet handling.
- Vague handling and limited lateral guidance on dry roads.

[lwt]

Just using 24psi, higher maybe?
Regarding the test review that would be a serious understatement given how it wants to find hedges!

[s p a c e m a n]

The only experience I have of those rainsports is on our Clio track day cars wet weather wheels and as you say they are vague and feel like they have a very flexible sidewall like they're under inflated. They're great in the wet but I've no idea why people are recommending them for a mainly warm weather roof down car.

Have Michelin pilot sports on my chim, way nicer than the previous Toyo proxes I had on there

[lwt]

I think that I am going to play it safe now and go back to the Toyos. An expensive lesson but still not sure what the lesson is!

[breakfan]

I recently bought an S2 Exige and it came on Rainsports. I didn’t have experience in the car before so had nothing to compare with, but the handling just felt a bit off. When pushing on there was a fair amount of roll (it’s all relative), I guess the tyre wall was flexing. They didn’t inspire much confidence on track. I’ve since switched to NS2-R and the car feels much better.

[soad]

I think new tyres always take a fair bit to wear in. If no joy, sell them on. Not a total loss.

[sixor8]

I've had Rainsport 3s on my Griff since I bought it in 2021, I think they're good! They are 245mm wide, perhaps 225 isn't enough contact? Or are the 5s less sticky than 3s?

Edited by sixor8 on Sunday 23 June 20:59

[TR4man]

lwt said:

I think that I am going to play it safe now and go back to the Toyos. An expensive lesson but still not sure what the lesson is!

I’m under the impression that Toyo Proxes are now getting very hard to find (I think they have been discontinued) which may be why Rainsports were fitted?

[lwt]

Google search shows Proxes still available. I really dont want to have to make another decision!

[Thats What She Said]

I've had them on a couple of cars and they have been great tyres. The only downside I have had was that they were a little soft so didnt last long.

[indigochim]

Many of the complaints you list would surely be more in line with if you'd replaced tyres on the steering wheels rather than the rears. I've no experience of RS5 but have had RS3's and they're more than adequate. The picture you paint sounds so bad surely there must be some other underlying issue.

[lwt]

I have never felt such a big change in handling from fitting new tyres and I agree, its just as though the front end geometry has changed, but it hasn’t. Soft flexi sidewalls? I just need to get them gone now.

[s p a c e m a n]

They don't seem to manufacture the tr1 anymore, it's now proxes sport. If you get a tr1 check the date on the sidewall..

https://www.toyotires.com/tire-line/proxes/

Or buy Michelin pilot sports

[Pebbles167]

I use rainsports as strictly wet only tyres for all my cars on track days, a job in which they offer great wet grip for a relatively cheap price.

In the dry, the performance is good for nothing more than very casual road driving. As soon as you start to press on they'll flex and lose grip. Honestly they have the softest sidewall I've felt on any tyre, and even the XL version which is tougher isn't brilliant.

I had some fitted for my last trip to Nurburgring in the summer. I stuck the pressures up to 35psi and they managed to hang on for the quickish couple of laps i did, but it wasn't ideal. Fitted to a TVR for spirited road driving? Not fit for purpose.

[Smurfsarepeopletoo]

Could it be the difference in size, youve lost 20mm width, and gained a couple of mm height on the side wall.

[Kawasicki]

Your car now has linear range oversteer (or was too little linear range understeer).

Good luck with that.

Easiest solution is swap the tyres front/rear.

[lwt]

Looked up Linear Range Oversteer and sounds a spot on description. As an ex aerospace test engineer I am familiar with aircraft ‘static’ and ‘dynamic’ flying qualities and this is similar. If it was an aeroplane it would be grounded until this major deficiency was corrected. Off to buy some Toyos this morning.

[Belle427]

I've always considered them an average at best tyre, they may be ok on mainstream cars but I'd always steer away from them on anything performance orientated. (Excuse the pun).
Problem is your very limited for choice on these cars.
I had some TR1 on an Mx5 and they felt pretty good in all conditions tbf.