What a difference!
Discussion
Ok, I've only done about 25 miles, but these new uniroyal's are fantastic. I've discovered that I actually have PAS, as it's always felt so heavy in the past, but now it feels like it's got some assistance! 
The car rides the rough roads so much better, not 100% sure about grip levels yet as their still too new, and there's definitely less immediacy from the steering at the moment, but guess that might change a little with a few more miles under them.
PLUS - I've at long last got my new odyssey II seats fitted, finally I'm being held in place in the corners.
Earlydays yet, but just thought I'd pass on my first experiences to those considering any of the above. Only thing is, the improvement has been so impressive, I'm wondering if my, yet to be fitted, Bilsteins tuscon s suspension are going to give anywhere near the same wow factor!?!?!? Lol
The car rides the rough roads so much better, not 100% sure about grip levels yet as their still too new, and there's definitely less immediacy from the steering at the moment, but guess that might change a little with a few more miles under them.
PLUS - I've at long last got my new odyssey II seats fitted, finally I'm being held in place in the corners.
Earlydays yet, but just thought I'd pass on my first experiences to those considering any of the above. Only thing is, the improvement has been so impressive, I'm wondering if my, yet to be fitted, Bilsteins tuscon s suspension are going to give anywhere near the same wow factor!?!?!? Lol
Excellent it's not just me then. I think you might find when they are bedded in and yes around 100 miles should do it you'll then feel so much more at one with the car and it will simply be better at entering and hugging corners you'll then start leaning on your shocks a bit more, that's when your new billies should be fitted 
I don't find myself driving faster but you'll notice it through tight roundabouts etc, just loads of grip and effortless to drive. I look at my tyre's with glee. Best priced buy for my Tvr by far considering the huge change in the cars character and sheer ability.
I've done all the right things with Ecu changes and the like but these little old cheap tyre's have brought the car alive in many ways.
get to know the grip of them in the dry then try them in the rain, almost the same it seems to me. Outrageous.
you have to drive into or through a corner at such dangerous speeds it's hard to work out there lateral grip levels and only on very greasy roads have I locked the front wheels when brake testing. They do have a slipping point as does any tyre so I used these brake tests to give me a base feel for them. Massively impressed. The other obvious way to tell is how I don't suffer wheel spin say off junctions turning right in the wet or dry. It's more nimble and cat like, more hot hatch, reminds me of my original Mini but with proper power and apparenty since these tyre's were fitted I have very decent shocks. I hated all shocks I'd tried until now. Tyre's are a massive part of the equation and if you can't afford or don't really need semi slicks then these tyre's are going to keep you safe if you get caught in the rain and offer huge grip levels for almost all driving conditions you'll ever face. You could take them on track and you'll fly too I reckon.
unless your a track guru I'd not spend £400 + on tyre's when these things are available for not much more the £250 for 4. I think my ignition service components used to cost me that much every 6 months or 6000 miles
which ever came sooner 
All I can say it's great when a plan comes together, I put a lot of faith and hope in these tyre's because I was sick of the crashing and banging over bumps and so what a bonus they have all the grip properties but also offer a really comfy ride for when you just want to enjoy driving steady.
I've owned mine over 5 years and it's only the last 3 months I've felt safe driving it.
This is the only draw back
I don't find myself driving faster but you'll notice it through tight roundabouts etc, just loads of grip and effortless to drive. I look at my tyre's with glee. Best priced buy for my Tvr by far considering the huge change in the cars character and sheer ability.
I've done all the right things with Ecu changes and the like but these little old cheap tyre's have brought the car alive in many ways.
get to know the grip of them in the dry then try them in the rain, almost the same it seems to me. Outrageous.
you have to drive into or through a corner at such dangerous speeds it's hard to work out there lateral grip levels and only on very greasy roads have I locked the front wheels when brake testing. They do have a slipping point as does any tyre so I used these brake tests to give me a base feel for them. Massively impressed. The other obvious way to tell is how I don't suffer wheel spin say off junctions turning right in the wet or dry. It's more nimble and cat like, more hot hatch, reminds me of my original Mini but with proper power and apparenty since these tyre's were fitted I have very decent shocks. I hated all shocks I'd tried until now. Tyre's are a massive part of the equation and if you can't afford or don't really need semi slicks then these tyre's are going to keep you safe if you get caught in the rain and offer huge grip levels for almost all driving conditions you'll ever face. You could take them on track and you'll fly too I reckon.
unless your a track guru I'd not spend £400 + on tyre's when these things are available for not much more the £250 for 4. I think my ignition service components used to cost me that much every 6 months or 6000 miles
which ever came sooner All I can say it's great when a plan comes together, I put a lot of faith and hope in these tyre's because I was sick of the crashing and banging over bumps and so what a bonus they have all the grip properties but also offer a really comfy ride for when you just want to enjoy driving steady.
I've owned mine over 5 years and it's only the last 3 months I've felt safe driving it.
This is the only draw back
Faster?....I'm definitely faster, but only because the car is feeling much more controlled than it was before.
I've yet to really explore these, but as my old ones were between 8 and 15 years old and not taking anything away from these Rainsports, but I think any half decent tyre would be a revelation to me!
I am looking forward to a good old down pour though!
I've yet to really explore these, but as my old ones were between 8 and 15 years old and not taking anything away from these Rainsports, but I think any half decent tyre would be a revelation to me!
I am looking forward to a good old down pour though!
That's a very good point. I has Avons old and hard, then Toyo T1R and although not very old seemed just as hard.
I noticed as I walked towards the car yesterday, I've got a flat front!!!!
silly boy, car was parked straddling a curb and it was just tyre compression, smiled and reminded myself of how the other tyre's never complied anything like that.
Because these things are winter tyre's I don't think they will harden up much when not using the car regularly as many tyre's seem to do. I have a habit of trying to move a tread block on peeps tyre's as my way to asses the softness of compound, allsorts of cars, I've not found one with the same level of sqwidge and it's no surprise many of these vehicles are harsher over bumps than my Tvr which don't Alf make me smile.
The rain finds you out, end of, same with a tyre, I'm looking forward to your comments after experiencing what is normally a fraught operation,,, namely driving in the rain.
It will almost seem normal as if there's no water if they are like my buggers. Cracking things,, it's the money £50-60 a tyre!!!!!
I noticed as I walked towards the car yesterday, I've got a flat front!!!!
silly boy, car was parked straddling a curb and it was just tyre compression, smiled and reminded myself of how the other tyre's never complied anything like that. Because these things are winter tyre's I don't think they will harden up much when not using the car regularly as many tyre's seem to do. I have a habit of trying to move a tread block on peeps tyre's as my way to asses the softness of compound, allsorts of cars, I've not found one with the same level of sqwidge and it's no surprise many of these vehicles are harsher over bumps than my Tvr which don't Alf make me smile.
The rain finds you out, end of, same with a tyre, I'm looking forward to your comments after experiencing what is normally a fraught operation,,, namely driving in the rain.
It will almost seem normal as if there's no water if they are like my buggers. Cracking things,, it's the money £50-60 a tyre!!!!!
He is talking about Uniroyal Rainsport 3s. Don't know the exact size and spec, but I agree, I have them on my Saab and Volvo, and they are just brilliant. They have also lasted well over 20,000 miles on the Saab, so that's about a decade of most TVR owners' driving. No danger of them wearing out except doing burnouts at Santa Pod or handbrake turns (no chance, the TVR handbrake isn't up to it) with the yoof contingent in their Corsas on a Saturday night
Right, 150miles (I couldn't stop myself driving) of tyre scrubbing around the Peak District, and all I can say is Fantastic!
Very mixed weather conditions, but the car just got better and better. It felt so neutral going into corners, almost mid-engined in the way it transfered it's weight and it took me very much back to the feeling I had driving Boxsters around Silverstone in my days of selling them. I just can't believe how new tyres have transformed my car. I always knew something was amiss, but really never thought it could be down to tyres - I really should of known better!
Thanks for all the advice on here regarding the uniroyal's, as I'm truly delighted with my 'New' car!
Very mixed weather conditions, but the car just got better and better. It felt so neutral going into corners, almost mid-engined in the way it transfered it's weight and it took me very much back to the feeling I had driving Boxsters around Silverstone in my days of selling them. I just can't believe how new tyres have transformed my car. I always knew something was amiss, but really never thought it could be down to tyres - I really should of known better!
Thanks for all the advice on here regarding the uniroyal's, as I'm truly delighted with my 'New' car!
motul1974 said:
Right, 150miles (I couldn't stop myself driving) of tyre scrubbing around the Peak District, and all I can say is Fantastic!
Very mixed weather conditions, but the car just got better and better. It felt so neutral going into corners, almost mid-engined in the way it transfered it's weight and it took me very much back to the feeling I had driving Boxsters around Silverstone in my days of selling them. I just can't believe how new tyres have transformed my car. I always knew something was amiss, but really never thought it could be down to tyres - I really should of known better!
Thanks for all the advice on here regarding the uniroyal's, as I'm truly delighted with my 'New' car!
Great stuff.....have you been in my head because thats pretty much word for word what I have been thinking! Very mixed weather conditions, but the car just got better and better. It felt so neutral going into corners, almost mid-engined in the way it transfered it's weight and it took me very much back to the feeling I had driving Boxsters around Silverstone in my days of selling them. I just can't believe how new tyres have transformed my car. I always knew something was amiss, but really never thought it could be down to tyres - I really should of known better!
Thanks for all the advice on here regarding the uniroyal's, as I'm truly delighted with my 'New' car!
motul1974 said:
Right, 150miles (I couldn't stop myself driving) of tyre scrubbing around the It felt so neutral going into corners, almost mid-engined in the way it transfered it's weight
Arguably, the Chimaera is a mid-engined car; it's just that it's a "front mid" rather than the usual "rear mid" like a Boxster. Any car that has the entirety of the engine block sitting in front of the rear axle line or behind the front axle line can be described as mid-engine. The Chimaera meets that definition.
As we know car companies often ask tyre companies to make a tyre to suit their cars and if any tyre was to be designed for our cars it would resemble RAINSPORT 3 it seems to me.
I've also thought "something was amiss"
And I also " should have known better"
I suspected for ages regardless of new bushes and shocks the tyre's were the deciding factor as it often is in racing but kept thinking it's the archaic chassis/ suspension/ dodgy build quality or my wheel size etc etc, that was at fault, cussed speed humps as designed my a muppet and decided there's not a smooth road in Britian, ( which is true)
Changed tyre's after years of being disgruntled by the uncomfortable ride over bumps which was really getting on my nerves and like a magic wond these Tyre's resolved the lot in one knock of the spanners.
I can't take credit for finding these tyre's and it was Qbee talking about them on his daily last year then actually watching SiliconeKid at a drag strip doing insanely fast 1/4 mile times on them last summer and how I could move the tread blocks with my finger which got me excited, best mod yet
Really glad others are finding the same experience, long may it continue
I've also thought "something was amiss"
And I also " should have known better"
I suspected for ages regardless of new bushes and shocks the tyre's were the deciding factor as it often is in racing but kept thinking it's the archaic chassis/ suspension/ dodgy build quality or my wheel size etc etc, that was at fault, cussed speed humps as designed my a muppet and decided there's not a smooth road in Britian, ( which is true)
Changed tyre's after years of being disgruntled by the uncomfortable ride over bumps which was really getting on my nerves and like a magic wond these Tyre's resolved the lot in one knock of the spanners.
I can't take credit for finding these tyre's and it was Qbee talking about them on his daily last year then actually watching SiliconeKid at a drag strip doing insanely fast 1/4 mile times on them last summer and how I could move the tread blocks with my finger which got me excited, best mod yet
Really glad others are finding the same experience, long may it continue
Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff