Tyre help needed - assymetrical Uniroyal

Top Dog

I'm looking into new tyres for our car, and the Uniroyal Rainsport 3 caught my attention.

I'm seriously confused though, so I'm hoping someone with a better knowledge might be able to explain in simple english for me.

They tyre is an assymetrical design, which means it has a distinct pattern with a definite outside and inside orientation.

But with channels for water dissipation - does that not in effect mean that its backwards when fitted on the right hand side and thus negates somewhat the water flow through the channels?

If you look at the picture below, and imagine you're looking at them from the front of the car, then the tyre on the right will channel the water out correctly from center to outside of tyre. But the tyre on the left is effectively backwards so is it not channelling water from the outside to the inside where it can't escape?

rex-x

Some tyres are asymmetrical and sided so you have left hand side and right hand side tyres (you would have two lefts if thats the case) But some do have that pattern by design and its likely not ideal tbh. The eagle f1 asymmetric pattern is much more suited to being fitted to both sides of the car.

grogi

They have a page about the same: https://www.uniroyal-tyres.com/car/tyre-guide/tyre-knowledge/fitting-rainsport-3 There are no left/right in this type...

Uniroyal claims that is absolutely normal, fine and does not influence the performance of the tyre. Even the picture shows the water being brought into the middle of the tyre


But if you don't trust them (I wouldn't - it goes against my understanding), so just get a different tyre. Plenty of them...

Top Dog

grogi wrote: »

But if you don't trust them (I wouldn't - it goes against my understanding), so just get a different tyre. Plenty of them...

It just doesn't compute for me

Thanks for the link. Even reading their waffle it still seems wrong to me - they have optimised design to get the water to flow in one direction, but its grand, it'll work backwards too.

Time to look for a different tyre alright I think.

mickdw

grogi wrote: »

They have a page about the same: https://www.uniroyal-tyres.com/car/tyre-guide/tyre-knowledge/fitting-rainsport-3 There are no left/right in this type...

Uniroyal claims that is absolutely normal, fine and does not influence the performance of the tyre. Even the picture shows the water being brought into the middle of the tyre


But if you don't trust them (I wouldn't - it goes against my understanding), so just get a different tyre. Plenty of them...

I had the same thoughts re vredesteim sessantas i bought once. Same idea and to be honest they looked like someone had put one on the wrong way round when looking at the back of the car.
Vredestein document confirmed that the design was not significant in terms of wet performance. In fact the thread was by a famous design house so likely more style than performance.
Most tyres now that are assymetrical suffer to some small extent in this way but most not as obvious as this case.

Top Dog

Maybe directional is better/easier?

grogi

Top Dog wrote: »

Maybe directional is better/easier?

Personally I will get directional CrossClimate+ next time I am for "renewal"... They will last forever and will handle dry, wet and a bit of snow...

mickdw

Top Dog wrote: »

Maybe directional is better/easier?

Dont like directional. I much prefer tyres where the outside is the outside always. I find in general that the sidewall tends to be much better on the asymetric in terms of cornering support.
My own thinking on this is that if the directional tyre was made with the sidewall strength that you get in outer sidewall of the asymetric, the directional tyre would be too hard as both walls would be manufactured identically in the directional tyre as either side can be in / out.

wilford

Just put a set of these on the rear as replacements for Dunlop Sportmaxx no issues so far,very good grip in the wet so far but in fairness less than 1000km on them at the min.

Top Dog

mickdw wrote: »

I much prefer tyres where the outside is the outside always. I find in general that the sidewall tends to be much better on the asymetric in terms of cornering support.

The very reason I was looking at assymetric after a mechanic friend said similar.

Tropheus

Have used Uniroyals Rainsports on two cars and have no issues. I did notice the directional thing previously and assumed they should be fitted in a one direction only. Obviously I found that wasn't the case and can't fault them especially in the wet.

biko

+1 for Uniroyal

tphase

+1 for the rainsports. Excellent grip however the way I drive, they don't last

mullingar

+1 again for uniroyal.

Have them on my LS430, great price vs performance with a half decent life too, IIRC camskill had a promo on these recently

ION08

-1

That would drive my OCD nuts.

Plenty of other tyres with Excellent wet grip rating that aren't necessarily marketed as a "Rain" tyre.

Alun

The proof of the pudding is in the eating, as they say, and OCD or not, they do actually work, and very well too. I have them on the MX-5 and especially when there's lots of surface water about I barely notice it's there, whereas on my other car that has Michelin Sport Pilot 3's, the same amount of water is quite noticeable.