Toyo tires for wet and dry.

[eVox]

I'm looking at the toyo tires for use on my car. R888's have been bumped out of my head for fear of driving in the rain (and I don't think i really need slicks for the first tires on my first sports car). Has anyone had any experience with the other toyo performance tires (T1R, RA1) in the rain? Are RA1's rain worthy at all?

 

Oh, the toyos thing is because I have a connection at toyo and might be able to get a good deal on them. Other tire recommendations are welcome.

 

tire size is about 225/50/14s...14inch rims/7inch width.

 

in fear of getting caught in the rain on long trips,

andrew

[gjslutz]

I love the R888 in the dry and they are fine for wet.

 

Any standing water and it is like ice. If you can't see the texture of the road, hold on.

 

Gary

[scannon]

I have found the Toyo Proxis T1S to be very good wet and dry tires. It takes very deep water to hydroplane them. They are out of production but I have heard good things about their replacement, the T1R.

 

I've run the T1S on my turbo Miata for years now, probably on the 3rd or 4th set. I used them as track tires and they are probably the next best thing to an R compound. I used to get 8 - 10 track days and 10 - 12k street miles on a set on the (relatively) heavy Miata.

 

A side benefit is the very good ride due to softer sidewalls for which you give up a bit of turn in quickness.

 

I ran a set of the RA1s as street and track tires, they lasted about 3k miles and 5 track days. Not great in the rain when full treaded, totally useless when the tread starts wearing off. Great fun in the canyons while they lasted.

 

Skip

[Davemk1]

I have the T1R on my Birkin for street use. They are very good even in heavy rain and the traction in the dry is fine. Not anything like a R compound tire or a slick by any means but fine for the street. They are pretty quiet and it seems like they will never wear out.

 

I autocross on slicks and just wanted a smooth quiet tire that handled rain well for those long drives home after an event and the inevitable afternoon thunderstorm.

 

Dave

[slngsht]

I had RA1s and was VERY happy with them. Only drove in rain with them a couple of times with no problems, but it was not HEAVY rain. I have no doubt it'll do fine in rain, because the tread pattern is very conservative, unlike the R888

[Keith]

I've driven the RA1 in heavy rain and standing water. They're really good. No concerns about hydroplaning. They last a good long time on a Seven - I probably got a dozen track days out of mine easily.

[Kitcat]

My RA1'a are great, in the dry. They have 6-7 track days and abt 4K miles on them so the tread is abt 1/2 gone.

 

They were fine in the rain when new. Now I hydroplane over 50 mph. But as the tread fades, their dry traction increases. Since I mostly drive in dry weather it's not a problem. In the wet, I pull over, or drive on low speed back roads.

 

Mike

[gjslutz]

I had to do the same on my R888 in heavy rain covered roads. Mixing it up with larger cars on a freeway was a white knuckle drive, even with less than 1000 miles on them. Light rain was fine.

 

Gary

 

[athens7]

All the posts I have seen on Toyo tires reference the 888s and RA1s. Does anyone have experience with the R1Rs? That is one of the few aggressive tires available here that fit the standard Caterham wheel/tire package (205/45ZR16).

[pksurveyor]

I replaced my SV's original Avon with the Hankook RS-2 Z211 205/45-16. Bridgeston RE-01R is also available in this size.