[Ezzer]

There I was loving the MINI's road holding. Very impressed by it's sure-footedness on the Motorway. Since I haven't been in the rain with it since I had the summer wheels (16" 5-spoke Star with the Goodyear Run-flats), I didn't know that I was going to be this bad.

Now, here in Switzerland, the general condition of the Motorways are top-quality. On leaving Zürich a few nights ago, it started pouring with rain. Admittedly it was probably the first time in months of rain so it was slippery, but going at anything above 100km/h, the cooper felt like it was going to turn on itself if I hit some water. It was actually aquaplaning on water puddles that I do not even see! Felt like the car was sucking in water from underneath...It gave me no confidence whatsoever after that and took me MUCH longer to get home as a result.

Have you guys expereience bad aquaplaning? I have a Cooper with standard chill-pack suspension and wheels as mentioned. Would it be because of the run-flats? Also I found NO grip within the city in the wet... quite a shock.

I used to own a car with 215/45 17" wheels/tyres so I thought the cooper would deal with it much better, but apparently not!

[northandy]

I have a Cooper S with the 17 inch S spokes and Dunlop Runflats and find them excellent in the wet.... maybe it was because of the fact you hadnt had rain for a while and traffic dirt had built up on the roads... other than that you have good tread depth on your tyres ?....

[mikeythemini]

Had a very scary moment in the wet and yes mine is all over the place now, putting it down to the tyres. They done 9000 miles, told there is only about 1000 left on them

[Ezzer]

Thanks guys.

I have about 19000km done, but about 5000 of that was on another set of wheels. I got the car at 9000km old, looks like it was driven very gentaly before that. Although I drive like to take it round the bends a little, I am also sympathetic. Had the tyres swaped around F to B and at least the front ones (there were at the back) still looks pretty good, good for 5000miles I'd say. But will do another check.

I do recall seeing that the original fronts (now at the back) seemed to have the outside edges (or was it the inside?) worn, was surprised, but enough tread left otherwise.

Also surpirsed to hear that you're only going to get 10,000miles out of it!!! light car and all! My last car was driven very spiritedly with some sticky Dunlop SPS9000, a lot heavier car, sold it at 12,000 miles and was just over the half life mark!


You must drive like a nutter!

[chiph]

Quote: Originally Posted by Max

Ezzer, don't forget that in CH, a lot of peeps drive with winter studded tyres, no?

The result of many thousands of miles driven on yr roads with studded tyres in the winter (with no snow on the main roads) is that the main roads get rutted.

These parallel ruts hold water, hence the chance of aquaplaning is greater (also in Austria and Germany)

We do not have this problem in the UK really.

I'm sure this is what it is

This is likely - I remember that from when I was stationed in Germany - the roads had a slight rut to them that would hold water. Try driving a little out of your lane (dangerous, illegal, but just as an experiment) to see if that's what's happening.

Chip H.

[ButtonIt]

When you had the wheels changed F to B did they get the direction correct. If the direction is the wrong way round (rotation arrows are on the sidewall) then the water clearance will be rubbish, this could well be the cause of your aquaplane problem.

[NordS]

I have changed my 17"s with Euphori@s to 16"s with goodyears and not had a problem, however I enjoy sliding all four tyres in the dry so.....

The tread pattern on the goodyears is fairly big and wide but it doesn't wear very much so perhaps a hard compound? That said aquaplaning is down to tread depth and pattern, how much tread do you have left?

[Ezzer]

Hmmm, interesting comments. Thanks a lot.

I do enjoy sliding too, but not at 120km/h in the wet. Direction, tread, etc all seems fine. I think the rut theory could be it, but still it has given me the goose bumps.

I was from the UK, so I'm very impressed with the motorways here (at least in the dry!) but I guess they are far superior in the wet in UK! (I wonder why!) I think then it must be the ruts caused by the trucks - particularly bad near Zürich. Although ultimately I am not convinced by the Goodyears in the wet - the ride is too lumpy in the dry as it is... I can just see the wheel skipping about all over the place in the wet.

The way it felt like it was sucking water below though did remind me of the thread about water intake and damaged engine..... seems like the Mini is a magnet for water!

[NordS]

Agreed, I have covered many miles in Uk and Germany on motorways / autobahns. The surface used by German road builders is different to UK and doesn't clear water as fast as UK motorways. It is rare to find enough standing water on UK main roads to cause aquaplaning, a suddenly downpour in Germany will cause standing water and you have to be aware and watch out for it.

I thought you were just not happy with the goodyears rather than comparing their performance on Uk v's German roads, sorry!!!

[kernowrob]

I have had the same problem of aquaplaning with 17" runflats with Goodyears, this only became apparent after 8,500 miles on the tyres, they had to be replace at 11,000, so they dont last very long, bit of pain in the **** as they cost 160 quid each! and I drive about 25000 miles a year!

[adgrimes]

Ezzer - If you like sliding all four wheels, then I think you've found your reason why the outside edge of your wheels are worn quicker than the inside...
I used to have a Honda Civic as a company car (new shaped one, like a people carrier) use to love sliding that as it was so easy... I had to get the company to replace tyres mainly because of outside edge wear as opposed to general wear...
Dont forget, that if you like sliding your cars, the legal limit (at least in the uk) of tyre tread on the edge of the tyre, is different to that on the middle of the tyre...