Directional Tire Question

[n80]

I've done one track weekend (my first ever) on a new set of street tires. They are a fairly hard compound for a summer high performance tire but the track still did a job on the outside edges of the fronts. (Even though there is a fair amount of negative camber and they were run at just over recommended air pressure.)

 

Anyway, they are directional and a different size from the rears so you can't really rotate them.

 

I have been told that the directional tread only has an impact on wet traction and not dry traction. So my question is this: At my next track weekend (Winter Melt Down) if it is dry, can I swap sides without any loss of traction? The tread direction would be facing the wrong way but if it is only a wet traction issue then it shouldn't matter.

 

I'm just trying to milk a little extra mileage out of these since they are fairly new and this is my daily driver. If I continue to track this car, and I hope to, I will get a set of wheels and tires just for the track....but I'm not there yet.

[kbrew8991]

you can dismount the tires and remount them "flipped" on the wheels to rotate 'em. (IE the right front would be dismounted, worn area placed on the inside edge and with that change in direction it would become a left front - wash, rinse, repeat).

[ILIKETODRIVE]

you can dismount the tires and remount them "flipped" on the wheels to rotate 'em. (IE the right front would be dismounted, worn area placed on the inside edge and with that change in direction it would become a left front - wash, rinse, repeat).

This is why I love working at a place that allows me to fulfill all of my own tire mount/balance needs.

[kbrew8991]

doing the math it doesn't take too many seasons for a secondhand tire mounting & balacing setup to pay for itself. Still a decent size buy-in though

[n80]

I've done that before but was trying to avoid the mount/balance fee and all that. I've also heard that repeated remounting is hard on the bead of these low profile tires but that may be a myth.

 

If I get a set of track wheels/tires they will not be staggered or directional.

[kbrew8991]

never heard that myth before.... interesting.

[n80]

It might be a complete myth but I know that a good many tire shops are charging more to mount low profile tires......but that may be aimed at those wagon wheel 22s you see on pimped cars.

 

I also know that the last time I had this done, the bead and bead edge was really scuffed up bad...but it did not cause any problems.

 

Anyway, I'm still curious to know if there is loss of dry traction in a directional tire run backwards. Of course with off-road and tractor tires (which is where I have some experience) you lose almost all traction if not run in the right direction.

[drivinhardz06]

no loss of traction in the dry running them backwards

 

anybody remember CART in '93 when Penske discovered their rear rain tires worked better mounted backwards?

[ILIKETODRIVE]

Anyway, I'm still curious to know if there is loss of dry traction in a directional tire run backwards. Of course with off-road and tractor tires (which is where I have some experience) you lose almost all traction if not run in the right direction.

 

In my own recent personal experience, none. I ran practice/qual/75 minute enduro back in Nov on a Sat with my tires pointed in the correct direction (R888). My best time of the day was a 1:07.4 in qual and my best time in the race was a 1:07.7. On Sun I rotated them so that left-rear (least worn) was now right-front. I also put the right-rear in the left-front. All 4 tires backwards. I ran a 1:07.7 in qual. The car felt pretty much the same both days.

[jimbow]

It might be a complete myth but I know that a good many tire shops are charging more to mount low profile tires......but that may be aimed at those wagon wheel 22s you see on pimped cars.

 

I also know that the last time I had this done, the bead and bead edge was really scuffed up bad...but it did not cause any problems.

 

Anyway, I'm still curious to know if there is loss of dry traction in a directional tire run backwards. Of course with off-road and tractor tires (which is where I have some experience) you lose almost all traction if not run in the right direction.

 

Having done it once on my Corvette a few years ago at VIR with a damp track, it will be fine.

[n80]

Thanks guys.

[bukit]

I've run Nitto NT555 RIIs which are directional in the wrong direction on a dry track and didn't notice any drawbacks.

[philstireservice]

It might be a complete myth but I know that a good many tire shops are charging more to mount low profile tires......but that may be aimed at those wagon wheel 22s you see on pimped cars.

 

I also know that the last time I had this done, the bead and bead edge was really scuffed up bad...but it did not cause any problems.

 

Anyway, I'm still curious to know if there is loss of dry traction in a directional tire run backwards. Of course with off-road and tractor tires (which is where I have some experience) you lose almost all traction if not run in the right direction.

 

 

Make sure they no what they are doing - most shops don't have skilled techs working those $10,000+ machines. No reason to damage a bead at all !!!

[n80]

Make sure they no what they are doing - most shops don't have skilled techs working those $10,000+ machines. No reason to damage a bead at all !!!

 

That's the tough part. You go to Tire Kingdom or Tires Direct and you really don't know who is working back there. In my case it didn't matter since I was just milking another 1000 miles out of a set of worn out Kumhos. My G35 eats front tires. Built in negative camber with no camber adjustment. Toe is the only adjustable parameter. If I continue to track this car I will likely get adjustable camber arms for it.