Stupid tire question.
 

I understand that when you install a tire, the rotation of it has to be the correct rotation direction, but wouldn't it make sense if you had a left side tire, you could just mount that the opposite direction on the right side and it wouldn't affect the tire? May sound stupid but please correct me if I am wrong. I found good tires for my SS but the guy says they are only for one side? here is the link to the tires, I already e mailed him and he said that what I am saying, just mounting them the opposite direction on the one side, would not work.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1-New...Q5fAccessories

Just mount it whatever direction that you need... no such thing as left or right hand sided tires not on the car.

what your talking about is a DIRECTIONAL tire. those have a tread design which matters on which side they are mounted on. if you wanted you can dismount the tires and just flip it to fit the other side if you really want to rotate the tires, but it gets costly to do it like that.



you dont have to have directional tires and most tires have a standard tread pattern that you can flip flop to any side you wish. dont confuse asymetrical tires with directional tires either, asymetrical tires only mount one way and can be flopped around like normal.


if you're not happy with the tires you have now post up what you want from your tires, people love talking tires. :nod:

you have to look some tires are one sides as the tire is directional but also could have the text inside or outside on it meaning that part has to face it. i used to work as a mechanic and some tires have that one them....inside only and outside only....and being directional you can only put it on one side that means....tell him to show you if it says inside or outside and if it has a rotation design on it.

I am guessing this is the case, I asked if there was any way of mounting them the other way to make it work and he said no they are left side tires only. Guess I'm sol with that deal.

also if you go to tire rack and put it in it gives you info on the tire on why it is a left side or right side. bf designed it specially for that side. so im guessing its only a left side tire if it stats on sticker and guy says....sorry


tire rack-The g-Force T/A KD is the Extreme Performance Summer tire member of BFGoodrich's family of g-Force tires. The g-Force T/A KD is designed to deliver BFGoodrich's Traction/Advantage to increase the performance capabilities of sports cars, sports coupes and performance sedans by providing remarkable dry road performance (hence the "D" in KD) while providing satisfactory wet traction. The g-Force T/A KD is not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatues, through snow or on ice.

The g-Force T/A KD features BFGoodrich's high-silica BlackTech tread compound molded into tires specifically developed for the left and right side of the vehicle. The g-Force T/A KD is the first BFGoodrich tire to feature an asymmetric tread pattern (with large, stable blocks to provide more outer shoulder contact area than almost any other street tire in history) which increases cornering traction and steering response, combined with directional water evacuation channels to help resist hydroplaning and enhance wet traction. The tire's structure includes twin steel belts reinforced by BFGoodrich's ETEC System (spirally wound nylon) that provide excellent strength, uniform ride quality, and Y-speed rated (186 mph) capability. And for handling control and feedback, g-Control sidewall inserts resist lateral deflection and allow the g-Force T/A KD tires to generate tremendous cornering force.

a lot of help, thanks a lot guys! Think I will just do it the right way and buy an actual set, just thought at that price I could save a few bucks

few things never to cheap out on and tires are not one of them....tires are what keeps car moving besides the much needs parts but a **** tire can result in many bad things....blow outs and wear and just all around crap.....dont be cheap when it comes to tires....just from personal experience. i put three different set of tires on my jeep in one year trying to find ones i liked for performance and daily driving. spend the little extra worth it in the long run.

I agree, but like I said in the beginning, I thought that with the left side tire, you could just mount it the other way and it would make no difference. The tire in the ad is a quality one at a great price and thats what I am looking for, not going to settle for a no name tire that will be worn away in a month. Thanks for the heads up though

the tire has to be flipped on the rim, you can't just swap which side the wheel is on, it will face backwards. some tires have "this side out" which can be flipped to either side

Won't work for a BFG KD - they have different tread blocks on the inside and outside of the tire, and they are directional, so they can only be moved front to back on the same side of the car.

- Justin

i didn't read the thread, just the first post :mrgreen:

if they arent on wheels already...no worries

seems to be going around. not to single you out, just using you as an example. lots of this is going on and if people would just read, there would be a lot less effort and tons less misinformation. it's like reading half of a homework assignment and then trying to do the whole thing - there doubtless was some pertinent information in the last half. same thing here: people need to read the damn replies; most likely the question has already been answered.

"Left Side Only" and "Right Side Only": a lot of technology and R&D went into those tires, hence the hefty price tag. i shouldn't really need to say this, but you shouldn't put used tires on your car; you should not mix and match tires - they should all be of the same brand/type of tire; lastly, replace your tires when you can see all of lincoln's head when you put a penny into the treads.

http://image.motortrend.com/f/safety...epth-tests.jpg

i know finances sometimes make us want to cheap out on things. hell, if i can get something for half the price that some retailer wants, why shouldn't i do it? brakes and tires should always get the money. cheap out on something else.

thats some of the biggest misinformation ive ever read regarding tires. if you dont have the money for tires, used tires are better than badly worn tires. the brand of tire really doesnt matter, its best to try to match the tread patterns as closely as you can but usually it goes in 2's. keep the same style per axle. you dont want to have a kdw on the right rear and have a sumitomo on the left, but its fine to have sumitomos in the front and kdw's in the back.

its an inspection failure to have mismatched tires on the drive axle

I agree with you up until the red.

Mismatched sizes and brands can effect the handling of your car. Granted, if you REALLY can't afford to keep the set the same it's best to at least keep the same type on an axle, it's still not a good idea. What if you have 400 treadwear tires up front and 200 in back? Or snow tires in back but 3 seasons up front? Yes, I'm splitting hairs, but we are attempting to define "best practice" here, and I agree with Jim.

treadwear of 400 for one tire is different on another. treadwear ratings are based upon a designated tire for BRAND A, usually their worst wearing tread. So whats 400 for say Goodyear wouldnt necessarily be the same for Sumitomo, beings that the worst wearing Goodyear is most likely a better quality tire than the worst wearing Sumitomo.



I agree on the mismatching of sizes. If you dont know anything about tires or sizes 100 percent i agree with you to keep the sizes the same. If you are knowledgeable about tire sizes then 10-1 you'll be able to make the best educated choice for the application you are using it for.


I understand that mismatched styles can effect the handling of a vehicle, but like i said before....if youre resorting to using a used tire then most likely your tires that are being replaced are pretty shot and will do you worst than a different tread pattern. Its not hard to spot match a tread pattern when choosing tires.


splitting hairs with all season/snow and performance tires is what i come to expect from you billy :mrgreen: its good info what you said...of course you dont want to mix up different designated tires. shouldve been more specific.

Yup, splitting hairs is what I do best. I'm a stickler for details. :lol:

So what you are saying is running a 205 up front and a 275 out back is bad for handling? :rofl:

lol might be good for a 80s sports car :rofl: