Directional tread patterns

[Subaruski]

Anyone want to make a case for them?

Do belts "set in" in one direction only, making reversing other tires with scheduled rotations counter productive? Make any sense?

Bad alignments will destroy a directional tread patterned tires' life though.

[ivwarrior]

Originally posted by Subaruski
Anyone want to make a case for them?

Do belts "set in" in one direction only, making reversing other tires with scheduled rotations counter productive? Make any sense?

Bad alignments will destroy a directional tread patterned tires' life though.

Bad alignment will destroy any tire.

All my tires currently (3 sets, 2 Outbacks) are directional. I didn't go out specifically looking for them, it just ended up that the tires I wanted were. I think the tire makers can get a little more aggressive with tread patterns on directional tires, because they know what way the tire will be rotating. They don't have to make a symmetrical pattern that will perform "ok" rotating either direction.

[nipper]

Directional tires will also act as a pump to throw water out from the contact batch, along with snow or mud.

I had one on backwatrds, and it caused the tire to hydroplane much quicker then the other tires.


nipper

[number 41]

I'll never forget having a directional mud truck tire on a Ford F-250 4WD. Got a ways down a trail and it quit. Had to back up 300 yards in 6" of snow and mud. What a nightmare!! Tires would not clean or give traction going the wrong direction. Never again.

[neutron]

Originally posted by Subaruski
Do belts "set in" in one direction only, making reversing other tires with scheduled rotations counter productive?

The directional tread pattern is solely for water evacuation. It is okay to run these tires in reverse without worry about them "setting" in a particular rotational direction. But wet performance will probably be compromised.