Tires Mounted Backwards (Inside Out)

[billt460]

Originally Posted by Quattro Pete

The extent to which it is "distinguishable" is subjective, but the difference is certainly there. It doesn't cost any more to mount a tire like this correctly (with the word "OUTSIDE" on the outside), so why not do it? If it didn't matter, the word "OUTSIDE" wouldn't have been placed there.

I will concede the difference is there. And I will agree that it is just as easy to mount it with the outside out. However it is not "dangerous" if it is not, like some here are suggesting. As the above poster mentioned, no tire manufacturer would knowingly produce a tire that could be made dangerous by simply having a tire jockey inadvertently flip it. Would it cause a slight, all but undetectable difference in performance in everyday driving? Perhaps, but doubtful. Remember, we're talking streets and highway's here with speed limits. Not racetracks with cars running on the ragged edge. And if anyone hydroplanes ANY vehicle in the rain, on ANY tire, they are driving too fast for the conditions, period. But there is no "danger" involved if these type of tires are flipped, the way the second shop told the OP. They were unnecessarily over dramatizing the situation. The difference would be barely detectable, not "dangerous".

 

[Sayjac]

Originally Posted by PandaBear

….This happens in a lot of industries for a lot of people. Things like "I've been doing this for 25 years, I know what I'm doing"....

On a lighter note. When I read that installer guy said he had 25+ years experience, my first thought ahh another Scotty Kilmer.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted by billt460

Originally Posted by Quattro Pete

The extent to which it is "distinguishable" is subjective, but the difference is certainly there. It doesn't cost any more to mount a tire like this correctly (with the word "OUTSIDE" on the outside), so why not do it? If it didn't matter, the word "OUTSIDE" wouldn't have been placed there.

I will concede the difference is there. And I will agree that it is just as easy to mount it with the outside out. However it is not "dangerous" if it is not, like some here are suggesting. As the above poster mentioned, no tire manufacturer would knowingly produce a tire that could be made dangerous by simply having a tire jockey inadvertently flip it. Would it cause a slight, all but undetectable difference in performance in everyday driving? Perhaps, but doubtful. Remember, we're talking streets and highway's here with speed limits. Not racetracks with cars running on the ragged edge. And if anyone hydroplanes ANY vehicle in the rain, on ANY tire, they are driving too fast for the conditions, period. But there is no "danger" involved if these type of tires are flipped, the way the second shop told the OP. They were unnecessarily over dramatizing the situation. The difference would be barely detectable, not "dangerous".

Depends. Other than one case I've never dealt with a tire that was mounted or installed in the wrong direction. I have used tires that had issues with hydroplaning. I was going at reasonable highway speeds although it was wet. These were summer tires that had directional channels that ended short of the end of the outer blocks. I guess they trapped water there and I slightly hydroplaned when I hit a puddle. They were otherwise good in wet conditions, but evacuating water wasn't what they were designed for.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted by billt460

However it is not "dangerous" if it is not, like some here are suggesting. As the above poster mentioned, no tire manufacturer would knowingly produce a tire that could be made dangerous by simply having a tire jockey inadvertently flip it. Would it cause a slight, all but undetectable difference in performance in everyday driving? Perhaps, but doubtful. Remember, we're talking streets and highway's here with speed limits. Not racetracks with cars running on the ragged edge. And if anyone hydroplanes ANY vehicle in the rain, on ANY tire, they are driving too fast for the conditions, period. But there is no "danger" involved if these type of tires are flipped, the way the second shop told the OP. They were unnecessarily over dramatizing the situation. The difference would be barely detectable, not "dangerous".

Probably not dangerous, but hard to say for sure without some actual tests what the actual impact would be. I would mainly want to make sure it's installed correctly from a potential warranty claim perspective. If the OP ever wanted to get comped for shorter than expected treadlife and it became evident that the tires were mounted incorrectly, the tire manufacturer may refuse to honor the warranty.

 

[92saturnsl2]

Originally Posted by billt460

I will concede the difference is there. And I will agree that it is just as easy to mount it with the outside out. However it is not "dangerous" if it is not, like some here are suggesting. As the above poster mentioned, no tire manufacturer would knowingly produce a tire that could be made dangerous by simply having a tire jockey inadvertently flip it. Would it cause a slight, all but undetectable difference in performance in everyday driving? Perhaps, but doubtful. Remember, we're talking streets and highway's here with speed limits. Not racetracks with cars running on the ragged edge. And if anyone hydroplanes ANY vehicle in the rain, on ANY tire, they are driving too fast for the conditions, period. But there is no "danger" involved if these type of tires are flipped, the way the second shop told the OP. They were unnecessarily over dramatizing the situation. The difference would be barely detectable, not "dangerous".

The guy who has trouble grasping the entire concept of an asymmetrical tread tire will be the last person I defer to for advice on how performance might be impacted should they be installed reversed. To conclude that it would only be a "slight, all but undetectable difference" is a guess and nothing more. To say whether it is dangerous or not, really depends on conditions. For most everyday drivers, I'd say not. OTOH, imagine a 21 year old kid borrowing his mom's car and taking corners at high speed or street racing.. Pretty dumb things, but many of us have done them, including myself. Are you telling me that incorrectly installed tires wouldn't be dangerous in this scenario, given that cornering grip is compromised (don't pretend like you know how much because you don't)? Manufacturers would not market asymmetrical tread tires at all if there was not a performance gain. In installing them backwards you are negating that benefit, and I'd venture a guess that performance would be even worse than an ordinary symmetrical tread tire, given the large voids that would be present on the (incorrectly oriented) outside tread block.

 

[tiger862]

Originally Posted by jjjxlr8

Maybe this will help you understand, tiger862. On the right side of the vehicle, the asymmetric non-directional pattern is rolling in the opposite direction of the left side. This is one of the primary benefits of a non-directional tread pattern. When you cross-rotate your tires on the vehicle, the heal toe wear that naturally develops in any rolling tire with individual tread blocks can be reduced, resulting in less noise and more even wear for the life of the tire.

They are asymmetrical not directional. Designed to be cross rotated which if done correctly will not only operate as designed but will last longer.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by Sayjac

Originally Posted by PandaBear

….This happens in a lot of industries for a lot of people. Things like "I've been doing this for 25 years, I know what I'm doing"....

On a lighter note. When I read that installer guy said he had 25+ years experience, my first thought ahh another Scotty Kilmer.

There's a difference between 25 years worth of experience and 1 year of experience repeated 25 times. That's a standard metric for jobs, you want to have one where you're learning new things in 5 years, not have one year of experience repeated 5 times.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted by 92saturnsl2

To say whether it is dangerous or not, really depends on conditions.

It depends far more on wear. A tire worn to or at the end of it's service life, (of which there are literally millions on the road), will hydroplane far easier, than a new one with fresh deep grooves that is mounted flipped. It really doesn't matter because as I said, regardless of what tire, how it's mounted, or how much it's worn, or the existing conditions, if you're driving so fast you induce hydroplaning in any vehicle, you are driving too fast, period. https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/tyres/checking-tyre-tread/ "The difference in wet braking distance between a tire worn to 3mm and one worn to 1.6mm can be as much as 44%. Worn tires are particularly dangerous in the wet because a tires tread helps disperse water away from the contact patch between tire and road. If there's less tread depth, less water can be shifted, increasing the risk of aquaplaning and losing grip."