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Thread: I bought directional tires, and now I have 4 pass. tires...

  1. #1
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    I bought directional tires, and now I have 4 pass. tires...

    I need to ask a question for those people who might know a thing or two.

    I bought 4 Nankang NS-25’s for my 20 Inch Niche Missano’s and there are 4 passenger side tires .
    Would it hurt the tires to just flip them so the “inside” side is outside? It would orientate the tread in the right direction but not sure what it would do in terms of damage or longevity
    I work on semi trucks and front axle steer tires are directional. Even thought semi truck tires say “Inside” and “Outside”, it doesn’t hurt the tire in any way.

    I’m asking for experiences and not so much opinions (but I have an open mind for opinions)

    Thanks Bimmer Gang!!
    2015 BMW 328xi M-Sport

  2. #2
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    There's no such thing as passenger side and driver side tires. Always mount tires with "inside" in, and "outside" out. It's pretty simple.

    Or if the tread pattern is directional, it will have an arrow to point the forward rolling direction.

    If tires are non-directional, mount the full DOT number on the outside (with date code), and the partial DOT number (no date code) inside.
    ASE and BMW Master Certified Technician

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by White94RX View Post
    .......There's no such thing as passenger side and driver side tires............
    Well, not any more mercifully. The original Acura NSX came from factory with asymmetrical, directional, (and staggered) tires. Passenger side tires couldn't be used on drivers side and vice-versa.

  4. #4
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    Well on the “outside” of the tire it has an arrow turning clockwise. The tread is pointing like an arrow like the truck tires I work with at my work.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by White94RX View Post
    There's no such thing as passenger side and driver side tires. Always mount tires with "inside" in, and "outside" out. It's pretty simple.

    Or if the tread pattern is directional, it will have an arrow to point the forward rolling direction.

    If tires are non-directional, mount the full DOT number on the outside (with date code), and the partial DOT number (no date code) inside.
    Well what I’m trying to ask is if I’m gonna run into any issues if I mount them “inside” out or not. If I mount any of the tires “Outside” out on the driver side, the tread won’t face the proper direction. If I mount the tire “Inside” out than the only thing I am aware of is that the “Inside” sidewall could be weaker but not sure if it’s true.

    Outside Out = Wrong Tread direction on driver side

    inside Out= Correct Tread direction, but “Inside” sidewall is facing out... just lettering or actual concern to mount it inside out (Sidewall blowout from curb rub, not protected from the sun as well, etc.?)

  6. #6
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    If the tire is labeled "inside" and "outside" then follow that guide. Ignore the tread pattern.

    Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
    ASE and BMW Master Certified Technician

  7. #7
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    Post a photo of sidewall markings.

  8. #8
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    Tires with an "inside" and "outside" aren't directional. Or at least, they shouldn't be. In some photos, I see a Nankang tire that have a center tread that looks sort of "V"-ish, but the rest of the tread isn't directional.

    Like this :

    Nankang.jpg

    This isn't directional, even though there's a "V"-looking center rib.
    Last edited by Critter7r; 01-17-2020 at 12:15 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by B4SH View Post
    If anyone knows, it's this guy who knows literally nothing about everything.
    Quote Originally Posted by fcvapor05 View Post
    Do you even OT? The mean 401k around here is probably about $6, what with all the shiny cars and $1,000 watches and donations to get other members' Volvos running.


  9. #9
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    Update guys! They are directional like I thought. Over the time I had them on with outside-out on all the tires, I had excessive tire noise and 1/32 worn off on the first 1k miles on the driver side. I ended up flipping it and I drove it another 1-2k miles and now I’m getting reduced tread wear and no more tire noise. I recommend looking for any arrows showing the correct direction or look at the tread pattern. I took it to my buddy at a local tire shop and he said he’s had a lot of experiences with these specific tires and putting them on the wrong way will wear them down a lot quicker. Apparently the side walls are the same strength but it’s not the same for all other tires.

    So I’ll give you guys some pointers to look out for:

    1. If there’s an arrow, make sure your forward driving direction to match

    2. Outside and inside matters (on most directional tires)

    3. If you put it on the wrong way it’s most likely going to wear them faster (way faster in my case) and there will be a lot of road noise

    I figured I would share what I learned with the Bimmer crew. Just keep these things in mind

  10. #10
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    Unless the manufacturer sells Right and Left side-specific tires, they cannot possibly have tires that are directional, and also specify "OUTSIDE".

    I'm still waiting on a pic of these tires. Above, I posted a pic of the NS-25s I found, and those are NOT directional.
    Last edited by Critter7r; 01-27-2020 at 09:51 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by B4SH View Post
    If anyone knows, it's this guy who knows literally nothing about everything.
    Quote Originally Posted by fcvapor05 View Post
    Do you even OT? The mean 401k around here is probably about $6, what with all the shiny cars and $1,000 watches and donations to get other members' Volvos running.


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