# Directional tires **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** s80, volvo, tires\ **Created:** [August 28, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/directional-tires/35714 "2009-08-28T17:55:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dbumpus1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@dbumpus1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dbumpus1)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/directional-tires/35714/1 "2009-08-28T17:55:49Z")
what is the danger of running directional tires backwards? ---
**Author:** ![twotone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@twotone](https://community.cartalk.com/u/twotone)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/directional-tires/35714/2 "2009-08-28T18:11:23Z")
Quicker/uneven wear, bad handling/traction, road noise, voids warranty, etc. Unless of course you are planning to always drive in reverse. Twotone ---
**Author:** ![CapriRacer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/capriracer/32/22_2.png) [@CapriRacer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CapriRacer)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/directional-tires/35714/3 "2009-08-28T18:12:04Z")
The purpose of directional tires is wet traction (and in some cases, snow traction.) So the only danger is slightly reduced grip in wet (or snow) conditions. Pull, wear, and dry traction properties are unaffected. But why would you run these types of tires backwards - except by mistake? ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 10:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/directional-tires/35714/4 "2009-08-28T22:55:54Z")
I would submit that teh difference in wet traction may be significant The V moves water away from the center. Mounted backwards they’d push water toward the center, increasing the likelihood of hydroplaning. ---
**Author:** ![CapriRacer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/capriracer/32/22_2.png) [@CapriRacer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CapriRacer)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 12:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/directional-tires/35714/5 "2009-08-30T12:01:39Z")
Back when Goodyear first came out with the Aquatred, the tire company I worked for tested the tire for wet traction - backwards and forwards - and there was only a 10% difference. This means that a non-directional tire with an otherwise identical tread pattern would only be 5% worse. In my view that is a small difference. ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 12:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/directional-tires/35714/6 "2009-08-30T12:36:36Z")
Had The Titanic Steered A Course Just 5% Leeward . . . I agree that it’s a small difference, but one never knows how useful it might be. I think the 10% figure is probably more important to the Marketing Department’s Bottom Line. CSA ---
**Author:** ![Robert-Gift](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/robert-gift/32/356_2.png) [@Robert-Gift](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Robert-Gift)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/directional-tires/35714/7 "2009-08-30T15:56:22Z")
Since I am always seeking the ideal, I would run them in the proper direction, even if only 5% gain. What is a directional tire? Have never seen one other than a farm tractor tire. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/directional-tires/35714/8 "2009-08-30T17:53:55Z")
> What is a directional tire? > Have never seen one other than a farm tractor tire. They are common for high performance tires. This is what some of them look like. ---
**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/directional-tires/35714/9 "2009-08-30T19:46:26Z")
Why do you feel a need to know? ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 11:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/directional-tires/35714/10 "2009-08-30T23:53:40Z")
That’s for that tire only. I’ve not seen any testing for a range of the more common V patterned tires, without the center relief channel, and I’d suspect that those without the center channel would hav a more significant differencee. This would be a good experiment for Mythbusters.