Directional tread Vs Asymmetrical tread


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Old 12-27-16, 07:44 AM
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Directional tread Vs Asymmetrical tread

For you tire guys. Which is a better all season tire for four season driving?
I'm putting new tires on a Honda Civic for Midwest driving about 30,000 miles a year. I have Tiger Paws on it now and wanted a margin of safety for my daughter. The Tiger Paws have done OK and are in the last 25%.

The Nokian WRG3 tire is available in either tread and has a top reputation.

Thanks for any input.
 
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Old 12-27-16, 08:12 AM
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I look at the individual tire, not whether I can run it on either side of the car (once mounted to a wheel).

Personally, I have never looked at either brand you mention so I cannot comment on the decision you apparently have in front of you.

Can you still put studded tires on in the winter in IA? Snow tires are definitely something worth considering, regardless of whether you can have studs.
 
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Old 12-27-16, 08:54 AM
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Online retailers like Tire Rack do testing on many tires and have objective test results you can review. They also have customer feedback reporting to get an idea how well a tire performs in the real world.
 
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Old 12-27-16, 09:06 AM
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Thanks for the responses. I just about have to stay with the all season/all weather tire. The Goodyear Triple Tread is an all season directional tread as well as others. As I understand it the rear tires are put on with the tread reverse of the front. With an asymmetrical there is an in/out side to the tire since the tread is different from side to side.

The Nokian is a Finland tire with high ratings for winter and wet traction. I was curious as to whether the directional tread had any distinct advantages. I checked the Tire Rack site for comparisons, but didn't find anything on the Nokian A/S tires or comparing the two tread designs.
 
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Old 12-27-16, 09:17 AM
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I haven't been involved with tires in many years so my data may be outdated, But in the 35+ years I was in auto I could not tell the difference between tires for standard use. When you get into hi performance then you will see a difference. Most of my work was in warn weather.
 
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Old 12-27-16, 09:26 AM
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Here in Vermont, I've been running directional tread tires for over 10 years now; like this winter tire:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]74876[/ATTACH]

Most of my road issues here, and my close calls, have involved hydroplaning, which the directional tread addresses.

The front and back are mounted exactly the same way, to shed water

The Daughter of an Attorney Friend of mine recently ended a Lawsuit with a Tire Service Company which mounted the tires BACKWARDS so that instead of shedding water, the tire was actually drawing more water and slush into the center . . . . and was responsible for the accident which totaled her car.

The sidewall of each tire shows the direction of rotation that the tires must rotate . . . . FRONT and BACK are the same direction.
 
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Old 12-27-16, 09:42 AM
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Thanks a lot for the information. I was curious about that reverse mounting. I read it was for braking on one end and traction on the other. I guess even if the directional tread had better traction the two back tires not braking as well or as Vermont pointed out, the hydroplaning would be significant.

The studded winter or winter dedicated studless would be better, I'm sure. It's just not an option. That brought me to the Nokians with the big winter reputation. They're a few dollars higher, but the extra traction/braking would be worth it for the kid. Then going year around.
 
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Old 12-27-16, 10:59 AM
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IMO, you just can't spend too much on tires, they're the only part of the car which actually interacts with the road.

I have a 2012 Ford Fusion which was never as good in snow and ice as I thought it should be. Had to put new tires on it this summer and told my buddy in the shop to put on something quality (without asking him how much they cost) and my car is now a whole lot better in the winter.
 
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Old 12-27-16, 07:47 PM
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I never do directional tires. You can't rotate them right. As in - changing direction. What leads to uneven wear.
 
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Old 12-28-16, 03:19 AM
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I've had good experience with the wear on directionals; but a couple times, I've had a tire or two dismounted and remounted and balanced to place it on the other side of the car . . . . just on a tire by tire basis.

This has usually been due to other components failing (ball joints or tie rod ends) where irregular wear began on one side and I balanced it off on the other in order to get full life out of the tire . . . . sometimes 46,000 miles with with winter tires that are made of a soft composition rubber that grips ice crystals, but is known to wear faster.
 
 

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