Gary R.

Flipping (Hoo R6's in my case, which are not directional) to me means dismounting and remounting with the inside now becoming the outside. When running Limerock a lot (one left turn) it meant swapping wheels side-to-side also to try and keep wear even, but other than that on my fairly light, low powered SC it wasn't important for longevity.

kary993

Sorry but you need to learn more about other tires like slicks that do not have treads, Yoko slicks are an example where direction is recommended by manufacturer, going against it is not advisable.....Pirelli also has direction if you pay attention.

late apex

Almost all race tires are directional due to the way they are manufactured, including slicks. Once run, the rotation should stay the same for the life of the tire. I flip tires a lot because I wear out the insides of the rears and I wear out the left front before the right front, so I can double the life of a set by flipping them. I forget how to tell which side goes outside on the left side or right side, but there are left and right side slicks....

DaveM993

I always want to learn something...what "makes" the tire "directional". I realize manufacturer's recommend it...but why? Hoosier R6's are not directional...AFAIK (Edit..as mentioned above).

pat056

I've also heard Hoosiers R-6's and Kumho 710's are directional. However, I've "flipped" tires for years without an issue. I always make sure the 1st mount is correct. You can tell by the arrow direction on the side of the tire. I've been told the initial mount is pretty important, then after they have been cycled a few times, it's not so important. All I know from experience is that I really can't tell a difference in the flipped vs. the non flipped.
Now Hoosier rains, I do not flip as they are tread/side specific.

Gary R.

As for Hoosier R6's, I recently read an article in one of my mags (maybe Grassroots MS) that I believe was written by Hoosier (but could have been Tirerack) that clearly stated Hoosiers are NOT directional and could/should be flipped for maximum life.

kurt M

From the horses mouth.Or in this case the Hoosier website. My bold.

"MOUNTING GUIDELINES FOR TIRES WITHOUT DIRECTIONAL ARROWS


ROAD RACING TIRES:
(Includes catalog numbers beginning with 43, 44, 45, 46)
In most cases, Hoosier tires used in Road Race applications should be mounted with the serial code toward the center of the vehicle. Once a tire has been run in the proper orientation it is acceptable to remount the tire in the opposite direction to even out the wear."

So the answer is, Yes you can flip "Hoos" BUT.... Mount them directionaly to start then flip as needed.

todinlaw

It can depend on the tread design, like the Corsa system has the outer shoulder of the tread is heavy for holding up on aggressive driving. It also can depend on the inner construction of the belts of the tire. also it has to do with designed obsolescence, wanting you to buy tires sooner.

late apex

It has to do with the laps of the belts making up the structure of the tire. The laps, where a piece of material overlaps another, should rotate in the direction that they were applied. Picture it this way: if there was no rubber on the tire, the sections would flap if rotated in the wrong direction.

Flying Finn

What does flipping mean? Well, I'll let Johnny C. do explaining.
(this thread reminds me I need to flip my street tyres...)