Flippin' track tires

[TXmtrhed]

Anybody try running NT05’s (or any other directional tire) in the reverse direction to keep from flipping the tires?

I’ve been running a square setup of NT05’s at the same track and though my tires are a little more worn on the front, the wear across the tires, front and rear, is fairly even. But the large number of fast right hand turns has caused tapering of the tread blocks where they meet the two circumferential grooves.

I know the proper solution is flip the tires but is there any harm to running them backwards? As long as it’s not raining what’s the harm?

Just to be clear, NT05’s have a symmetric, directional tread.

Thanks

[Gearhead999s]

I have them flipped on the rims so the inside is on the outside on the opposite side rather than reversing the direction of the tire on the car.I do this at about 50% of life of the tire.No issues so far and I am on my my 3rd set of NT05's and I get at least 12 days out of each set.

[LiM3y]

I have thought about this too. In the dry, it is the surface area that matters, so it should be okay. Either they are fine, and we can all start flipping them, or you produce a lurid YouTube video for us to watch. Total win-win. I say go for it!

[turugara]

Originally Posted by LiM3y

I have thought about this too. In the dry, it is the surface area that matters, so it should be okay. Either they are fine, and we can all start flipping them, or you produce a lurid YouTube video for us to watch. Total win-win. I say go for it!

Yes plz. Make sure go pro is on!

[TXmtrhed]

Lacking any definitive answers, you guys are on! I'll try to get a good base line and then rotate wheels and check it out.

You'll have to wait though, next track day is 5 weeks away.

[Gearhead999s]

Originally Posted by TXmtrhed

Lacking any definitive answers, you guys are on! I'll try to get a good base line and then rotate wheels and check it out.

You'll have to wait though, next track day is 5 weeks away.

Just remember that it will be a little more greasy till you wear the opposite direction ridges off the tires.

[Porschefile]

I wore the outside edges of my PS2's very bad before I had camber plates and had them flipped on the rim like I used to do with r comps. What I didn't think about is that PS2's have deep water grooves on the inside by default, and by flipping the tire, I had very little grip. I was riding on a couple of thin ridges between deep water grooves in corners, rather than the normal contact patch. Felt like ice skating

Don't flip tires with water grooves on the inside. NT05's might be okay, I'm not familiar. But running reverse shouldn't matter in dry, I'm talking about actually flipping it.

Now that I'm back from my tangent: OP, reversing the tread shouldn't affect grip in dry. Do it. Wet, different story.

[bigjae1976]

The PS2s are asymetrical so the rubber compound on the inside is different from the outside. You CANNOT flip PS2s.

NT05s have a directional pattern. So the compound is the same across the tire.

You can flip directional tires and run them the opposite direction. Wouldn't do it if rain is in the forecast.

[Gearhead999s]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

The PS2s are asymetrical so the rubber compound on the inside is different from the outside. You CANNOT flip PS2s.

NT05s have a directional pattern. So the compound is the same across the tire.

You can flip directional tires and run them the opposite direction. Wouldn't do it if rain is in the forecast.

NT05's are so poor in the rain,I am not sure there would be any difference

[Malek@MRF]

Originally Posted by Gearhead999s

NT05's are so poor in the rain,I am not sure there would be any difference

Right on. Couldn't agree with you more.

[bigjae1976]

Originally Posted by Gearhead999s

NT05's are so poor in the rain,I am not sure there would be any difference

[LiM3y]

Originally Posted by Gearhead999s

NT05's are so poor in the rain,I am not sure there would be any difference

I think the only tangible difference would be in the paddock, with everything else being equal:

Scenario A, tires with correct tread direction: "The poor guy lost traction and hit the armco"

Scenario B, tires with incorrect tread direction: "The dumb bastard had the tires on the wrong way!"

[chili cheese]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

The PS2s are asymetrical so the rubber compound on the inside is different from the outside. You CANNOT flip PS2s.

NT05s have a directional pattern. So the compound is the same across the tire.

You can flip directional tires and run them the opposite direction. Wouldn't do it if rain is in the forecast.

Exactly this. I ran many DRY track days swapping my wheels side to side to even the wear out with no issues with the NT05s whatsoever.

[TXmtrhed]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

You can flip directional tires and run them the opposite direction. Wouldn't do it if rain is in the forecast.

Bigjae, a couple of weeks ago when we were both at TWS these were the tires I was running in the wet sessions.

Granted, it wasn't raining hard, but only time the car was really skittish was turn 1 where we had some standing water. I actually have a lot of fun driving in the wet. But if it's raining hard the street tires go back on!

[bigjae1976]

The tread is designed to displace water. If you reverse the tires, it significantly reduces that effect so you're more likely to lose grip. Its gets worse as the tires get worn down closer to the wear bars.

If you have good tread on the middle, you might be OK as long as you avoid puddles.

[Sleeper519]

Originally Posted by TXmtrhed

Anybody try running NT05’s (or any other directional tire) in the reverse direction to keep from flipping the tires?

I’ve been running a square setup of NT05’s at the same track and though my tires are a little more worn on the front, the wear across the tires, front and rear, is fairly even. But the large number of fast right hand turns has caused tapering of the tread blocks where they meet the two circumferential grooves.

I know the proper solution is flip the tires but is there any harm to running them backwards? As long as it’s not raining what’s the harm?

Just to be clear, NT05’s have a symmetric, directional tread.

Thanks

I'm in a similar boat except I have Nitto NT-01s, which I think are asymmetric but not uni-directional. Just came back from a Barber Chin event and tires now have 7 days on them. Outside edges are wearing more despite GC plates and -2.5 camber. I rotate them x-wise each event. I'm thinking it's time to flip 'em.

All four of my tires are mounted the same--meaning from a directional perspective they are either all Left or all Right, depending on your view. So two of the four are already running "backwards" at all times regardless of what position you rotate them to. However, if I flip them, the inner and outer tread blocks will be reversed... and they are definitely a different pattern.

So my question is not whether I can run them "backwards", but can/should i run them "inside out"?

[Porschefile]

You can definitely flip NT01's without ill effect in the dry.

[bigjae1976]

I would have said no, you can't flip NT01s but if you've been driving them inside out and they have been fine...go for it!

This is nice to know. I might have to try the NT01s out. My hang up has been the fact that I can't flip them.

[TXmtrhed]

Originally Posted by Porschefile

You can definitely flip NT01's without ill effect in the dry.

I would have said no too, or at least not recomended simply because of the assymetric pattern. But these tires turn into semi slicks as they are worn so maybe it doesn't make that much of a difference at shallow tread depths.

[Porschefile]

NT01 is the most commonly flipped track tire I know of, because you can wear them to the cords and they rarely wear exactly evenly. No sense flipping an R6 because it is dead long before the tread is gone.