Installing tires backwards?

Classic4X4

Well-known member
As long as I can remember I've installed tires with the white lettering facing inwards. I'm wondering if anybody has any experience with mud clearing problems etc. seems like as time progresses tires are getting more and more tread on the side wall and just had the thought today that it could possibly cause problems to install them backwards. Additionally, I've always wondered if flipping them back so that the white lettering faces out could cause problems. I know that old radials used to have a sort of "memory" and that reversing them caused problems.
 

Red90

Well-known member
Most tires I've seen with white lettering are designed to be mounted either way. What specific tire are you thinking of that has a different profile on one side?

You generally do not what to swap direction on tires with a block tread. The tread wear into a shape specific to the direction and reversing them adds a bunch of wear ad they make the new shape. Normal tires are fine to change directions.
 

Classic4X4

Well-known member
The new BFG all terrains, looks like the angle of the sidewall tread is reversed. Also dealing with tubeless tires on riveted rostyles... they seem to lose a bit of air. Getting worried about uneven tire wear
 

Uncle Douglas

Well-known member
Callsign: delete
Unless a tire has a direction of rotation cast into the side of it it is not a directional tire and direction of rotation is irrelevant. Directional tires can only be rotated front to back.
BFG AT's and KM2's are not directional tires.
 

Red90

Well-known member
The new BFG all terrains, looks like the angle of the sidewall tread is reversed. Also dealing with tubeless tires on riveted rostyles... they seem to lose a bit of air. Getting worried about uneven tire wear

BFG ATs are not directional, so the angled side walls will always be different on each side of the vehicle unless you want white letters on one side of the truck and black on the other. Redneck on the right, business on the left?
 

Classic4X4

Well-known member
BFG ATs are not directional, so the angled side walls will always be different on each side of the vehicle unless you want white letters on one side of the truck and black on the other. Redneck on the right, business on the left?

Lol love it, good to know.
 

blueboy

Well-known member
"unless you want white letters on one side of the truck and black on the other."


this actually happened to me at a dealer in Liechtenstein when living over there with the RRC. Was having a problem with the tires holding air so they removed them and cleaned up the rims before remounting the tires.


white letters were facing in on the drivers side so didn't think anything of it to drive home. my wife was standing in the driveway and remarked how odd the tires looked on the passenger side.


sure enough - white letters out on that side!


actually thought for a minute to just leave it.
 
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