[formoutofchaos]

Most of my wear from Track has my outer tires worn, I was just wondering if its better to switch the L and R rear and L and R front to have the grip on the outside? Or is it pointless?

[mjk3888]

I had more wear on my left side tires so I "flipped" them to the right side. perks of non directional tires. It will also help counter act the feathering of the tread blocks since the tires are now rotating in the opposite direction.

[Marshsram]

Theres a difference between "rotating" and "flipping". Rotating means to physically swap the wheels with tires on them to a different corner of the car. Since this car uses staggered sizes you can only swap the fronts and rears left to right and vice versa. Say you drive clockwise tracks more often, then your left side tires will usually wear faster than the right side so you can rotate them in between events to keep the wear even. However, if you're wearing tires unevenly due to alignment (say the outside shoulders are wearing faster because you don't have enough negative camber) then you can "flip" the tire on the wheel. Flipping means to physically remove the tire from the wheel, turn the tire 180* and remount. So what was the outside of the tire is now the inside and vice versa.

This is more comfortable for a lot of people when the tire uses a symmetrical tread pattern but I (and many of by track buddies) have been doing it for years with asymmetrical tires as well without any issue. I'm sure lap times are a few tenths slower with an asymmetrical tire but it works just fine and is a great way to extend the life out of a set of tires.

[formoutofchaos]

So I should flip them and use the better tread both front and rear

[mjk3888]

Originally Posted by formoutofchaos

So I should flip them and use the better tread both front and rear

yes if you are wearing one side more than the other then rotate the tires side to side. No need to take the tires off the rim.

[Marshsram]

Originally Posted by mjk3888

yes if you are wearing one side more than the other then rotate the tires side to side. No need to take the tires off the rim.

I agree start with rotating them first to even out the wear left to right. If the outside shoulders are taking more wear then flip them and you'll be able to squeeze a few more events out of them.

[mjk3888]

Originally Posted by Marshsram

I agree start with rotating them first to even out the wear left to right. If the outside shoulders are taking more wear then flip them and you'll be able to squeeze a few more events out of them.

If you mean flip on the rim that won't work. These tires aren't directional, but they do have an inside and an outside. See image below. The left is inside the right is outside.

[Marshsram]

Originally Posted by mjk3888

If you mean flip on the rim that won't work. These tires aren't directional, but they do have an inside and an outside. See image below. The left is inside the right is outside.

I'm very much aware that they are asymmetrical and have a defined "inside" and "outside" orientation but I flip them regardless. They still work just fine flipped.

[pbsinternet1le]

Uneducated guess here but i would bet the tread pattern is for water dispersion.. and that the pattern does not effect much in dry conditions.. just a guess.

[Marshsram]

Originally Posted by pbsinternet1le

Uneducated guess here but i would bet the tread pattern is for water dispersion.. and that the pattern does not effect much in dry conditions.. just a guess.

More than likely you are correct. The G3 uses large, stiff outer blocks with low void ratio to put as much rubber on the ground under cornering load. It also increases the tread's rigidity and reduces tread squirm which ultimately feels more responsive and communicative under load but as you pointed out it has to compromise somewhere- in this case it looks like hydroplaning resistance.

Some asymmetrical tires like a Bridgestone RE-11 use asymmetrical casings as well. For example the RE-11 uses a softer more rounded sidewall on the inside for maximum comfort and a stiffer straighter sidewall on the outside for better feedback and wear on track. However, I've flipped those too and had no real issues. They feel a little different once flipped as you would imagine but it's not as big of a difference as most people seem to think... contrary to popular belief the car will not explode into flames the second you drive out of the garage on flipped tires haha. Most asymmetrical tires use a symmetrical casing so it's even less noticeable with those (pretty sure this is the case with the G3 on these cars).

[formoutofchaos]

So switch rims ? will that affect alignment ? Or should I switch tires ? I'll take pics tomorrow

[BrianInJackson]

OK... If you don't dismount the tire, and just swap side to side... you aren't doing anything.. The portion of the tire on the outside... is still on the outside, just on the other side of the car. The large blocks on the outside are there for traction (in the dry) so dismounting and swapping will help even out wear... but that is not the right thing to do. You don't want the large blocks on the inside. The tires are not designed to run that way. Can you? sure.. but don't.. You will be creating more problems.

The best/only fix... Get an alignment done. Stock alignment does not have the camber needed to track the car. Stock alignment is set to maximize tire wear for the average driver. Going to the track is not "average".

[TJay74]

Originally Posted by BrianInJackson

OK... If you don't dismount the tire, and just swap side to side... you aren't doing anything.. The portion of the tire on the outside... is still on the outside, just on the other side of the car. The large blocks on the outside are there for traction (in the dry) so dismounting and swapping will help even out wear... but that is not the right thing to do. You don't want the large blocks on the inside. The tires are not designed to run that way. Can you? sure.. but don't.. You will be creating more problems.

The best/only fix... Get an alignment done. Stock alignment does not have the camber needed to track the car. Stock alignment is set to maximize tire wear for the average driver. Going to the track is not "average".

Actually rotating side to side will help with wear, it will reduce and or eliminate the outer tread block cupping.

[RatedR]

Originally Posted by formoutofchaos

So switch rims ? will that affect alignment ? Or should I switch tires ? I'll take pics tomorrow

I would say yes. Move the whwwl from the driver's side to the passenger's side and the wheel from the passenger's side to the driver's side. Don't worry about removing the tires from the rims.