# Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards?



## Guest (Jun 24, 2005)

So, I took my Volvo in its complimentary 22,500 service the other day, and just noticed this evening that the front tires are mounted backwards.
The complimentary service includes a tire rotation as a part of the package, but apparently, the dealer failed to remember that Kumho Ecsta Supras can only be mounted one way, and didn't notice the big arrows on the sidewalls with the word "ROTATION" stamped into them. 








Not that I plan to leave the tires on backwards much beyond Tuesday of next week (if the dealer is going to be a PITA about fixing this, I'll just jack the car up and swap them myself over the weekend), but, OOC, what would happen if I were to leave them on like they are?


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## AKADriver (Nov 20, 2001)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? (bgluckman)*

Not much, actually. The biggest effect would be a loss in wet traction and possibly an increase in noise.


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## 16v (Aug 4, 1999)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? (bgluckman)*

massive road noise


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## MisterSack (Dec 1, 2001)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? (16v)*

i'll bet it handles great in reverse, though


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## Kafer Wolf (Aug 1, 2002)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? (MisterSack)*


_Quote, originally posted by *MisterSack* »_i'll bet it handles great in reverse, though


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## shftat6 (Oct 9, 2000)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? (MisterSack)*


_Quote, originally posted by *MisterSack* »_i'll bet it handles great in reverse, though










http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## MoochsMalibu (Jun 26, 2003)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? (MisterSack)*


_Quote, originally posted by *MisterSack* »_i'll bet it handles great in reverse, though









better then an F1 car with Michelin's on a banked turn....ZING


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## ATL_Av8r (Oct 17, 2002)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? (bgluckman)*

damn. what Volvo dealer in Atlanta was this?


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## riceburner (Oct 27, 2001)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? (bgluckman)*

Yeah it handles like s**t. A shop installed the rear Yoko AVS Intermediates on my old Civic (it was a long time ago) backwards and oh man did that suck. And yes they were also noisier then normal, and if you remember AVS-Is you know it's hard to find anything noisier than they are when mounted properly.


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## diet-z (Feb 18, 2004)

happened to me @ a VW dealership in Milwaukee about a year ago. Not cool


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## Saintor (Dec 28, 2003)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? (bgluckman)*

The biggest problem might be with the insurances if something happens. For the rest, I don't think you'll really see a difference. I did this with my winter tiores because one tire was pulling and rotated it. Worked fine.


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## UINT64_MAX (Nov 4, 2003)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? (Saintor)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Saintor* »_The biggest problem might be with the insurances if something happens.

I would assume that it is the dealer's responsibility to return your car in safe to drive condition. The typical driver doesn't know about directional tires and wouldn't know to check. I think they would be stuck paying for damage that resulted from their poorly done job.
IANAL though, so take that with a grain of salt.








-Andrew


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## PackRat (Apr 14, 2002)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? (bgluckman)*

The Michelin man will come to your house and kick your ass!


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## Cerebral Provocation (Jan 14, 2005)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectiona ... (PackRat)*

I guess you'd hydroplane like crazy since the tread can't move the water out?

One time they put my rear snows on backwards and I didn't notice for a bit. Then once I did, I didn't get a chance to fix it. Then one morning I woke up, tried to go to work, but one of the tires was completely flat. Whether there's any correlation... I don't know.


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## sieben (Nov 23, 2002)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? (bgluckman)*

your car will lurch into reverse every time you hit the gas.....








actually, assuming they are all mounted backwards, probably not much apart from minor noise and traction issues.....
definitely have the dealer do it right.... if you had a tire with a bubble in it they'd say "oh no, by law we can't let you leave without replacing that dangerous tire with a new one." this is an issues in the same direction, albeit of a lesser magnitude


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## Professor Gascan (Sep 11, 2002)

My Pilot Sports were put on the wrong way once; massive road noise was the only real problem I noticed. I didn't push them once I knew they were on like that though.


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## Cerebral Provocation (Jan 14, 2005)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectio ... (bgluckman)*

Call the dealer up and tell them to flatbed the car back, because you feel it's too dangerous to drive back there in reverse.


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## Chmeeee (Jun 24, 2002)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? (bgluckman)*


_Quote, originally posted by *bgluckman* »_Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? 

Dr. Egon Spengler: Don't put the tires on backwards.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Why? 
Dr. Egon Spengler: It would be bad. 
Dr. Peter Venkman: I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean "bad"? 
Dr. Egon Spengler: Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light. 
Dr Ray Stantz: Total protonic reversal. 
Dr. Peter Venkman: That's bad. Okay. All right, important safety tip, thanks Egon.


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## chetacer (Dec 23, 2002)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? (Chmeeee)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Chmeeee* »_
Dr. Egon Spengler: Don't put the tires on backwards.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Why? 
Dr. Egon Spengler: It would be bad. 
Dr. Peter Venkman: I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean "bad"? 
Dr. Egon Spengler: Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light. 
Dr Ray Stantz: Total protonic reversal. 
Dr. Peter Venkman: That's bad. Okay. All right, important safety tip, thanks Egon. 

Good one!


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## Viss1 (Dec 1, 2003)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? (bgluckman)*

I once took a late-model Jag S-Type R up to about 140. The next day I noticed the tires were mounted backwards. Good thing the road was dry and I wasn't going around corners.


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## robr2 (May 5, 2005)

Your radio will keep saying the words "Paul is dead".


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## Dinosaurius (Nov 9, 2000)

*Re: (robr2)*

Car and Driver answered this question in the mid-80's when they did a test of the first OEM Gatorbacks, mounted backwards on a Corvette. IIRC, their findings were a small performance penalty and increased tire noise. In other words, nothing drastic will happen with no worse performance than your regular non-optimized non-high performance tire. I guess that's to be expected in our litigious society.


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## ATL_Av8r (Oct 17, 2002)

*Re: (robr2)*


_Quote, originally posted by *robr2* »_Your radio will keep saying the words "Paul is dead".

Dammit...I spit my lunch onto my laptop for that


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## GolfSi (Jun 9, 2005)

Why don't you take off the tires and put them on the right way?


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## juice (Oct 19, 2004)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? (MisterSack)*


_Quote, originally posted by *MisterSack* »_i'll bet it handles great in reverse, though









Ka-ching, we have a winner.


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## AERacing (Dec 23, 2003)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? (bgluckman)*

instant death.


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## Broadway Limited (Apr 13, 2002)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? (bgluckman)*

They will gradually show less and less wear until, at around 10K miles, they will have no wear at all.


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## samcat67 (Feb 27, 2002)

*Re: Anyone know what happens when you mount unidirectional tires backwards? (Broadway Limited)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Broadway Limited* »_They will gradually show less and less wear until, at around 10K miles, they will have no wear at all.

Now that you have revealed their secret, I wouldn't be surprised if "representatives" of the Rubber Manufacturers of America (RMA) come to have a "talk" with you.








Watch out for serious looking men in cheap suits and dark glasses.
Disclaimer: For any such representatives of the RMA who may be reading this, the above was a joke.


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