2 left tires?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 592
Likes: 55
From: Loxahatchee Florida
2 left tires?
So I was looking for some rear tires on tire rack, found some BF Goodrich Gforce TA's and ordered 2 for the back. I checked my shipping conformation today and it shows they are sending me 2 left tires! I call and they say they stopped production on the right side and there are none available. They sent them to me because some people flip them over. Has anyone heard of this? Should I keep it and flip it or return them and get a different set?
Any help is much appreciated. They were $200 a piece btw..
Any help is much appreciated. They were $200 a piece btw..
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 7,871
Likes: 252
From: Hillsboro OR
So I was looking for some rear tires on tire rack, found some BF Goodrich Gforce TA's and ordered 2 for the back. I checked my shipping conformation today and it shows they are sending me 2 left tires! I call and they say they stopped production on the right side and there are none available. They sent them to me because some people flip them over. Has anyone heard of this? Should I keep it and flip it or return them and get a different set?
Any help is much appreciated. They were $200 a piece btw..
Any help is much appreciated. They were $200 a piece btw..
HTH
FYI, I just checked. Those tires are unidirectional (no flipping)
Last edited by Bluefire; Jun 11, 2009 at 06:17 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,891
Likes: 4
From: North Port Fl
Yes, I don't see why you couldn't mount two left tires on the rear. On one tire the inside would be on the inside and the outside would be on the outside, but when you flip the tire for the other one. The inside of the tire will now be on the outside and visa versa. As long as they are not white lettered, etc. who will know.
I don't know if it will hurt anything to do this. (I can't see how it could it will be rotating in the correct direction)
I don't know if it will hurt anything to do this. (I can't see how it could it will be rotating in the correct direction)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,891
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From: North Port Fl
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 752
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From: Tulsa OK
But you don't actually "flip" them - if they are both left side tires, one is mounted with the outside out on the left side and the other is mounted with the inside out on the right side - this way the rotation is correct. If they were "flipped" then one would be rotating opposite its intended direction.
I think the correct tire rotation direction is more important than the which sidewall is out.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,643
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Race Director
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St. Jude Donor '03
People seem to be confusing directional tires (designed to roll in one direction, usually V-shaped tread pattern, usually has arrow indicating which way it should roll), with asymmetrical tires, which the tread pattern differs between inside and outside edge of the tires.
Here's the kicker though....the BFG Gforce T/A tires are BOTH of directional, and asymmetrical tread design, so they needed to be sold as a dedicated "right", or "left" tire.
I can't tell you what the consequence of running the asymmetrical tire "wrong" will be, probably something you'll never notice...but you can make that decision when you receive and see the tires.
Here's the kicker though....the BFG Gforce T/A tires are BOTH of directional, and asymmetrical tread design, so they needed to be sold as a dedicated "right", or "left" tire.
I can't tell you what the consequence of running the asymmetrical tire "wrong" will be, probably something you'll never notice...but you can make that decision when you receive and see the tires.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,152
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From: South Western Ontario
I guess this needs to be more clear. There are 7 different types of g-Force T/A tires. Each one has a longer model number after the T/A. So, which model did you buy?
The g-Force T/A KD? This tire appears to be discontinued with the stock being sold off.
And I'm not confused. The PS2's are directional and asymetric with the same tire used on both sides.
Peter
The g-Force T/A KD? This tire appears to be discontinued with the stock being sold off.
And I'm not confused. The PS2's are directional and asymetric with the same tire used on both sides.
Peter
Race Director
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St. Jude Donor '03
The PS2 is not a directional tire. It is asymmetric.
If it were both, there would be a specific left and right tire to buy....you simply can't have it both ways.
If it were both, there would be a specific left and right tire to buy....you simply can't have it both ways.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
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From: South Western Ontario
Peter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
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Not the ones being sold at Tire Rack. The BFG g-Force T/A KDW (I'm assuming this is the particular tire the OP is talking about) comes in both a traditional tread pattern, which is symmetrical, and a new tread pattern, which is asymmetrical. At this time, per Tire Rack's website, only the traditional tread pattern tire is being sold. The new tread pattern tire doesn't appear to be available yet from Tire Rack. If BFG is phasing over to the new tread pattern for this tire, it would make sense that the traditional tread pattern is being phased out, thus the OP's comment about being told production had stopped (on the traditional tread pattern tire).
Race Director
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St. Jude Donor '03
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....Force+T%2FA+KD
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
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The OP is talking about the discontinued g-Force T/A KD..not the KDW.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....Force+T%2FA+KD
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....Force+T%2FA+KD
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,847
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From: Longview Texas
Are they Goodrich g-force T/A KD, KDW, KDW2, or KDWS????
All but the last are directional, so you would need to mount the tire so that it is rotating in the right direction. If you are not worried about wet performance, it probably does not matter how you mount them.
All but the last are directional, so you would need to mount the tire so that it is rotating in the right direction. If you are not worried about wet performance, it probably does not matter how you mount them.
Pro
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 743
Likes: 1
From: Bartlett IL
The only problem I see is that the outer tread blocks are larger for better handling. If you run 2 left tires on one axle going the correct direction one will have large outer tread blocks, one will have small tread blocks. Its hard to tell the diffrence in the tirerack picture but when you get a larger tire (275+) they will be vastly diffrent. Your car under hard cornering will handle diffrent from turning left to right. If you want it to handle the same in both directions in the dry you would have to install the right side backwords. The wet would be a diffrent story though
My father had these in a 275 and a 315 on his mustang. Good tire, sticky but they get very noisy when they wear. I believe thats why they are fasing them out.
My father had these in a 275 and a 315 on his mustang. Good tire, sticky but they get very noisy when they wear. I believe thats why they are fasing them out.