How do they work?
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,301
Likes: 1,583
From: Western NY
How do they work?
I just received my Tire rack newsletter in the mail. I'm in the market for some new tires for my DD Camaro, so the its arrival was timely, as I'm doing some research before making a purchase.
I'm looking at the Bridgestone RE760, a new tire, and the tread pattern has me a little confused. Even the description in the TR news letter makes the comment that the tread looks "directional", but isn't. There are also a couple of other new tires with similar tread designs, the Vredestein Sessantra being an exterme example.
If the tread has a pattern that appears to "expel" water while rotating in one direction, won't it "collect" water when rotating in the other? Isn't that in contradiction to what has been developing over the last 10-15 years in tire design?
What am I missing here?
I'm looking at the Bridgestone RE760, a new tire, and the tread pattern has me a little confused. Even the description in the TR news letter makes the comment that the tread looks "directional", but isn't. There are also a couple of other new tires with similar tread designs, the Vredestein Sessantra being an exterme example.
If the tread has a pattern that appears to "expel" water while rotating in one direction, won't it "collect" water when rotating in the other? Isn't that in contradiction to what has been developing over the last 10-15 years in tire design?
What am I missing here?
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 19,557
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From: I love you & miss you Linda
2017 C7 of the Year Finalist
St. Jude Contributor
The RE760's are asymmetrical meaning they work on both sides of the car still keeping somewhat of a water dispersion tread on the oter edge.
Take a look at the pic below. In this picture the RE760 is standing as if it were on the passenger side of the car. Flip it over for the drivers side and you'll see, the water dispersion tread section still works...
Not as effective of course to a true directional tire for water dispersion, but much easier for the tire manufacturer
Take a look at the pic below. In this picture the RE760 is standing as if it were on the passenger side of the car. Flip it over for the drivers side and you'll see, the water dispersion tread section still works...
Not as effective of course to a true directional tire for water dispersion, but much easier for the tire manufacturer
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,301
Likes: 1,583
From: Western NY
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 410
Likes: 42
From: Daytona Beach FL
We have the Vredestein's here and I always wondered that too. Obviously no tire expert here (me) but looks like it would displace water in either direction but work better on one side than the other. Might be sketchy I dunno, we've sold tons of them and haven't gotten any complaints.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,301
Likes: 1,583
From: Western NY
We have the Vredestein's here and I always wondered that too. Obviously no tire expert here (me) but looks like it would displace water in either direction but work better on one side than the other. Might be sketchy I dunno, we've sold tons of them and haven't gotten any complaints.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 410
Likes: 42
From: Daytona Beach FL
Dan, I've seen the tires you're referring to, the Sessantras, right? The tread on those look like huge scoops when they're on the passenger side. Again, I would think that they'd work WAY better on one side of the car than the other....Then again, I really liked the Firestone S/S Radial from the late 70s......
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,301
Likes: 1,583
From: Western NY
They were basically the old symmetrical, "saw tooth" tread patern that Firestone used for quite some time. However, they were a nylon belted, 60 series radial that rode well and also handled pretty well for their day. I had 3-4 sets of them during that period of time.
(I'm a "couple" of years older than you, I remember when tire sizes were something like 6.70x15, etc.
)
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