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Running directional rear tyres backwards... why?
Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 7:14 pm
by mike_nofx
Just wondering if anyone can explain why some people run their directional tyres on the rear backwards OFF-road.
I've noticed that my tyres (Silverstone Xtreme) are starting to round off the leading edge of the lugs from road driving, as i use them on my daily driven Sierra, with a welded rear diff.
Could i fit the rear tyres backwards when ON-road so that its the back edge of the lug wearing, then put them in the proper direction when going off-road. Would it make a difference?
Thanks
Mike
Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 7:36 pm
by Gwagensteve
Can't see any reason to run the rears backwards except to even up wear as you have said.
I have run the fronts backwards (claws) and found a BIG improvement in offroad performance.
Steve.
Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 7:55 pm
by coxy321
Usually people that set their cars up in a more rock-crawling biased fashion run the rear tyres backwards so that they can get equal drive/traction in both forwards AND reverse.
Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 8:13 pm
by money_killer
Gwagensteve wrote:Can't see any reason to run the rears backwards except to even up wear as you have said.
I have run the fronts backwards (claws) and found a BIG improvement in offroad performance.
Steve.
would it be worth running front and rear backward (claws) i have thought about it ??
Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 8:16 pm
by mike_nofx
Wouldn't claws not self-clear mud as good?
Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 8:18 pm
by Gwagensteve
Clifton Slay who runs Poison Spyder customs in the US is famous for this.
Personally, I think I want the back to try and stay planted under power and bite so I'd keep the rears around the right way.
I found the front pulled out of ruts better when backwards. They were noisier and didn't handle as well wrong-way around though.
As an aside, you can't polish a turd, and swampers were much better off road tyres than the claws though. Just my 2C.
Steve.
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:55 am
by ANDREWGQ 351
If you look at a 2wd road grader the front tyres are backwards, this is for steering.
On the 2wd off orad buggy we used to run with full tractor pattern tyres we would run them all backwards as it gave better steering and no twitch at high speed, drifting was more like normal rather than uncontroled with the rears the right way.
The tyres had enough grip backwards not to cause a problem