Backwards tire?

[andaconda]

I'm not a tire expert here but have a question.
Three of my newly mounted Ion Evo AS tires have been mounted with the date stamp on the outside, and the front left has been mounted with the date code on the inside. I know that the tires are non-directional, but would the odd mounted tire make a difference to handling or tire wear? Maybe they did it to hide the fact that it my have been a newer or older dated tire. As it is - the three that are showing are dated 4122 which would mean that they were manufactured October of 2022.

 

[Pianewman]

I would be more concerned about tires that are 19 months old being sold as "new."

 

[andaconda]

I would be more concerned about tires that are 19 months old being sold as "new."

Only ones I could get in my location. As it was I waited 3 1/2 weeks to get them. Didn't think to look before they mounted them, and didn't look until the next morning. I don't see any reason they still won't honor the warranty.

 

[QtownTaxiGreg]

Non directional is not the same as symmetrical. One or three of those is inside out. Start with the odd one and look for OUTSIDE written in rubber in 3/8" high lettering. If not there you should see it on the others.

 

[andaconda]

UPDATE:
Called the tire dealer this afternoon, and he said that he want's me to bring it in next week and wants to remount the 'backwards tire' to make it right. He said that most tires he gets in are between 6 and 12 months old before they arrive at his shop. I have not doubt that the tires are actually new. I'm not really too concerned about the age as I looked at the left front tire and it too was dated the same as the others. After all - the original tires on the March 21 model Y came with tires that were also 6 months old and one tire was dated a couple of weeks older.

 

[andaconda]

Non directional is not the same as symmetrical. One or three of those is inside out. Start with the odd one and look for OUTSIDE written in rubber in 3/8" high lettering. If not there you should see it on the others.

Yes, the front left has the date on the inside. See my post #5.

 

[Skavatar]

i know there are some tires where one side has white lettering and they can be mounted either way, white lettering out or white lettering in.

even directional tires are mounted different depending on if the 2 are going on the left side of the car or the right side.

 

[andaconda]

i know there are some tires where one side has white lettering and they can be mounted either way, white lettering out or white lettering in.

even directional tires are mounted different depending on if the 2 are going on the left side of the car or the right side.

I have a Rav4H that has directional tires and it has arrows pointing to the forward rotation. And I didn't realize the difference between Non directional and symmetrical.

 

[Ben W]

A friend of mine once had the tires changed on their Mazda RX-7 (back in the 90's), then a week later had it spin out on the freeway in the rain; very luckily it didn't hit anything. Turned out the shop had put all four tires on backwards! (Aqua-tread doesn't work quite as well in reverse, it turns out!) A cautionary tale.

 

[QtownTaxiGreg]

Yes, the front left has the date on the inside. See my post #5.

I am not sure you understand.

Non directional tyres have different treads across the tyre and sometimes even different rubber compounds optimised for running inside and outside. It's less than ideal running inside out which could give your insurance wriggle room.

You aren't going to call a tow truck but "call in next week sometime" doesn't really cut it if you ask me.

 

[Goobers]

I am not sure you understand.

Non directional tyres have different treads across the tyre and sometimes even different rubber compounds optimised for running inside and outside. It's less than ideal running inside out which could give your insurance wriggle room.

You aren't going to call a tow truck but "call in next week sometime" doesn't really cut it if you ask me.

It isn’t necessarily that it’s “non-directional,” but specifically “asymmetric.” They’re rarer now, but there tires that are both are non-directional and non-asymmetric tires. Like @Skavatar mentioned, the kind that has white lettering on one side, for aesthetics.

Conversely, you can have directional and asymmetric tires.

Anaconda didn’t specify if any of the tires have “outside” imprinted on them. If they aren’t asymmetric, then there’s nothing wrong with how they’re mounted, other than one looks different from the other. Date marking doesn’t necessarily indicate asymmetry, afaik.

 

[fholbert]

I would be more concerned about tires that are 19 months old being sold as "new."

I don’t see an issue. 18 months from manufacture to installation, no big deal. Bananas yes, tires no.

 

[andaconda]

Hankook Ion Evo As Suv

No they don't say anything about rotation or 'outside'

 

[QtownTaxiGreg]

Not many like that sold these days. You can flip them over if your lead foot chews up inside edges faster than the rest.

 

[Skavatar]

i took a screen shot of the threads on tirerack and rotated them 180'. its the same either way.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/hankook-ion-evo-as-suv

 

[andaconda]

i took a screen shot of the threads on tirerack and rotated them 180'. its the same either way.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/hankook-ion-evo-as-suv

View attachment 1044185

Now that was cool, why didn't I think of that!

 

[Pianewman]

I don’t see an issue. 18 months from manufacture to installation, no big deal. Bananas yes, tires no.

Of course you're right, if you're replacing tires every 3-5 years. Here in Texas heat, I replace every 3-4 years, regardless of mileage, because of heat stress potentially causing problems. I would NOT want a tire already 18 months old at the time of installation.

 

[Goobers]

i took a screen shot of the threads on tirerack and rotated them 180'. its the same either way.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/hankook-ion-evo-as-suv

View attachment 1044185

I dunno about that, I’m pretty sure manufacturers have the option of keeping symmetrical tread patterns while changing the compounds to make it asymmetric. In some unknown reason to reuse tread machines.

This is why I would specifically look for any kind of “outside” label imprinted on the tire.

 

[andaconda]

Types of balance: Symmetrical balance (or Symmetry) means that the work of art is the same on one side as the other, a mirror image of itself, on both sides of a center line. Asymmetrical balance (or Asymmetry) means that the two halves of the work of art are different, however, try to create balance.

So I would say that this tire is Asymmetrical...

 

[Skavatar]

if a tire is made to be mounted a certain way, the manufacturer would usually print "this side out" or something to that effect. such as the DWS 06 plus which are on my top 3 list when the factory tires wear out.