I've done three track days on my tires (the first three I've ever done, so I wasn't driving as hard as a hardened veteran, but it's improving ). The tires are still in decent shape generally, well above the wear bars, except for one place--the track I've driven on has counter-clockwise traffic, so my right front tire is worn more on the outside than the other tires are. It's not bald there, but worn more than the left front tire in the same place.

I am wondering if it would be advisable, or at least ok, to switch the front tires, so that what is now the less-worn left front tire will be taking the brunt of the hard cornering.

Thanks.

 

Not a problem at all. It could potentially decrease hydroplaning resistance in wet weather, however. Don't forget to torque them again after you swap them!

 

From your description it sounds like there is tread on these tires. Is there a directional pattern on the tires?

 

Mark, I've run both S02s and S03s "backwards" on dry track days. No problems. However, if you still have enough tread to make it worthwile you can get a better solution by taking the car to a tire shop and having them actually unmount/remount the tires. That way you not only balance the L/R wear but you balance the inside/outside wear.

-Mike

 

Thanks, guys. Jerry, my tires are not bald, even on the outside of the front right; I see no directional pattern, but I'm not sure I would know one if I saw one. Mike, I'm going to PR on Thursday for a full day of lapping (ten spots still left, with a good weather forecast), and I don't know if I'll have a chance before then to have a tire place reverse my right tire, but I like that idea.

 

Usually there will be a directional arrow on the sidewall and a note saying "rotation" or "direction of rotation" or something like that.

 

If they are directional, you don't want the tire place to reverse your right tire. You want it to swap your right and your left tire.

 

... and by "directional," you mean if there's something on the sidewall indicating they are supposed to rotate in a particular direction? They're OEM RE050 tires.

 

RE050s are directional. Look on the side of the tire. If you run them against the direction in the dry, it's no big deal. But in the wet, it can seriously degrade performance. The best way to even out the wear and extend the life is to do the L/R unmount/remount swap. But an easier and cheaper (though less effective) method to deal with the asymetric wear from PR is to just put the L tire on the R and the R on the L without unmounting. This should only be done for a dry track day, though.

 

Mike, thanks; I understand. I'll try to get the tires swapped, so they end up going in the same direction.

Update--The local Goodyear guy is happy to do that, but discourages it, saying that he thinks that it will cause handling problems. I don't understand why. Is he all wet (as it were, this being Seattle?).