Directional Tyres

The low-down on directional tyres

To the untrained eye, most tyres look the same – black, rubber with some form of tread to provide grip on the road. However, there are in fact three main categories for tyres that fall into asymmetrical, directional and multi-directional. Each comes with a different style of tread design that provides different functions and performance. In the case of directional tyres they have a special design that makes them better suited to wet weather or snow and icy conditions.

What is a directional tyre?

In terms of understanding what a directional tyre does, it’s important to look at the design attributes. Unlike asymmetrical and multi-directional (also known as symmetrical) tyres, directional tyres can only be rotated in one direction (front to back). This is because they feature an arrow or v-shaped tread designed to push water from the centre of the tyre outwards. This in turn provides better traction on the road surface and reduces aquaplaning in wet driving conditions.

Mounting directional tyres

As a result of the arrow-shaped tread it is imperative that directional tyres are mounted correctly and only used with other directional tread tyres. To ensure correct mounting, all directional tyres feature an arrow symbol on the outside sidewall that indicates which direction the tyre should rotate in, and thus which side of the car it should be placed.

If a directional tyre is mounted on the wrong side it won’t rotate in the right direction and have any of the benefits of the design. Whereas asymmetrical tyres and multi-directional tyres can be mounted on both sides of the car and still deliver the desired performance.

The benefits of directional tyres

There are a number of benefits to fitting directional tyres. The main one as discussed above is their superiority for driving in wet conditions. The design of the tread expels the water away from the tyre much more effectively, giving significantly better grip on the road. While the asymmetrical design also does a good job of dispelling surface water, with a smaller tread block in the middle of the tyre, it is designed to be multi-functional. Therefore other aspects of the tread design that help with dry-handling can reduce its performance in wet driving conditions in comparison to directional tyres.

Another advantage of directional tyres is that they deliver better handling and directional stability, especially at high speeds – most high performance sports cars and race cars are fitted with directional tyres to ensure good traction and handling at top speeds.

Using directional tyres can also help to reduce road noise when driving and improve fuel efficiency. So although they are often more expensive than standard symmetrical tyres, some of the extra cost can be off-set with better fuel consumption.They also have a great aesthetic appeal, looking more stylish, slick and faster than traditional tread patterns.

The disadvantages of directional tyres

There are very few disadvantages to directional tyres as they can still deliver a good all-round performance, even though they work best in wet weather or snow and icy conditions. However one that you must be aware of is that the tread may wear faster as it can only be rotated in one direction, whereas the other tyre types can be switched and rotated in both directions.

If you’d like to know more about directional tyres or asymmetrical and multi-directional then Wheel Power are here to help.