I just ordered a set of bridgestone potenza RE050A tires from tirerack and received the two rears yesterday. However, Looking at the tread pattern seems to suggest that the tires are asymmentrical, since the tread pattern is different from left to right. Thus, should the two rear tires have opposite tread patterns? one for the right side and one for the left ? Did I get 2 right side rears?

my crappy illustration:

my tread pattern looks like [#I&] and [#I&]
should it instead look like [#I&] and [&I#] ?

Thanks for the help.

Marco

 

Firestone put one of these on my car by accident instead of a normal RE050 recently. You're right, they are asymetrical. I'd have to assume you're supposed to run different tires on each side and that you do in fact have two of the same side tires.

 

interesting..

I just called tirerack and the person said that although the tires are indeed asymmetrical, they do not come in differnt sides. So I'm assuming that they are asymmetrical but not directional. I found no markings that suggest a particular rotational direction, but the tread pattern does somewhat seem to point to one direction. The only marking I have found only tells which side is the outside.

Any RE050A owners wonna help me?

 

tire is marked with "inside" and "outside" on the sidewalls. go from there.

 

Yes i do realize the "inside" and "outside" markings. but this does not help me determine whether the tires are directional or not.

 

Wierd. There is a close-up of the tread here http://productcat.bridgestonetire.co.../pp_503200.pdf

They *look* directional. Maybe they aren't though? I dunno...

 

That's exactly why I'm confused. I hope Jim could give a definitive answer.

 

Call Jim @ Tirerack and speak w/ him.

 

If there are no directional arrows on the sidewall, then it doesn't matter which way they spin. Just take your pick. Whick way does it look "pretty" to you.

 

^ i have arrows and they're pointed at your head....