I bought a set of used RE070's last summer and had Johnson's Tire (Soldotna) mount/balance/install them. As I was getting them out to put them on recently, I noticed what I'm pretty sure is a problem with the directional tread. Although I can't find a directional arrow on the tires, the directionality seems obvious to me, and it looks like J.T.S. mounted 2 out of the 4 tires wrong. Here is the right front (mounted correctly, IMO)-
http://web.acsalaska.net/~ifslk/photo/RightFront.jpg
...and here is the left front ( directional tread backwards?)
http://web.acsalaska.net/~ifslk/photo/LeftFront.jpg
I can't believe I didn't notice this last summer when the tires were on the car... It looks to me like I need to go back to JTS and see if they will remount the two left side tires. Thanks for any opinions.

Here's a link to a supersize photo of your tire. look at the 7 o'clock position. It's labeled "out side" Make sure that that is on the outside of your rim. Not the usual directional arrow but still directional.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/BigPic.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Potenza+RE070&sidewall=Blackwall

Here's a link to a supersize photo of your tire. look at the 7 o'clock position. It's labeled "out side" Make sure that that is on the outside of your rim. Not the usual directional arrow but still directional.
Thanks. My tires are all mounted with the "outside" marker oriented correctly on the rims, so I guess they must be mounted correctly. It just seems weird that the major water channels in the tires are oriented differently on the left vs the right...

Yeah, pretty much everyone thinks thats wierd.

Thanks, guys. I guess I owe JTS an apology for assuming they screwed up.

I don't think they are really to channel water as much as they are to create traction by forming large and small blocks. Most directional wet weather tires that have water channels are like you describe, symetrical on both sides with arrows indicating direction. RE070s have the larger blocks on the outside for better turn in traction in the twisties. Gotta remember these tires were made for the STi.

Winslow

Thanks, guys. I guess I owe JTS an apology for assuming they screwed up.


I worked there for a month, you don't owe them jack. :lol:

^^ lol haha i was gonna say yeah, they don't deserve any apologies. yep, re070's are not the conventional directional tire. edo2000 nice tires btw. any others out there for sale??

I thought I saw yukon1 was trying to sell a set a while ago.

....yep, re070's are not the conventional directional tire. edo2000 nice tires btw. any others out there for sale??Yeah, got a great deal on these from a guy on the board - I think it was 04STilin? I do have a seat of Goodyear Eagle 225/45/17's with 65-70% tread that I'm not using ( I couldn't wait to put the 070's on...).