Swapping between two sets of wheels

[Marlon]

I swapped back to my style 32s a few weeks ago and immediately noticed a slight twitchiness at 70 – 75 mph. It was very subtle but was repeatable – it felt like the balancing was slightly out.

Before I swapped them out for the 224s in July the feel behind the wheel was solid at any speed with no hint of this twitchiness.
I checked the tyre pressures and they were as before and so the only variable I could think of was that I’d put the front tyres on different sides.

Working on the possibility that this could have affected the balance or tracking, I swapped the front tyres around and went for a test drive this afternoon and guess what, the twitchiness has gone and the car feels as smooth and planted through the steering as it did before.
Does this make sense?

This may be a dumb question but is it important when swapping back to a set of wheels that fronts go back on the same side they came off?

 

[kis]

Must be, not that I'd really thought about it before. The set up front and back is different even if you have a square wheel set up. We know for example that the rear has more camber... So will wear different to fronts.

What I was initially thinking when reading was tyre pressures. But obviously not!

I'm glad most of the wheels I have are staggered! But the ones that aren't I'll specifically mark them as 'fronts' or 'rears' on the inside wall when the come off!!

 

[philbo909]

I swapped back to my style 32s a few weeks ago and immediately noticed a slight twitchiness at 70 – 75 mph. It was very subtle but was repeatable – it felt like the balancing was slightly out.

Before I swapped them out for the 224s in July the feel behind the wheel was solid at any speed with no hint of this twitchiness.
I checked the tyre pressures and they were as before and so the only variable I could think of was that I’d put the front tyres on different sides.

Working on the possibility that this could have affected the balance or tracking, I swapped the front tyres around and went for a test drive this afternoon and guess what, the twitchiness has gone and the car feels as smooth and planted through the steering as it did before.
Does this make sense?

This maybe a dumb question but is it important when swapping back to a set of wheels that fronts go back on the same side they came off?

is the tread pattern on your tyres handed? my Asymmetric tyres are marked "this side out", having them the wrong way would explain why steering felt different maybe?

 

[mr wilks]

How many miles had you done with the tyres on the style 32s before you swapped them off Colin ? The tread can bed in to a certain side after a few thousand miles then feel odd if switched to the other side .

 

[Marlon]

How many miles had you done with the tyres on the style 32s before you swapped them off Colin ? The tread can bed in to a certain side after a few thousand miles then feel odd if switched to the other side .

Quite a few Andy, at least 5k miles - interesting.

 

[Marlon]

Seem like its worth noting the setup before swapping off then
Both my sets are staggered so I will just label the fronts so they go back on the same side.

 

[Marlon]

I swapped back to my style 32s a few weeks ago and immediately noticed a slight twitchiness at 70 – 75 mph. It was very subtle but was repeatable – it felt like the balancing was slightly out.

Before I swapped them out for the 224s in July the feel behind the wheel was solid at any speed with no hint of this twitchiness.
I checked the tyre pressures and they were as before and so the only variable I could think of was that I’d put the front tyres on different sides.

Working on the possibility that this could have affected the balance or tracking, I swapped the front tyres around and went for a test drive this afternoon and guess what, the twitchiness has gone and the car feels as smooth and planted through the steering as it did before.
Does this make sense?

This maybe a dumb question but is it important when swapping back to a set of wheels that fronts go back on the same side they came off?

is the tread pattern on your tyres handed? my Asymmetric tyres are marked "this side out", having them the wrong way would explain why steering felt different maybe?

Not sure I understand this - wouldn't 'this side out' apply to either side?

 

[pvr]

At least not as bad as PerryGunn swapping the rears with the fronts

 

[mr wilks]

How many miles had you done with the tyres on the style 32s before you swapped them off Colin ? The tread can bed in to a certain side after a few thousand miles then feel odd if switched to the other side .

Quite a few Andy, at least 5k miles - interesting.

We all know the Se Si 85s 86s are susceptible to steering feel / issues , it wouldn't take much for one tyre to be "off" & feel it at speed & especially noticeable when switching between sets . occasionally in the past ive had sets i know for fact are true & balanced with zero twitch at speed yet sell them on & on another car might feel "off" through the steering wheel .
Imo the more you chop & change wheels + tyres the more you get a feel for when your car is "right"

 

[Smartbear]

I swapped back to my style 32s a few weeks ago and immediately noticed a slight twitchiness at 70 – 75 mph. It was very subtle but was repeatable – it felt like the balancing was slightly out.

Before I swapped them out for the 224s in July the feel behind the wheel was solid at any speed with no hint of this twitchiness.
I checked the tyre pressures and they were as before and so the only variable I could think of was that I’d put the front tyres on different sides.

Working on the possibility that this could have affected the balance or tracking, I swapped the front tyres around and went for a test drive this afternoon and guess what, the twitchiness has gone and the car feels as smooth and planted through the steering as it did before.
Does this make sense?

This maybe a dumb question but is it important when swapping back to a set of wheels that fronts go back on the same side they came off?

is the tread pattern on your tyres handed? my Asymmetric tyres are marked "this side out", having them the wrong way would explain why steering felt different maybe?

Not sure I understand this - wouldn't 'this side out' apply to either side?

If they are rotational then swapping from left to right will reverse the rotation even though the “outside” markings will be correct :?
Rob

 

[Marlon]

is the tread pattern on your tyres handed? my Asymmetric tyres are marked "this side out", having them the wrong way would explain why steering felt different maybe?

Not sure I understand this - wouldn't 'this side out' apply to either side?

If they are rotational then swapping from left to right will reverse the rotation even though the “outside” markings will be correct :?
Rob

erm . . thanks Rob . . . :scratchhead:

 

[Havard]

I had this with the M after have the wheels refurbed. The fronts had been put back on the opposite side. Car pulled heavily to the left on the motorway and under heavy breaking was a death trap.

Went to my tyre fitted and explained the problem and he swapped the fronts around. When I asked him why it made a difference he said.

If the tyre is halfway through its life they wear a certain way and every car is different, even the same model. He said, imagine going for a walk in a pair of someone else's shoes....

Car has been perfect since...btw.

H.

 

[patriot66]

I always mark my wheels NSF, NSR, OSF, OSR with a paint pen on the reverse side of one the spokes and always refit each wheel in its 'correct' position if I've removed them for whatever reason.

 

[Mr Tidy]

If they are rotational then swapping from left to right will reverse the rotation even though the “outside” markings will be correct :?
Rob

erm . . thanks Rob . . . :scratchhead:
[/quote]

What he means is the "Outside" markings refer to which way the tyre is put onto the rim.

The "directional" markings relate to which way the tyre is designed to rotate when the car moves.

So if they are directional the one with a clockwise pointing arrow needs to go on the driver's side, and the one pointing anti-clockwise needs to go on the passenger side.

I hope that makes sense.

And yes, I found out the first time I used directional winters and had already fitted one to the wrong side (although I had got 2 right by accident)!

 

[markeg]

How many miles had you done with the tyres on the style 32s before you swapped them off Colin ? The tread can bed in to a certain side after a few thousand miles then feel odd if switched to the other side .

Quite a few Andy, at least 5k miles - interesting.

^^ This. Rotating tyres across the axle every 1000 miles or so helps get an even wear pattern, but can get "tiresome" (pun intended). When I take summers off and put winters on, I label the tyre to show which side it came off, otherwise you get twitchiness - I've also found on my "shed" which has a square setup, when putting the winters back on incorrectly it set up a noticeable vibration around 70mph

 

[Marlon]

If they are rotational then swapping from left to right will reverse the rotation even though the “outside” markings will be correct :?
Rob

erm . . thanks Rob . . . :scratchhead:

What he means is the "Outside" markings refer to which way the tyre is put onto the rim.

The "directional" markings relate to which way the tyre is designed to rotate when the car moves.

So if they are directional the one with a clockwise pointing arrow needs to go on the driver's side, and the one pointing anti-clockwise needs to go on the passenger side.

I hope that makes sense.

And yes, I found out the first time I used directional winters and had already fitted one to the wrong side (although I had got 2 right by accident)!
[/quote]

 

[Marlon]

If they are rotational then swapping from left to right will reverse the rotation even though the “outside” markings will be correct :?
Rob

erm . . thanks Rob . . . :scratchhead:

What he means is the "Outside" markings refer to which way the tyre is put onto the rim.

The "directional" markings relate to which way the tyre is designed to rotate when the car moves.

So if they are directional the one with a clockwise pointing arrow needs to go on the driver's side, and the one pointing anti-clockwise needs to go on the passenger side.

I hope that makes sense.

And yes, I found out the first time I used directional winters and had already fitted one to the wrong side (although I had got 2 right by accident)!

Understood, thanks

 

[Marlon]

How many miles had you done with the tyres on the style 32s before you swapped them off Colin ? The tread can bed in to a certain side after a few thousand miles then feel odd if switched to the other side .

Quite a few Andy, at least 5k miles - interesting.

^^ This. Rotating tyres across the axle every 1000 miles or so helps get an even wear pattern, but can get "tiresome" (pun intended). When I take summers off and put winters on, I label the tyre to show which side it came off, otherwise you get twitchiness - I've also found on my "shed" which has a square setup, when putting the winters back on incorrectly it set up a noticeable vibration around 70mph

Sounds like we've got an answer - thanks fellas

 

[Smartbear]

erm . . thanks Rob . . . :scratchhead:

What he means is the "Outside" markings refer to which way the tyre is put onto the rim.

The "directional" markings relate to which way the tyre is designed to rotate when the car moves.

So if they are directional the one with a clockwise pointing arrow needs to go on the driver's side, and the one pointing anti-clockwise needs to go on the passenger side.

I hope that makes sense.

And yes, I found out the first time I used directional winters and had already fitted one to the wrong side (although I had got 2 right by accident)!

Understood, thanks

I was going to say that 2 out of 3 ain’t bad, (howl)
Rob

 

[Mr Tidy]

I was going to say that 2 out of 3 ain’t bad, (howl)
Rob

:lol: Well it's probably fair to say I hadn't looked too hard - it was only when I was about to bolt the 4th one on I noticed this pointy sort of marking, and I decided to look a bit harder at the others!

Still I suppose half the car would have driven forwards pretty well, and the other half would have been great at reversing! :rofl: