How bad is it, in the grand scheme of things, to install a directionaltire the wrong way?

Question in subject line...

reason for asking is this. My car did not come from the factory with a
spare tire nor any tools to change it. The factory tires are run-flats,
but they're expensive, wear out quickly, and there are better options
out there. Also, if you get a flat in the middle of nowhere, and can't
get the tire repaired within 50 miles, you're screwed - and your
expensive tire is unrepairable. Also, my winter tires are NOT run-flats.

Factory option - space saver spare in tire bag, with a little foam
insert that holds the jack and lug wrench. OK, but you still have the
50 mile limitation as well as a similar speed limitation to a flat RFT -
so now you have stuff, but it's no more useful than nothing at all.

My idea - for the summer, I will put one of my winter wheels and tires
in the tire bag, along with the tools, and use the extra space under the
foam insert to hold other emergency stuff like jumper cables etc. that
would otherwise be taking up space in the trunk anyway. Before winter,
I will attempt to acquire another wheel that matches my winter set
(because 17s are cheaper and lighter than 19s) and an acceptable used
tire. My theory is, this way, no matter where I get a flat if it is
inconvenient to me to stop and get the tire repaired quickly, I can
travel on as far as I like before having to deal with it.

I just realized something however - my winter tires are directional, so
whichever one I put in the trunk, there's a 50% chance that if I do get
a flat and need to use the spare, the tire will be mounted the wrong way
on the wheel. I understand that traction will be compromised somewhat,
but how dramatic is it really?

Should I make a point to get a non-directional spare tire as quickly as
possible or is this no worse than using the donut, say?

I haven't had any experience with wrong-way mounted tires, because I
always paid attention to the little arrows on the sidewalls My gut
feeling is that it's still preferable to using the donut, but if anyone
has any info to the contrary please let me know.

nate
--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

On Fri, 10 May 2013 15:31:10 -0400, Nate Nagel >
wrote:

>Question in subject line...
>
>reason for asking is this. My car did not come from the factory with a
>spare tire nor any tools to change it. The factory tires are run-flats,
>but they're expensive, wear out quickly, and there are better options
>out there. Also, if you get a flat in the middle of nowhere, and can't
>get the tire repaired within 50 miles, you're screwed - and your
>expensive tire is unrepairable. Also, my winter tires are NOT run-flats.
>
>Factory option - space saver spare in tire bag, with a little foam
>insert that holds the jack and lug wrench. OK, but you still have the
>50 mile limitation as well as a similar speed limitation to a flat RFT -
>so now you have stuff, but it's no more useful than nothing at all.
>
>My idea - for the summer, I will put one of my winter wheels and tires
>in the tire bag, along with the tools, and use the extra space under the
>foam insert to hold other emergency stuff like jumper cables etc. that
>would otherwise be taking up space in the trunk anyway. Before winter,
>I will attempt to acquire another wheel that matches my winter set
>(because 17s are cheaper and lighter than 19s) and an acceptable used
>tire. My theory is, this way, no matter where I get a flat if it is
>inconvenient to me to stop and get the tire repaired quickly, I can
>travel on as far as I like before having to deal with it.
>
>I just realized something however - my winter tires are directional, so
>whichever one I put in the trunk, there's a 50% chance that if I do get
>a flat and need to use the spare, the tire will be mounted the wrong way
>on the wheel. I understand that traction will be compromised somewhat,
>but how dramatic is it really?
>
>Should I make a point to get a non-directional spare tire as quickly as
>possible or is this no worse than using the donut, say?
>
>I haven't had any experience with wrong-way mounted tires, because I
>always paid attention to the little arrows on the sidewalls My gut
>feeling is that it's still preferable to using the donut, but if anyone
>has any info to the contrary please let me know.
>
>nate

Any loss of traction by being on "backwards" can easily be compensated
for by driving 10 mph slower then you otherwise would. Some years
back one of the car mags did a story about the use of the skinny
doughnut spare tires that had started coming with Corvettes as spare
tires. They mounted the spare and then ran the car thru the same sort
of performance tests they would normally do. Turned out it didn't
make all that much difference nor did it make things unsafe. If I
were you I'd just get the temporary tire that would have come from the
manufacturer and forget about al the other folderol. Odds are you'll
never use it and even if you do I'm sure it will much farther then the
50 miles it shows on the sidewalls. The only reason not to would be
if you had a limited slip diff and had to use the same rolling
diameter and the temp wasn't the same. You'd have the same problem
using your winter tires, .. if you have limited slip you want the same
diameter .. OR.. you would need to drive pretty slow and not too far
on it.

On 05/10/2013 12:31 PM, Nate Nagel wrote:
> Question in subject line...
^^^^^
<so there's no point wasting electrons on the rest of your drivel then...>

bottom line, why don't you try /not/ being a retard and actually try it?
[rhetorical] everyone else in this position has. and it's not
exactly hard to do.


--
fact check required

On 05/10/2013 07:59 PM, Ashton Crusher wrote:
> On Fri, 10 May 2013 15:31:10 -0400, Nate Nagel >
> wrote:
>
>> Question in subject line...
>>
>> reason for asking is this. My car did not come from the factory with a
>> spare tire nor any tools to change it. The factory tires are run-flats,
>> but they're expensive, wear out quickly, and there are better options
>> out there. Also, if you get a flat in the middle of nowhere, and can't
>> get the tire repaired within 50 miles, you're screwed - and your
>> expensive tire is unrepairable. Also, my winter tires are NOT run-flats.
>>
>> Factory option - space saver spare in tire bag, with a little foam
>> insert that holds the jack and lug wrench. OK, but you still have the
>> 50 mile limitation as well as a similar speed limitation to a flat RFT -
>> so now you have stuff, but it's no more useful than nothing at all.
>>
>> My idea - for the summer, I will put one of my winter wheels and tires
>> in the tire bag, along with the tools, and use the extra space under the
>> foam insert to hold other emergency stuff like jumper cables etc. that
>> would otherwise be taking up space in the trunk anyway. Before winter,
>> I will attempt to acquire another wheel that matches my winter set
>> (because 17s are cheaper and lighter than 19s) and an acceptable used
>> tire. My theory is, this way, no matter where I get a flat if it is
>> inconvenient to me to stop and get the tire repaired quickly, I can
>> travel on as far as I like before having to deal with it.
>>
>> I just realized something however - my winter tires are directional, so
>> whichever one I put in the trunk, there's a 50% chance that if I do get
>> a flat and need to use the spare, the tire will be mounted the wrong way
>> on the wheel. I understand that traction will be compromised somewhat,
>> but how dramatic is it really?
>>
>> Should I make a point to get a non-directional spare tire as quickly as
>> possible or is this no worse than using the donut, say?
>>
>> I haven't had any experience with wrong-way mounted tires, because I
>> always paid attention to the little arrows on the sidewalls My gut
>> feeling is that it's still preferable to using the donut, but if anyone
>> has any info to the contrary please let me know.
>>
>> nate
>
> Any loss of traction by being on "backwards" can easily be compensated
> for by driving 10 mph slower then you otherwise would. Some years
> back one of the car mags did a story about the use of the skinny
> doughnut spare tires that had started coming with Corvettes as spare
> tires. They mounted the spare and then ran the car thru the same sort
> of performance tests they would normally do. Turned out it didn't
> make all that much difference nor did it make things unsafe. If I
> were you I'd just get the temporary tire that would have come from the
> manufacturer and forget about al the other folderol. Odds are you'll
> never use it and even if you do I'm sure it will much farther then the
> 50 miles it shows on the sidewalls. The only reason not to would be
> if you had a limited slip diff and had to use the same rolling
> diameter and the temp wasn't the same. You'd have the same problem
> using your winter tires, .. if you have limited slip you want the same
> diameter .. OR.. you would need to drive pretty slow and not too far
> on it.
>

I actually have the donut but it is labeled for only 50 miles of use.
My concern is if I get a flat driving through BFE that it might be bad.
I can think of places that I regularly go that are close to or beyond
the 50 mile limit from a tire store that I would want to patronize;
also, a new tire might have to be ordered and that could add a day or
two to a trip as opposed to having Tire Rack ship one to my home or
destination. The alternative would be to carry a plug kit and 12V
compressor with me but that doesn't cover all eventualities, and I don't
actually own a 12V compressor (I had one in the Porsche, but it was the
factory one, so I let it go with the car when I sold it.)

My winter tires are probably closer to the same rolling diameter as the
summer tires than the donut... I don't have LSD but I do have the fake
electronic version thereof so rolling diameter differences might screw
with stuff.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

On 05/10/2013 07:12 PM, Nate Nagel wrote:
> On 05/10/2013 07:59 PM, Ashton Crusher wrote:
>> On Fri, 10 May 2013 15:31:10 -0400, Nate Nagel >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Question in subject line...
>>>
>>> reason for asking is this. My car did not come from the factory with a
>>> spare tire nor any tools to change it. The factory tires are run-flats,
>>> but they're expensive, wear out quickly, and there are better options
>>> out there. Also, if you get a flat in the middle of nowhere, and can't
>>> get the tire repaired within 50 miles, you're screwed - and your
>>> expensive tire is unrepairable. Also, my winter tires are NOT
>>> run-flats.
>>>
>>> Factory option - space saver spare in tire bag, with a little foam
>>> insert that holds the jack and lug wrench. OK, but you still have the
>>> 50 mile limitation as well as a similar speed limitation to a flat RFT -
>>> so now you have stuff, but it's no more useful than nothing at all.
>>>
>>> My idea - for the summer, I will put one of my winter wheels and tires
>>> in the tire bag, along with the tools, and use the extra space under the
>>> foam insert to hold other emergency stuff like jumper cables etc. that
>>> would otherwise be taking up space in the trunk anyway. Before winter,
>>> I will attempt to acquire another wheel that matches my winter set
>>> (because 17s are cheaper and lighter than 19s) and an acceptable used
>>> tire. My theory is, this way, no matter where I get a flat if it is
>>> inconvenient to me to stop and get the tire repaired quickly, I can
>>> travel on as far as I like before having to deal with it.
>>>
>>> I just realized something however - my winter tires are directional, so
>>> whichever one I put in the trunk, there's a 50% chance that if I do get
>>> a flat and need to use the spare, the tire will be mounted the wrong way
>>> on the wheel. I understand that traction will be compromised somewhat,
>>> but how dramatic is it really?
>>>
>>> Should I make a point to get a non-directional spare tire as quickly as
>>> possible or is this no worse than using the donut, say?
>>>
>>> I haven't had any experience with wrong-way mounted tires, because I
>>> always paid attention to the little arrows on the sidewalls My gut
>>> feeling is that it's still preferable to using the donut, but if anyone
>>> has any info to the contrary please let me know.
>>>
>>> nate
>>
>> Any loss of traction by being on "backwards" can easily be compensated
>> for by driving 10 mph slower then you otherwise would. Some years
>> back one of the car mags did a story about the use of the skinny
>> doughnut spare tires that had started coming with Corvettes as spare
>> tires. They mounted the spare and then ran the car thru the same sort
>> of performance tests they would normally do. Turned out it didn't
>> make all that much difference nor did it make things unsafe. If I
>> were you I'd just get the temporary tire that would have come from the
>> manufacturer and forget about al the other folderol. Odds are you'll
>> never use it and even if you do I'm sure it will much farther then the
>> 50 miles it shows on the sidewalls. The only reason not to would be
>> if you had a limited slip diff and had to use the same rolling
>> diameter and the temp wasn't the same. You'd have the same problem
>> using your winter tires, .. if you have limited slip you want the same
>> diameter .. OR.. you would need to drive pretty slow and not too far
>> on it.
>>
>
> I actually have the donut but it is labeled for only 50 miles of use. My
> concern is if I get a flat driving through BFE that it might be bad. I
> can think of places that I regularly go that are close to or beyond the
> 50 mile limit from a tire store that I would want to patronize;

unbelievable - you're simply not from this planet! "50 miles" is what's
recommended. reality is, you can go thousands of miles on the things.
you wouldn't /want/ to, but that's an entirely different matter that you
don't seem to be able to figure out.


> also, a
> new tire might have to be ordered and that could add a day or two to a
> trip as opposed to having Tire Rack ship one to my home or destination.

unbelievable - you're in bfe, you have a flat, but you want the pricing
and convenience of tire rack. i'd love to see you bleating that kind of
bull**** when you're in some urban neighborhoods i can name - you'd be
happy to pay and get your ass out of there thinking your self lucky you
didn't have an extra asshole to whine out of.


> The alternative would be to carry a plug kit and 12V compressor

compressor???? what kind of wuss are you??? just use a freakin foot or
hand pump - a bit of manly sweat won't kill you.


> with me
> but that doesn't cover all eventualities, and I don't actually own a 12V
> compressor (I had one in the Porsche, but it was the factory one, so I
> let it go with the car when I sold it.)
>
> My winter tires are probably closer to the same rolling diameter as the
> summer tires than the donut... I don't have LSD but I do have the fake
> electronic version thereof so rolling diameter differences might screw
> with stuff.

yeah, and you could have TWO flats. or even THREE. you gonna worry
about that too?

or are you just going to sit on your mom's basement and bleat endlessly
on usenet about crap you've never done and clearly don't have the first
clue about? [rhetorical, since that's what you're already doing.]


--
fact check required

On May 10, 3:31*pm, Nate Nagel > wrote:
>
> My gut
> feeling is that it's still preferable to using the donut, but if anyone
> has any info to the contrary please let me know.

There's nothing wrong with a donut spare, and much to recommend
them... for "drivers".

A motorist such as yourself who must always run with the fastest on
the road, brake and corner near the limits of traction, etc., might
well be better off with full-size.

But, how will that affect your trunk organization challenges....?
-----

- gpsman

On Saturday, May 11, 2013 8:33:56 AM UTC-5, gpsman wrote:
> On May 10, 3:31*pm, Nate Nagel > wrote:
>
> >
>
> > My gut
>
> > feeling is that it's still preferable to using the donut, but if anyone
>
> > has any info to the contrary please let me know.
>
>
>
> There's nothing wrong with a donut spare, and much to recommend
>
> them... for "drivers".
>
>
>
> A motorist such as yourself who must always run with the fastest on
>
> the road, brake and corner near the limits of traction, etc., might
>
> well be better off with full-size.
>
>
>
> But, how will that affect your trunk organization challenges....?
>
> -----
>
>
>
> - gpsman

Certain neighborhoods, if you have a flat... Run on the flat!

On 05/11/2013 06:33 AM, gpsman wrote:
> On May 10, 3:31�pm, Nate Nagel > wrote:
>>
>> My gut
>> feeling is that it's still preferable to using the donut, but if anyone
>> has any info to the contrary please let me know.
>
> There's nothing wrong with a donut spare, and much to recommend
> them... for "drivers".
>
> A motorist such as yourself who must always run with the fastest on
> the road, brake and corner near the limits of traction, etc., might
> well be better off with full-size.
>
> But, how will that affect your trunk organization challenges....?
> -----
>
> - gpsman
>

lol! i'm surprised he hasn't yet posed about discovering the wheel is a
different size and thus the trunk cover won't sit properly, but i guess
that's because, as usual, he hasn't actually tried what he's bleating about.


--
fact check required

On 05/11/2013 01:34 PM, JR wrote:
> On Saturday, May 11, 2013 8:33:56 AM UTC-5, gpsman wrote:
>> On May 10, 3:31 pm, Nate Nagel > wrote:
>>
>>>
>>
>>> My gut
>>
>>> feeling is that it's still preferable to using the donut, but if anyone
>>
>>> has any info to the contrary please let me know.
>>
>>
>>
>> There's nothing wrong with a donut spare, and much to recommend
>>
>> them... for "drivers".
>>
>>
>>
>> A motorist such as yourself who must always run with the fastest on
>>
>> the road, brake and corner near the limits of traction, etc., might
>>
>> well be better off with full-size.
>>
>>
>>
>> But, how will that affect your trunk organization challenges....?
>>
>> -----
>>
>>
>>
>> - gpsman
>
> Certain neighborhoods, if you have a flat... Run on the flat!
>

Exactly. And it seems like I'm always either in those kind of
neighborhoods or else 100 miles or more away from anywhere that I'd want
touching my car with tools.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

On 05/11/2013 03:05 PM, Nate Nagel wrote:
> On 05/11/2013 01:34 PM, JR wrote:
>> On Saturday, May 11, 2013 8:33:56 AM UTC-5, gpsman wrote:
>>> On May 10, 3:31 pm, Nate Nagel > wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>> My gut
>>>
>>>> feeling is that it's still preferable to using the donut, but if anyone
>>>
>>>> has any info to the contrary please let me know.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> There's nothing wrong with a donut spare, and much to recommend
>>>
>>> them... for "drivers".
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> A motorist such as yourself who must always run with the fastest on
>>>
>>> the road, brake and corner near the limits of traction, etc., might
>>>
>>> well be better off with full-size.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> But, how will that affect your trunk organization challenges....?
>>>
>>> -----
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> - gpsman
>>
>> Certain neighborhoods, if you have a flat... Run on the flat!
>>
>
> Exactly. And it seems like I'm always either in those kind of
> neighborhoods

really? for the crack? or just the 'hoes?


> or else 100 miles or more away from anywhere that I'd want
> touching my car with tools.

i'm sure the feeling would be mutual. but given how you always bleat
about being over-charged, it appears that some shops will lower
themselves in return for you paying the "get this retard out of my shop"
pricing schedule.


--
fact check required