sderman

I just ordered 4 Michelin CrossClimate2 tires from Costco (ongoing sale, BTW) but since they are directional tires I want to make sure they are properly installed. One point often mentioned online is that the embossed arrow on a properly installed tire should always point to the front, but I assume that is only when the arrow is at the top of the tire since if its at the bottom of the tire it should point to the back. But I have 2 related questions: 1) if properly installed and viewed from the front of the car should the "V" pattern point upwards on all 4 tires (and not inverted), and 2) are all of the tires in a set of 4 identical with the embossed tire information on both sides, or is the printing on only one side and so they must provide 2 sets of mirror-imaged tires. Thanks in advance. Just trying to avoid Murphy's Law.

dibl

Here are your answers: https://www.lesschwab.com/article/wh...nal-tires.html

The tires are all the same, and both sides have the directional arrow. They have to be "flipped" and remounted on the wheels to run on the opposite side of the car from where they were originally mounted.

sderman

Thanks, much appreciated.

bamalam

The "arrow toward the front to the vehicle" phrase is commonly used, and clearly wrong, for the reason you state. Tire sites that know better keeping using it, though. The correct, and just as easy to understand, description is "the arrow must point in direction of tire rotation."

sderman

Yep. I guess the manufacturers could also emboss something on each side such like "left side mounting" and "right side mounting".

daryll40

I don't think that's right. As mentioned by another poster, above, the tires are the same on both sides. Only the mounting is different. The arrow should point in the direction of the rotation.

sderman

What I meant was the side of the tire whose arrow shows a counter-clockwise rotation could be labelled for left side mounting. And the other side of that very same tire would have an arrow showing a clockwise rotation and so that side could be labelled for right side mounting.

dibl

Have we split this eyelash fine enough, yet? LOL!

ericsan13

Does this mean the traction is a lot worse when driving in reverse?

dibl

Yep, major risk of hydroplaning in reverse! LOL

autotech13

Oh my! I learn something new every time I read on this forum!!!!!! LOL

sderman

Backing out of a snow bank...perhaps, but that's the compromise for better forward traction.

bamalam

Oh yeah, way worse. I'll never own directional tires because never know when you'll need to do this ->

ericsan13

I thought you were going to post the car scenes from Tenet =D

bamalam

Ha! Dry pavement makes it so easy to drive backwards For those we haven't lost on this thread with our movie trivia, the Michelin CrossClimate 2s certainly do get good reviews. My brother has a set on their '13 RX (in Colorado) and likes them well enough to recommend them to their daughter. It's hard believe they are not loud, but there are not many complaints to that effect.