are the oem 19s bridgestone RE050 directional?

 

does anybody know?

 

yes

 

They are Asymmetrical. An easy way to tell..... there is no arrow on the tire indicating direction.

 

Yes you know... or Yes they are Unidirectional.
Cuz... their not Unidirectional

Asymmetrical: the tread pattern changes across the face of the tyre. These designs normally incorporates larger tread blocks on the outer portion for increased stability during cornering. The smaller inner blocks and greater use of grooves help to disperse water and heat. Asymmetrical tyres tend to also be unidirectional tyres.

Unidirectional: designed to rotate in only one direction, these tyres enhance straight-line acceleration by reducing rolling resistance. They also provide shorter stopping distance. Unidirectional tyres must be dedicated to a specific side of the vehicle, so the information on the sidewall will always include a rotational direction arrow. Make sure the tyres rotate in this direction or you'll get into all sorts of trouble. <!-- / message -->

 

Yes they are directional, look at the tread pattern

 

whoa!!!!

Are we talking about the same tire here? The Bridgestone Potenza RE050A on the factory 19" wheels. Those are Asymmetrical and nondirectional. Now the Michelin Pilot Sports on the 18" wheels are directional and symmetrical.

 

Just cuz you feel like they are unidirectional cuz u looked at the tread pattern doesn't mean they are.. sorry....

 

hmm.. thats weird, the slits in the middle of the tread seem like they would be optimized for 1 direction, should checked before I made an assumption

 

thank for clearing it up BINAR,

i just went back to the 19s for the summer from the 18s. When they were taking off the wheels before winter they forgot to markt them. I had no problem figuring out left and right rear b/c i had a curb rash on one of them, but I was a little confused about the fronts. The guy who put them on said it did not matter, but as i started driving they were making a lot of noise at low speeds, so i was concerned.

I called one dealership and they didnt know, figures... and the other told me they are not directional, so to be sure I put it out to you guys...

I guess i got used to driving on Dunlops M3 all winter. they were a lot less noisy than the potenzas. I really dont know what the noise is from. I know some had problems with inner wear of tire, but mine almost dont have that problem, they are pretty even. Anyway thanks again for your help.