Do Snow Tires Have a Right and Wrong Side?
2 Answers
Snow tires do have a right and wrong side, which can be distinguished by the letters on the sidewall: 'outside' indicates the correct side, while 'inside' indicates the wrong side. The functions of snow tires are: 1. To increase friction with icy and snowy roads through special formulations; 2. To improve the passability and safety on icy and snowy roads; 3. To provide better grip. Snow tires are categorized based on their anti-slip performance on roads: 1. Zigzag-pattern tires; 2. Snow tires; 3. Studded tires. The principle of snow tires is that the tread in contact with the road uses a special silicon-containing formulation to ensure the tire remains exceptionally soft even at extremely low temperatures, delivering outstanding grip on ice.
Last year when I changed my winter tires, I specifically asked the technician - these things really have a correct orientation! The small triangular arrow on the tire sidewall indicates the rotation direction, which must align with the vehicle's forward motion. A friend of mine installed them backwards once, and could clearly feel the poor traction when turning in snow. Asymmetric tread winter tires have inner and outer sides - the side marked 'Outside' must face outward. Installing them incorrectly misaligns the drainage grooves, causing the car to slide over 2 meters further during emergency braking on snow. Unidirectional tires require even more attention - the arrow direction must match the vehicle's forward motion to maximize the V-shaped tread's snow evacuation capability. It's best to supervise during installation and walk around the car to verify all markings afterwards.
