How to tell which way a used tire had run before.

[hdenter]

I picked up a nice fairly new set of stock wheels and tires for my van from someone who upgraded to GW 15". He did not mark which position each wheel came from. I would like to keep the tires spinning the way they had before. Any way to interpret the existing wear patters to figure out which side the tires where on?

Hans
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'79 triple white convertible bug
'84 sunroof vanagon
'85 weekender

[insyncro]

It all depends upon how well the inflation was monitored.
Crazy things happen to the treads well pressures are too low or too high.

Just run them.

[PDXWesty]

If they are radial tires it shouldn't matter. Bias ply shouldn't be reversed (according to legend), but the radial tires should be fine.
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89 Westy 2.1 Auto

[insyncro]

Most needing to be directional will have markings on the sidewall.

[Abscate]

[Jake de Villiers]

[IdahoDoug]

If you want to ID the fronts, they are usually easier to confirm. There will be notably more wear on the shoulders of front tires and none on the rears. For direction, slide your bare hand along the tread longitudinally (direction of travel) and you'll feel it is "catchy" at the edges of the tread blocks one direction. Driven wheels are slightly spinning against even dry pavement as they motor along and you're feeling the feathered edge of wear. If they came off a Vanagon, you will be able to feel the feathered edges of the rears more easily than the fronts. The fronts will be feathered in the direction of braking, but to a lesser degree than the driven rear wheels. That should get you in the ballpark.
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1993 Toyota LandCruiser, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[Wildthings]

The idea that radial tires shouldn't be reversed was pretty much bunk when they first came up with it. The recommendation now for most radial tires is that they have their rotation changed frequently so they don't take as much of a set. As IdahoDoug says you can tell which way the tire that were previously on the front were spinning by how they are feathered. The rear tires should have little feathering. Rotate the front to the back on the same side and (unless the tires have directional tread) then swap the backs to the front on the opposite side.

[hdenter]

Thanks for the replies. They tire are a set of RAO8"s I picked up for $100. Four tires, hardly any wear and mounted/balanced on steel wheels with decent hub caps. Couldn't pass it up.

Hans
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'79 triple white convertible bug
'84 sunroof vanagon
'85 weekender