I just got my 19x8 Se7en Mods w/ 225/35/19 Spec-2's. Pix when I get 'em on the car. My questions are: are they unidirectional? How can I tell? My SO3's have arrows pointing in the direction of rotation but the Spec-2's do not. Are unidirectional tires made in left and right-handed versions?

 

yes those tires are unidirectional.....

 

They should have the markings on the sidewalls that say "this side out".. something like that.

 

what dennis said. look for "side facing outwards" on the sidewall.

 

Look at the tread pattern.



Pictured is drivers side I believe?

 

we shouldn't help you since you skipped out on the West Coast Meet!!! :P

 

those are AWESOME tires....

 

I sure hope that's not the way it's done!

 

it is......

 

Then they aren't unidirectional.. i.e. if you swap sides they will still say this side out (on the outside)..

 

can't swap....those tires are unidirectional.

front to back only.

 

Had 'em b4... the water channel should be closer to the face of the rim, not the other way around.

 

I was saying the same shit when I put the rims on! I love the tires, they are very sticky, a little bit slippery when wet! extra load weight helps alot when hitting these damn potholes!

P.s- I painted the brake calipers black after the picture was taken , I couldnt stand that silvery/rusted look!!

 

I just called the tire place. They do in fact say "This side out". Therefore, they are NOT unidirectional. The tread pattern grooves will be different (both channel water towards the passenger side of the car) on the left and right sides. I think this is kinda weird, but those are the facts. Guess I can rotate tires from front corner to opposite rear corner. I wonder how this relates to hydroplaning.

 

i stand corrected! Nice well good for you cause the tires will last longer

 

damn... those are the prophets in chrome!

i got em in opal.... please take a shot of the car from afar please!

 

are those 18 or 19?
how much are these spec 2's anyway?

 

I got them in a package so I'm not sure of the exact prices. I paid $2100 shipped for the 19x8 Se7en Mods w/ 225/35/19 Spec-2's. I'm guessing wheels @ $350/each. So I guess tires about $175 a piece...(shipped).

 

they look grippy

 

This is for you YUPPIECL....18" going for 19" but I am asking for trouble, when I am down at NYC everyweekend!!! Potholes everywhere!!

Tires are great, dont really abuse them cause they are not cheap!

 

they were good enough for a 1.9 60'.

 

thats gotta be a record for a fwd car on street tires, props matt

on the 1.9 did u spin for a split sec then hook up like a bitch

 

What 1/4 did u run Mattg? Interested to know what light-weight rims do for ya.

 

guys, i made a mistake when i said 1.9 60'. it was 2.19, still good but i guess i was .

i just looked at the slips again tonight.


my best 1/4 was 14.46 @ 95.xx. corrected for elevation it would have been in the 14.20's or better.

i would say the light rims and 225/40-18's help over the stock wheel/tire combo, but i have run my quickest times on the stock wheels w/ 235/40-17 kumho 712's, which are smaller in diameter than the 18" i run now. both setups are shorter than the 215/50-17's that come stock.

 

Have been driving around on them for 2 days now. My initial impression was that they are alot louder than my 235/45/17 SO3's. Cornering on them w/ 19" wheels is amazing. They grip very well. I'd say the overall handling feel is much better than the stock wheels w/ 17" SO3's. If you want a luxurious tire, then these are not for you. Alot of <45mph humming.

 

I've asked the question before but are 17's or 18's or even 19's better for the straight track?

 

I'd say that, on average, smaller diameter wheels are lighter so are probably better for straight lines. I'll let someone else talk about rotational blah, blah blah.

 

Do you really think that they are a bit louder, my first impresion when I pot the SPECII's on is that they are the same in smothness compared with OEm Michelins for stock with the SpecII's!, Didnt really notice anymore road noise in the SpecII's even with 225/40ZR18's on! The grip is GREAT! very sticky, In the rain, it does get a bit slippery, so I wouldnt push it too much in the corners when it is wet or you WILL hydro!! Overall great tire, great design, great performance, larger load capacity, rim bar protector which I believed saved my rims a few times!!

 

the spec II's are nice tires, but they don't last

 

Considering I had SO3's before, these will last just fine. I hope they do better in the rain that you guys say...Seattle.

 

I have them in Seattle and they handle the wet superbly, including standing water on the freeway.

The best part about the Paradas is the custom trail they leave behind when you lay down some rubber.

 

the place you called is wrong. They can only be switched front to rear/ rear to front


BTW, why yes they are pretty sticky tires they give you ABSOLUTELY NO warning that they are about to break loose, they just go, and they are pretty poor in the rain. I'm on my 3rd set of these paradas and I just can't step away because they are awesome for the price

 

the smaller the better because the less force it takes to spin them around.

 

I got 25K on a set and they only reason they didnt' last longer was because of a camber issues.

 

Word, mine keep on getting eaten up in the rears....I have to rotate often.

Rain performance is subject to where you live. In a place like Cali where it does not rain often the roads become more slippery than our constantly wet roads in the winter. There was just a study that came out by the Highway folks that came to a similar conclusion, it's not how much it rains, or how hard. It's how long inbetween rains that leads to more accidents. You should have no issues with the Parada's in the rain.....and they weren't THAT bad in the snow last year either. :P

 

no, they can be rotated side to side as well. the side facing out will still be the side facing out.

 

tire rack told me different


the side facing out will still be the side facing out but won't the tread pattern be facing the wrong way?

 

I have never rotated side to side, only front to back.

 

the pattern on opposite sides will always face the opposite way. i X rotated mine last time, and the pattern is still the same on the left side, and on the right side.

go look for yourself.

 

The tires are directional, the vains would be backwards on the other side of the car. What's wierd is the tires are lable "this face out" but no rotation direction is listed like on Toyos. Perhaps this explains why you hook up at the track to well if you are running them backwards Matt :P