LINY_Rob

I need the help of my fellow G37 brethren.

I do not know if my tires have an asymmetric tread pattern or not.

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx A1-A A/S.

Worried that something happened during my tire rotation - not sure what, but here's my story.

At about 9,000 miles, I had my 2010 G37xS sedan serviced and had the tires rotated. Immediately after, the car was pulling to the left when I drove. Additionally, it also felt a little "all over the place" when driving - meaning that the car would pull to the left ... then briefly track straight, then pull to the left again. This pattern lasting about 10-15 seconds each time just continues over and over and over again. It's subtle but it's there. The car was perfect before service.

That was 2 days ago. I have been trying to give it some time thinking that maybe "the tires just needed to settle in" or some crap like that.
Then I checked my tires and saw that on the left side, the arrow on the tires is facing the wrong direction, but the "OUTSIDE" lettering was there. On the right side of the car (the other side), the arrows are facing the right way and you can also see the "OUTSIDE" lettering.

So I decided to do some web research to determine if this (how the tires were put on the car) was incorrect. I know about directional tires (the arrow needs to be facing forward, and that the tires can only be rotated front-to-back and vice versa given it's the same size wheel and tire). Then I learned that some tires are asymmetrical.

Are my tires wrong? (I don't even know how to ask this / these questions the right way.) Could this be the source of my tire/pulling/tracking problem?? Are my Dunlops asymmetrical? Should the arrows be facing the right direction? Does any of this really matter?

Help!

Signed,
Need My G To Track Straight

rks

iTrader: (6)

Looks like there are some complaints of tramlining with these tires. They are not directional from what I have read. For a tire north of $250, they don't seem like a good value.

zoner

seems like a simple solution...why don't you have the tires remounted with the proper orientation?

LINY_Rob

Appreciate the recommendation. Thing is - I am unclear if their orientation is actually incorrect.

One of things I read was that as long as it says "outside" on the outside - then it's okay if the tire is not directional - but that doesn't make sense to me.

If they were changed, then the "outside" would be on the inside. The right hand side of the car is "correct" (arrow proper direction, reads "outside").

Unless they mixed up my left tires with someone else's right hand side tires - I am at a loss!

Appreciate the comment though - more help is extremely welcome.

LINY_Rob

But my car with the same tires was perfectly fine prior to the tire rotation ...

CaptainObvious

I took a look at a pic of the tires you have, they are asymmetrical but I don't think they are directional. Perhaps the arrow you see is for something else? I can't see the arrow you mention in the TireRack photo. If they were directional, (that arrow you see) you'd have two right hand tires on your car at the moment. I assume these are the stock tires your car came with and that would mean you got a wrong tire from the factory (highly unlikely).
Sounds like a poor quality tire (judging from a glance at the reviews on TireRack.com)
Maybe, only maybe, if you complain to the right people at Infiniti & your dealership, you'd get some help with replacement costs. Mention all the poor reviews etc...If they won't help and the wear on the tires is okay, maybe just put them back as they were 'till you're ready to buy new tires.

LINY_Rob

Captain Obvious,

Thanks for your time and help! My tires are stock.

There is a little chevron (">") with a "D" within a circle. Perhaps this was a bad assumption on my part that it referred to direction. If the tires are not directional, then the pulling to the left sensation must be something else - and that is an entirely different situation. Altogether. At least now when I bring the car back to the dealer, I have explored the tire issue as a possibility. I think we're all really familiar on this site with the common "these cars have really sensitive steering" or "that's the way it is" responses from service advisors.

Really appreciate the guidance, and the time you took to look at my pics to help me.

Thank you!

P.S. Your signature re: "Punctuation" is great.

soundmike

iTrader: (6)

that's the Dunlop logo. As long as "outside" is on the side visible to you then it is correct. Something else is amiss, perhaps it wasn't balanced correctly.

LINY_Rob

LMAO (and turning very red from embarrassment)

zoner

I would just take it in and have a professional look at it. This is not normal. The G37 is one of the most satisfying cars I have owned. Good luck.

15951

This article should be very helpful to you: Tire Tech Information - Diagnosing Tire Pull

One of the tires is probably has conicity as described in the article. Conicity is a manufacturing defect, and should be covered by (prorated) warranty.

If the tires were directional, you would have an arrow on the sidewall, typically accompanied by the word "rotation" to signify the direction the tire is to rotate. The "OUTSIDE" stamp on the sidewall is for mounting purposes, and does not keep you from rotating your tires.