dimitrisK

Dunlop SP5000, 205/55/16: Asymmetric, but are they also directional?

Delta-9

Nope... I just bought some... the tires only say "Mount this side out"

dimitrisK

I know, it's unlikely. But better safe than sorry, right?

D.

Iowaboy

Although there are some tires are there both directional and asymmetric
the Dunlop 5000 is not of one them. Directional tires always have an
arrow indicating rotation direction. By the way not all 5000s are asymmetric,
if I recall correctly, just those with 55 profile or smaller.

David

dimitrisK

Thanks :-)

snagitseven

Because of the inside/outside tread direction being different on opposite sides of the car with just one tread design, I was curious as well when I bought my assymetrical SP5000's in 235/45-17 size. I called Dunlop and they assured me there was no directional issue even though the assymetrical tread is going in opposite directions of travel on the left vs right sides. They must be right because my car doesn't only go in circles. Unless I'm lost.

Dave G

How do you like the SP5000 (205/55-16) so far?

dimitrisK

For my usual, boring driving, they're great. Noticeably smoother than the SP8000s I had before, and quieter too. I also had a chance to drive during the recent rainstorms in CA and they seem to resist hydroplaning quite well, better than the 8000s ever did.

The (expected) downside is that the crisp turn response that the 8000s give you is gone, dead, kaput. Maybe the sidewalls could be harder... But the all-season versatility (including several Tahoe trips per year) balances it out for me.

D.

Dave G

The sidewalls on the SP5000 (at least in size 205/55-16) are so soft that there is a radical difference in the feel of the car when cornering, compared to the performance tires that were previously on the car. Same for braking hard at speed. Hard braking from 70mph causes some very unstable feeling. Even driving at speeds over 70-80mph gives a slightly unstable feeling. I think my application feels more like a Buick LeSabre after putting the SP5000's on. But, they do provide a soft quiet ride (good for the morning commute to work), and they seem to be very good on wet roads. If they are good in the snow, its a worthwhile change for me. If they aren't good in the snow, I'm getting rid of the SP5000's.

dimitrisK

Hmm... Thanks for the input. On high-speed stability, the only thing I noticed was that they seem to be *very* much affected by rain grooves. The car feels like an airplane in mild turbulence! But on a recent (Thanksgiving) trip from NoCal to LA and back, they seemed to behave quite well (and as you said they were very good in the wet, with the crazy rainstorms I had to drive through). This was in the 70-100mph range, on I-5 with occasional high winds.

I'll find an isolated stretch of highway and see how they behave on hard braking. I definitely don't need any surprises there!

Snow "test" may also be coming up this weekend, I'll update here.

BTW, I'm running them at 40psi cold. It kept the 8000s wearing very evenly (together with my usually boring driving, maybe) so I don't feel it's too much. We'll see.

D.