What are directional tires and wheels? Well, they are tires and wheels that are specifically designed to increase traction, increase your level of safety when driving in extreme weather conditions.  With the tire this has to do with tread.  The pattern is more aggressive in order to give your vehicle more grip on wet or icy surfaces.  While they are louder than regular tires, they are not nearly as loud as chains or snow tires.  Most have a pattern that goes in one direction or the other, so care must be taken regarding the wheels they are mounted on. The direction of the vehicle will be influenced, so whether to put them on the right side or the left, is to be considered.  Should one be not certain of which side of the vehicle to mount the tires, just check for little arrows on the tread-wall , they will indicate on which side you should place those tires and for which direction those tires are intended to turn.  This consideration will affect the handling of the vehicle, just as they are technologically and creatively designed to affect the channeling of any water or ice or snow that they will encounter. In the case of rotation of the tires, they can go from the front axle to the rear axle, but not from side to side.  They affect the pull of the steering capabilities so this is important, not just for normal driving conditions, but even more so when you need them to do what they do in the middle of a snow storm.  One variation in the directional tire, is the asymmetrical design.  More or less rubber is designed to one side or another of the tire.  This mix of tread and pattern, is the effort taken of manufacturers to provide the safest possible option for consumers to consider when buying all-weather tires.  Safety is the concern for tires, and the manufacturers of today are doing all that they can in order to make the life of the tire longer, and the life of the drivers just a bit more safe.