tire rotation pattern and frequency

[Junkyard_Mad-Scientist]

for being a gear head all my life there's always been a debate on tire rotating. differing opinions, money hungry shops selling unnecessary services, front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, all wheel drive. lets settle it. I was told cross rotating (rear left to front right, rear right to front left, etc.) causes the tire to separate and will destroy the tire, I've seen this happen myself selling used parts, people buy a rim, use the tire that's on it, come back complaining the tire fell apart when I didn't sell them a tire. so the rule for a long time was tires stay on the side of the car they started on. but good ol google says AWD cars should use the cross rotation pattern. so who does what? these tires aren't cheap and the car sees triple digits somewhat regularly so the last thing I want is a tire coming apart. so here are the questions I'm trying to ask:

cross rotation or straight rotation?
how often (mile intervals)?
do you balance the wheels every time?

 

[rubydist]

In the early days of radial tires, it was important to keep them rotating in the same direction when rotating the tires, that is no longer the case with good quality tires. In terms of tire wear, the cross rotating pattern is best, so as long as you have decent tires, cross rotating is now the preferred method.

I rotate tires about every 10k miles - the recommendation from most manufacturers is between 7.5k-10k for rotations. It is better to re-balance every time but I generally don't unless I can tell there is an imbalance - again it depends on tire quality - the Michelins that I prefer tend to stay balanced a lot better than the cheaper Asian-made tires.

 

[kryptto]

In the early days of radial tires, it was important to keep them rotating in the same direction when rotating the tires, that is no longer the case with good quality tires. In terms of tire wear, the cross rotating pattern is best, so as long as you have decent tires, cross rotating is now the preferred method.

I rotate tires about every 10k miles - the recommendation from most manufacturers is between 7.5k-10k for rotations. It is better to re-balance every time but I generally don't unless I can tell there is an imbalance - again it depends on tire quality - the Michelins that I prefer tend to stay balanced a lot better than the cheaper Asian-made tires.

I will concur with this - I follow this too, if I feel a balancing is needed then I pay. The Michelins are truly great tires for staying even as long as all else is true about normal wear.

 

[Junkyard_Mad-Scientist]

Thank you, cross rotation it is, i have 3 Michelins and 1 Kuhmo lol, the dealer i bought it from claimed they replaced a tire but i didnt catch that it was a different brand, the online pictures showed 4 matching with nitrogen caps, got it home and noticed black caps and one mismatched tire. I think ill just have walmart to a balance and rotate on it, at least if they **** something up walmart will back them to fix it vs these small town shops. im all for small business but every single one has ripped me off, ripped of people i know, and have admitted to ripping people off when i did business with them.

 

[Ta2dResqr]

Thank you, cross rotation it is, i have 3 Michelins and 1 Kuhmo lol, the dealer i bought it from claimed they replaced a tire but i didnt catch that it was a different brand, the online pictures showed 4 matching with nitrogen caps, got it home and noticed black caps and one mismatched tire. I think ill just have walmart to a balance and rotate on it, at least if they **** something up walmart will back them to fix it vs these small town shops. im all for small business but every single one has ripped me off, ripped of people i know, and have admitted to ripping people off when i did business with them.

Wal-Mart rips people off just as much as any other shop. They are also one of the places we were always replacing lug studs for because they cross threaded them or broke them. If you aren't able to do it your self, I would suggest checking the lug nuts afterwards (breaking them loose and torquing them to spec) if possible.

 

[Junkyard_Mad-Scientist]

Wal-Mart rips people off just as much as any other shop. They are also one of the places we were always replacing lug studs for because they cross threaded them or broke them. If you aren't able to do it your self, I would suggest checking the lug nuts afterwards (breaking them loose and torquing them to spec) if possible.

I hate the idea of going to a shop, but I cant balance at home and im pretty sure my 1 kuhmo needs balanced. the only reason i consider walmart the lesser of the evils is because their prices are set by corporate and if they break something im not arguing with some guy watching his bottom line sayings its my fault the stud snapped. ill definatly bring the torque wrench with me though, thats a good call, knock it out in the parking lot so if they did cross thread a stud I can make them deal with it then and there.

 

[Majestic]

I have mine rotated and balanced every 5k miles. Discount Tire does it for free since I bought the tires there. They cross rotate, btw.

 

[Texas Marauder]

Cross rotate unless you have directional tires. Rotate those same side front to back. Obviously, none of this applies if you have different size tires front and rear.

 

[Junkyard_Mad-Scientist]

Cross rotate unless you have directional tires. Rotate those same side front to back. Obviously, none of this applies if you have different size tires front and rear.

View attachment 89148

I completely forgot about the directional tire aspect

 

[Junkyard_Mad-Scientist]

I have mine rotated and balanced every 5k miles. Discount Tire does it for free since I bought the tires there. They cross rotate, btw.

Every 5k?? what brand of tire do you run?

 

[Ta2dResqr]

Every 5k?? what brand of tire do you run?

5k is not that crazy. Here is Continental's policy on what invalidates the mileage warranty:

Tire(s) that have not been rotated at least every 6,000 to 8,000
miles (10–13,000 kilometers) or sooner if uneven tread wear
begins to appear, as evidenced by a completed Rotation
Schedule, are excluded from this coverage.
On vehicles with staggered/split fitments (different size tires on
front and rear axle), tires cannot be rotated between the front
and rear axle. Without rotation of tires between the front and
rear axle, the expected mileage/kilometers before wearout are
significantly lower, especially on the rear axle. Therefore, the
Mileage Warranty for tires on the rear axle of these vehicles will
be 50% of the standard Mileage Warranty for the product line.

 

[Majestic]

Every 5k?? what brand of tire do you run?

Continentals. I just find it easy to remember to have them rotated when I change the oil. Discount recommended 5-8 when I bought them, so I schedule an appointment and watch them do the service through the waiting room to shop window. Maybe all of their locations do this, but my store uses a torque wrench on all the lugs.

 

[kryptto]

Continentals. I just find it easy to remember to have them rotated when I change the oil. Discount recommended 5-8 when I bought them, so I schedule an appointment and watch them do the service through the waiting room to shop window. Maybe all of their locations do this, but my store uses a torque wrench on all the lugs.

The local shop I use - torque, I use torque, Costco uses torque. I prefer it for various reasons, one those impact wrenches f with the lugs, the other is getting lugs off - those air guns over torque based on the tech, they don't change the pressure.

 

[Junkyard_Mad-Scientist]

I

The local shop I use - torque, I use torque, Costco uses torque. I prefer it for various reasons, one those impact wrenches f with the lugs, the other is getting lugs off - those air guns over torque based on the tech, they don't change the pressure.

Have an electric ugga dugga I use to take em off and run em on but I always tighten by hand, recently with a torque wrench as another situation required I finally get a decent one.

 

[rubydist]

I agree with kryptto, they all use a torque wrench, but they first ram the nuts on way too tight with their impact wrench (which is why studs break) and then "torque" them with their torque wrench. How do you know they are torqued too high by the impact? When he goes around with the torque wrench and every single one clicks without moving at all, you know they are over-torqued.

 

[shoblock]

Oil change and tire rotation at the dealer every 5k, or I do it myself. For the first 20k miles, I followed the process every 3k miles. At 99k miles, the tires all look even, and the motor is so smooth and quiet, it's hard to hear, even in the garage.
SHOBLOCK
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

[kryptto]

Oil change and tire rotation at the dealer every 5k, or I do it myself. For the first 20k miles, I followed the process every 3k miles. At 99k miles, the tires all look even, and the motor is so smooth and quiet, it's hard to hear, even in the garage.
SHOBLOCK
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Well worth it whether paid for or done on your own. Merry Xmas

 

[robert francis]

I rotate when oil is changed. At about 3k or less miles.