Proper tire rotation without spare

[THEROK]

I run BFG ATs and the tire store told me I should be rotating these every 10K miles or so.

What do you guys do?

And without a spare in the rotation, is it simply front to back, vice versa?

Thanks!

 

[martini]

I usually do 5K, and use rotation pattern A from here for a 4 wheel rotation: Tire Tech Information - Tire Rotation Instructions. For a 5 tire rotation I use F (front wheel drive Highlander), but I'll be using G, when I get 5 matching tires shortly.

 

[Koz]

There are two ways; move rear strait forward and crisscross front to rear or crisscross front to rear and crisscross rear to front. I use the first method.

Koz

 

[jlmilligan]

As far as mileage goes, i would shoot for every 5k miles. Especially with an AT or a MT tire. The more you rotate them, the better. I try for 4k to 5k. I run mobil 1 syn. oil with a change every 5k. I usually rotate them the next time I am at Sams after my oil change.

As far as patter goes, I get my tires from Sams club and they have two options. Normally it is front to back. They will do the x pattern (front left to right rear and right rear to front left) if requested. I try to alternate the pattern unless my lack of memory gets in the way.

 

[ALLEGRO]

I just use front to back and got 65K out of the crappy Duelers. For an AWD, I cannot complain.

 

[echo4tango]

the best method is to cris cross one of the axles . the usa highways are designed to make more right hand turns. so you want to get the passenger side tires over to the drivers side for better wear and longer tread life.

this method has gotten 75k -80k out of both sets of bridgestone duelers at

 

[TBoliv]

I run BFG ATs and the tire store told me I should be rotating these every 10K miles or so.

What do you guys do?

And without a spare in the rotation, is it simply front to back, vice versa?

Thanks!

With those BFG A/T's, I'd strongly suggest as well you rotate them more frequently. They have a tendency to cup (wear unevenly) if not rotated often enough.

Also, I'd pick one rotational pattern and stick to it. Getting creative with your rotational patterns defeats the purpose of rotating them.

 

[Nuke]

I used to be a staunch every 5k-10k mile rotation guy but after many, many years and miles I base rotation on an as-needed basis.

Most of my driving these days (or at least over the previous 5-10 years) has been highway. I usually don't schedule it on mileage but on visual wear or if I can feel unbalance. I currently have 36k miles on the stock tires with no rotation although I probably should have had them balanced and rotated at 25k-30k. The tires on my Mustang have gone 24k miles with no rotation and show no uneven or irregular wear.

I believe that scheduled tire rotation is a lot of hype and unless you get it free, then I wouldn't bother. If you need it more often, then you need to look at your suspension. The cost of rotation and balance over the service life of your tires could, in many cases, pay for a pair of tires so what are you really saving?

 

[K.C.]

Front - Back

I do my oil change & 5-wheel rotation at 5,000 miles...since I'm getting dirty for the oil change, must as well do the rottation as well, why get dirty twice.

 

[KB084RUNNER]

I rotate front to back every 5k with the oil change. I make a point to inspect the brakes & axles while each wheel is off. My factory Duelers were at the wear bars at 41k so since it was the start of Winter I replaced them. Don't know how some guys get 65k out of a set.

 

[echo4tango]

I rotate front to back every -- Don't know how some guys get 65k out of a set.

75k on mine by proper inflation checked every week. and rotating using criss cross method.:guitar2:

 

[KB084RUNNER]

75k on mine by proper inflation checked every week. and rotating using criss cross method.:guitar2:

I do check tire inflation weekly. but don't criss cross rotate. My tire shop says it is the roads here (millions of pot holes) that wear tires out so quickly. I always thought that was BS until I read this thread. I have never got over 55k out of a set of tires in my life. Plus if you get to the last 25% of the tread life at the start of Winter here...you have to change them out anyway.

If it were Summer I could have run the Duelers to 50k. But I live on the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and when you get 6-12" of snow you need decent tires to make it up and down the hills where I live.

 

[M1911]

Just front to back. If you are going to do a criss-cross rotation, make sure that you don't have directional tires. Directional tires need to stay on the same side of the car.