Tire Rotation

[holimont]

Is there some advantage to rotating tires every 5,000 miles other than evening out tire wear?

And, please, before someone jumps in with a rude comment as to the manual or searching, I'm interested in why rotation is recommended and I have searched.

[Mike Murrell]

I won't be rude. No reason for that.

Some will say just as you did, to help keep tire wear even. I really won't argue too much with that.

My next comment will likely drum up criticism(could care less), but I believe that in most cases rotation every 5K is not necessary. I base that on many years of driving experience. For me, a spring/fall rotation is OK - about every 10K.

I also believe the dealers tout it as it gives them an opportunity to try and sell you every service imaginable, most of which won't actually be performed to begin with or won't be done correctly.

[kenny1773]

I will agre with Mike, I rotate every 10k or so and I have been perfectly happy with my tire wear and performance.

I have 33k on the oem bridgestones on my 2005, and I am going to replace them this week with the Yoko Avid V4S.

They are worn evenly, and for the fairly harsh driving that I do, I am amazed these crappy tires have made it this far.

I am not sold on the 5K rotation for a family sedan. For a higher performance car with softer tires, maybe.

[thoots]

I change my oil every four months, and always rotate the tires at the same time. This is usually at far less than 5,000 miles, as I don't have a long commute, so I don't pile up all that many miles on the car. Only if the fronts truly look better than the rears, do I "skip" the rotation -- something that has happened exactly ONCE in about the past decade.

I am absolutely in favor of "rotating more often." Haven't you ever had the experience where "the car just doesn't track nearly as well as it did before" after a tire rotation? I sure haven't felt that after I started rotating at every oil change. Man, there is no way on EARTH I'd go back to long rotation intervals!

[holimont]

Thoots, But why do you rotate?

[holimont]

Kenny/Mike, I am about to hit 5,000 miles on Camry #4. I have never rotated tires, partly because I didn't want to take the time. In the past I just replaced the front tires when they wore out and got a 4-wheel alignment. And, when the rear tires hit the tread marker I put new ones on the front and moved the front tires to the rear. I now have more time and am curious as to the reasons for rotation and if I have been missing some benefit. If the benefit is only tire wear, then the cost of rotating could balance out the cost of "early" wear out. Maybe.

[LoudCamry]

i rotate because the front tire thread is use more then the rear, rotating the tires balance out the life of the tire.

[niceguy]

Is it necessery to rotate tires every 5k? I checked the Toyota service dept, and they would not rotate tires every time when you do oil change, only if neccessory. Maybe every 10k is a good number. I will not rotate tire myself, too dirty and tire.

[thoots]

Originally Posted by holimont

Thoots, But why do you rotate?

Well, for all of the obvious reasons:

To maximize tire life.

To balance the wear on all of the tires, on more of a "constant" basis. Again, doing it more often makes for far less of a signficant "change" when you do rotate them.

For safety reasons -- to use worn-out or low-tread tires on the front of a front-wheel-drive car is just asking for trouble.

For handling and ride quality -- keeping all of the tires in the best condition I can helps get the best performance out of them.

Mainly, though, it's just a matter of "taking the best care of the car that I can." Which is what I do with my cars. Don't know about other folks, but my car is a HUGE chunk of money out of my hide, and my intent is always to keep on driving a car for as many trouble-free years as I can get out of it. "At least ten years after I'm done paying for it" is my general motto, though I haven't always made it that far. "Exceptional" maintenance -- like four oil changes per year instead of just one or two -- doesn't cost very much at all, and if it helps me keep the car running in perfect condition for an extra five or ten years, then it's money very well spent.

And, for all of that, "rotations cost me NOTHING." I've been going to the same shop for the past 28 years, and they rotate the tires for me at no cost beyond the usual oil change cost. Why NOT rotate them often?!??

[thoots]

Originally Posted by niceguy

Is it necessery to rotate tires every 5k? I checked the Toyota service dept, and they would not rotate tires every time when you do oil change, only if neccessory. Maybe every 10k is a good number. I will not rotate tire myself, too dirty and tire.

1. This is why I go to my trusted, independent shop for oil changes and tire rotations, instead of giving my car to the dealer's service department.

2. It is probably 100% likely that many of the tire shops in your area will rotate your tires for free. They probably have advertisements and/or signs that mention this. Just drive in, ask 'em to rotate your tires, and then hopefully "pay them back some day" by buying your next set of tires from them!

[TRD VVTi]

Originally Posted by Mike Murrell

I also believe the dealers tout it as it gives them an opportunity to try and sell you every service imaginable, most of which won't actually be performed to begin with or won't be done correctly.

You really believe that?

So why is it that the tire manufacturers also recommend frequent rotations? They have no affiliation with the dealer at all.

The more you rotate the tires, the more uniform the wear will be. Front tires edge wear and the rears tend to wear in the center and feather or cup. Not rotating the tires frequently will just cause tires to wear more quickly and promote irregular wear patterns. Rotating the tires will balance out the wear giving you greater tread wear, ride comfort, handling, and traction.

[lammydi]

Originally Posted by holimont

Kenny/Mike, I am about to hit 5,000 miles on Camry #4. I have never rotated tires, partly because I didn't want to take the time. In the past I just replaced the front tires when they wore out and got a 4-wheel alignment. And, when the rear tires hit the tread marker I put new ones on the front and moved the front tires to the rear. I now have more time and am curious as to the reasons for rotation and if I have been missing some benefit. If the benefit is only tire wear, then the cost of rotating could balance out the cost of "early" wear out. Maybe.

Actually you should put the new tires on the rear and keep the old tires on the front.
Here is what the Discount Tire said on the website.

Only buying two tires? Discount Tire/America's Tire will mount them on the rear for your safety. Here's why:New tires mounted on the Front

The worn rear tires have less tread and lower hydroplaning resistance. They can lose their grip on wet roads, causing the rear end of the vehicle to swing around out of control. New Tires Mounted on the Rear

Deeper tread with greater hydroplaning resistance helps new tires grip wet roads. The driver can steer to compensate for the lower wet traction of the worn front tires and safely maintain control.

[Rapid Roy]

^ +1 I was just about to post the same thing

[niceguy]

Last time when I change tires in Costco, they told me the same thing, and put the 2 new tires at the back, and use the old one at the front.

[danorthface]

depends on what you're trying to do i guess.. because the front tires wear done alot faster than the back tires. So if you put new tires in the back, you're going be replacing the front ones soon.