This has been bugging me! Radial tires does direction matter??

[Clay45]

I can remember that we cross rotated bias ply tires and when aramid radials came along we found cross rotating would introduce cord separation where merely front to back wouldn't. I imagine today's radials are much better but adhesion could still be compromised by cross rotating so I just do front rear.

 

[Mikeeemo]

Most tire dealers will rotate tires they sold for free.

As for adhesion: if the tire bond is so weak that a change of direction will cause it to separate, you are rolling in a dangerous situation regardless. Today's tire manufacturing processes are very mature.

 

[LD1]

Never been much of a believer in rotating tires. Personal preference I guess. But then again, I dont always replace all the tires at the same time.

MY truck.....3500 DRW......the rear tires wear nice and even. And last a long time. Why would I want to put a pair of odd wearing fronts on the back, and one of the good back ones up on front to let it start wearing uneven as well?

Instead, I leave them alone. When the fronts wear out, I replace them. When the fronts wear out again......its also time to do the back, so it gets all 6.

The cars I have had over the years, sometimes I have rotated front to rear, sometimes not. I have found it dont make much difference. Lets say you have a pair of 50k mile tires. And with frequent rotating they actually get 50k miles. Without rotating......might only get 35k out of the fronts......but that would be offset by getting 65k out of the rears. So its a wash.

Course, all of this is assuming your car has a proper alignment. So my theory is that rotating, doesnt yield a longer tire life. Rather it only evens out the difference from front to rear so when it is "time", you do all 4 at once.

 

[Mikeeemo]

You nailed it... Personal preference.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

Never been much of a believer in rotating tires. Personal preference I guess. But then again, I dont always replace all the tires at the same time.

MY truck.....3500 DRW......the rear tires wear nice and even. And last a long time. Why would I want to put a pair of odd wearing fronts on the back, and one of the good back ones up on front to let it start wearing uneven as well?

Instead, I leave them alone. When the fronts wear out, I replace them. When the fronts wear out again......its also time to do the back, so it gets all 6.

The cars I have had over the years, sometimes I have rotated front to rear, sometimes not. I have found it dont make much difference. Lets say you have a pair of 50k mile tires. And with frequent rotating they actually get 50k miles. Without rotating......might only get 35k out of the fronts......but that would be offset by getting 65k out of the rears. So its a wash.

Course, all of this is assuming your car has a proper alignment. So my theory is that rotating, doesnt yield a longer tire life. Rather it only evens out the difference from front to rear so when it is "time", you do all 4 at once.

Interesting observations. I never thought of it the way you describe......This is my first DRW truck, so I am not sure how I'm supposed to rotate, or, as you indicate, if I should at all.

I do know that my fronts were showing more wear than the rears, and more than I expected at 13,000 miles.