Rotating Tires

[94SilverSSEi]

Just wondering how everyone rotates their tires.

We rotated the tires on the 68 when we got it in the X-pattern like they want you to. And shortly there after both front tires had broken belts in them and huge bulges.

We talked to a mechanic friend and he said he always rotates the tires and keeps them on the same side of the car and just swaps fronts and rear.

He told us, that having them rotating in opposite directions can sometimes cause the belts to let loose and cause the bulges we had.


So, I've only been swapping fronts with rears on the same side.



But now motor week says, "move drive wheels straight forward or straight back and then put the non-drive wheel on the opposite car on the drive wheel"


What do you do?

[SSEiMan01]

I've always done them on the same side. Except on the 85's stock wheels, since the backspacing is wayy different front/back. The snowflakes are equal backspacing though.

[00Beast]

Gotta rotate them side-to-side if they're not directional, otherwise you don't use the whole tire. Each side puts different wear on the tires, especially if you drive the same routes a most of the time.

Directionals have to go same-side, I might get my Yoko's swapped side-side at some point at Discount tire.

I rotate them every oil change, which is 6k-7500 miles. Minimum of 10k rotations.

[94SilverSSEi]

I'm assuming by directionals. You mean tires that have a special tread that can only go in one direction.

Are these normal tires? I haven't run into directionals very often.... (I don't think)

[00Beast]

This is a directional:



This is a non-directional:


The directionals are more common on the tires that are priced in the mid-range, cheaper tires are generally asymmetric, and a lot of higher-end are too, it's weird, lol.

[94SilverSSEi]

This is a directional:



This is a non-directional/asymmetric:


The directionals are more common on the tires that are priced in the mid-range, cheaper tires are generally asymmetric, and a lot of higher-end are too, it's weird, lol.

Oh, I figured as much.


Offtopic: But what about those crazy tires, that have 5 different tread patterns on them that are supposed to be good in every condition. Are those tires any good?

They just look crazy to me.

[00Beast]

I think you're talking the Goodyear Assurance TripleTreds. I had a set on my car, they were fine for 20k, then absolute junk for the last 5k.

[94SilverSSEi]

I was actually talking about something like this:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp ... enza+RE070


How it has the different patterns all on one tire.


I have seen them on multiple vehicles when searching autotrader but not sure what model/brand.
(All Bonnevilles)

[repinS]

There are good designs and there are *shoot* designs when it comes to asymmetrical tires. Like all tires, it depends.

I rotate front/back only, and the kind of miles I put on every year mean that I rotate with the seasons. When I put the summer tires back on this weekend the rears will go up front, and etc, and so on in the winter. All my tires are directional.

[00Beast]

I was actually talking about something like this:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp ... enza+RE070


How it has the different patterns all on one tire.


I have seen them on multiple vehicles when searching autotrader but not sure what model/brand.
(All Bonnevilles)

Those tires are more like "I'm a slick that does OK in the rain" versus an "all-weather" tire.

Asymmetric means if you cut it in half down the center, would the two halves be the same. Some tires are, some aren't, whether they're directional or not.

[FIND]

I always rotate directional tires straight back, asymmetrical tires, I put the front set straight back and cross the rear when I bring them forward. Sold thousands of tires a year, and never had problems when switching sides on tires... Tire manufacturers put a lot of thought in those things, you sound like you just had amazingly bad luck.

[BonneMe]

I was actually talking about something like this:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp ... enza+RE070


How it has the different patterns all on one tire.


I have seen them on multiple vehicles when searching autotrader but not sure what model/brand.
(All Bonnevilles)

Many tires have different patterns across it. This isn't 5 sections for different conditions, it's designed for high performance cars with some camber The different sipes are designed for evactuating water in the conditions the tire will be loaded on that section basically. They're directional because the inside shoulder has sipes that work better in normal conditions, driving fairly straight. The outer shoulder is setup for less water evacuating, and more for ultimate grip as it only really gets loaded when you're turning hard.

[92BonneSE]

I always cross rotate at intervals of 6,000-8,000

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

I usually do front to back, and the backs to the opposite front. Kinda hard on the Cruze since it doesn't have a spare, and it's much faster to rotate front to back.

[nos4blood70]

I cross rotate every 6 thousand miles. As per instruction for my tires.