Whyt Rotate?
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,860
Likes: 4
From: Metro Detroit (Redford)
Whyt Rotate?
Is there a really good reason to rotate your tires? I was getting a slight vibration at 50 mph in the wife's Aerostar and my mechanic said it's probably because I don't rotate my tires. I don't see the connection. As for wear, yeah the fronts will wear sooner, but so you replace two tires at a time. Dosen't seem like that big of a deal. I suppose if you are pulling them all off to look at the brakes you might as well rotate, but rotating for the sake of rotating seems like more trouble than it is worth.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 1,290
Likes: 15
From: Toronto, Canada
Whyt Rotate?
I DO NOT rotate my tires.
Why the hell would you want to replace all four tires at once?
On my 78 f250 4x4, 86 rwd parisienne, and 97 fwd buick, the front tires will wear out first. (due to the weight of the rwd's motors and the fact that in a fwd the front wheels have the weight, drive, braking and the turning duties.) In fact the fwd Buick has original rear tires at 100,000 miles and have almost all their original tread. THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING!
I think that rotating is a useless pursuit, as long as you keep good tires and keep them balanced. I think that its just a money grab by car and tire dealers.
Why the hell would you want to replace all four tires at once?
On my 78 f250 4x4, 86 rwd parisienne, and 97 fwd buick, the front tires will wear out first. (due to the weight of the rwd's motors and the fact that in a fwd the front wheels have the weight, drive, braking and the turning duties.) In fact the fwd Buick has original rear tires at 100,000 miles and have almost all their original tread. THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING!
I think that rotating is a useless pursuit, as long as you keep good tires and keep them balanced. I think that its just a money grab by car and tire dealers.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,860
Likes: 4
From: Metro Detroit (Redford)
Whyt Rotate?
>I DO NOT rotate my tires.
>Why the hell would you want to replace all four tires at
>once?
Great response! Now for your front-wheel-driver: You may want to rotate those back balonies--just once and only once--before the ozone gets 'em. But I agree with you, rotation is nonsense.
>Why the hell would you want to replace all four tires at
>once?
Great response! Now for your front-wheel-driver: You may want to rotate those back balonies--just once and only once--before the ozone gets 'em. But I agree with you, rotation is nonsense.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,860
Likes: 4
From: Metro Detroit (Redford)
Whyt Rotate?
Right. I am thinking it's ozone in the atmosphere that causes them to crack, right? I had to replace 4 rear tires on my 1990 motorhome when I bought it last spring because they were badly cracked--though with dualies I suppose I could have chanced it as it's not likely to have two pop at once.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 1,290
Likes: 15
From: Toronto, Canada
Whyt Rotate?
I imagine that exposure to the sun and flexing that the tire must undergo throughout its life would lead to cracking too.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,860
Likes: 4
From: Metro Detroit (Redford)
Whyt Rotate?
Now that you mention it... seems like there is some connection between the sun exposure and the ozone, the combined effect of which is the cracking. (Motorhomes often are stored with covers over the sunny side tires to prevent the sun exposure.) I think the net effect of the sun and ozone is to reduce the flexibility of the rubber, making it brittle so that the flexing would cause the cracking. And I have heard of coatings for tires to prevent loss of (if not restore???) flexibility. I think we got it, but guess a little research is in order.
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Sit. Stay.
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 18,308
Likes: 20
From: Washington State
Whyt Rotate?
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 29-Jan-02 AT 02:03 PM (EST)]I rotate...sorta.
My drive wheel wears down faster than any others so I rotate cause I don't want to replace just 1.
I'm not sure I see the big deal in doing it. I have free, lifetime of the tire, rotations. Takes 20 minutes.
Plus, I'm a little ****. I like all my tires to match...
My drive wheel wears down faster than any others so I rotate cause I don't want to replace just 1.
I'm not sure I see the big deal in doing it. I have free, lifetime of the tire, rotations. Takes 20 minutes.
Plus, I'm a little ****. I like all my tires to match...
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,860
Likes: 4
From: Metro Detroit (Redford)
Whyt Rotate?
>My drive wheel wears down faster than any others so I rotate
>cause I don't want to replace just 1.
You need a limited slip differential so you can burn em up two at a time :7
>cause I don't want to replace just 1.
You need a limited slip differential so you can burn em up two at a time :7
Admom
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 9,414
Likes: 201
From: Silver Springs
Whyt Rotate?
Steve rotates both my car and his truck every 5,000 miles or so. Only buy tires every 4-6 years now. Without rotating, my previous front wheel drive car was eating 2 tires every 1 to 1 1/2 years and went through 2 sets of struts. We've only had my new car for going on 2 1/2 years and the tires still look new.
Sit. Stay.
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 18,308
Likes: 20
From: Washington State
Whyt Rotate?
>Steve rotates both my car and his truck every 5,000 miles or
>so. Only buy tires every 4-6 years now. Without rotating,
>my previous front wheel drive car was eating 2 tires every 1
>to 1 1/2 years and went through 2 sets of struts. We've
>only had my new car for going on 2 1/2 years and the tires
>still look new.
Excellent point!
Let's see 4 tires every 5 years @ $100ea = $400 every 5 years.
3 sets of 2, every 5 years = $600. Hmmmm....
I'll let you non-rotaters decide.
>so. Only buy tires every 4-6 years now. Without rotating,
>my previous front wheel drive car was eating 2 tires every 1
>to 1 1/2 years and went through 2 sets of struts. We've
>only had my new car for going on 2 1/2 years and the tires
>still look new.
Excellent point!
Let's see 4 tires every 5 years @ $100ea = $400 every 5 years.
3 sets of 2, every 5 years = $600. Hmmmm....
I'll let you non-rotaters decide.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,860
Likes: 4
From: Metro Detroit (Redford)
Whyt Rotate?
I think we need more data (statistically when n=30 or more, you are approximating a normal distribution and the results are much tighter) and a separate analysis for each of front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, and four wheel drive. Now, if I wear out two tires at a time and am always putting two new tires on when the others are only half worn out, then I never (or very rarely) get the situation where all four tires are badly worn at once; hence, I always have at least two newer tires to help me stop. Therefore, it may be safer not to rotate.
INLINE SIX POWER!
300 Cubic Inches of Low RPM Truck Torque! And twin-I-beams too!
INLINE SIX POWER!
300 Cubic Inches of Low RPM Truck Torque! And twin-I-beams too!