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Tire Rotation

Sixpactogo

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A lot of us run different sized wheels and tires between front and rear and can't do the recommended rotation that manufacturers want us to do. I rotate the tires on my 300C and my wife's Durango since they are all the same size, but not my collector cars. My question is, would there be any benefit to swapping right to left? Not that I would do it anyway since I seldom put more than a few thousand miles on any of them over a years time and replace them more because of age than any wear patterns. Any opinions?
 
Many years ago, i read that you dont want to swap radials to the opposite side, like they used to do with bias. Radials supposedly take a "set" and dont like to change rotation. (things might have changed, i read that a long time ago!)
Also, check your sidewalls, some are designed to rotate in a specific direction (usually found on race tires though).
 
Many years ago, i read that you dont want to swap radials to the opposite side, like they used to do with bias. Radials supposedly take a "set" and dont like to change rotation. (things might have changed, i read that a long time ago!)
Also, check your sidewalls, some are designed to rotate in a specific direction (usually found on race tires though).
I remember reading that years ago too. I know the directional tires are not to be rotated. Never had any of them though. Probably cuz the only time I can remember seeing them were on a Corvette.
 
I always switch it up by switching my wheels and tires between the different sets I own between several different cars. All the sets have larger rear tires. Never mark them when they come off and put them back on however. Never had any issues if switched from side to side. Of course none of them get alot of high mileage only during the summer months.

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I've understood it's not suggested to change rad tires side to side so I've not done it. I drive my old ride maybe a 1000 miles a year so a 5k mile rotation doesn't come up often lol. I stayed with the same size tires all around so rotation can be done even though I wanted to go with wider rear rubber. In hindsight should have gone with the wider tires.
 
I've understood it's not suggested to change rad tires side to side so I've not done it. I drive my old ride maybe a 1000 miles a year so a 5k mile rotation doesn't come up often lol. I stayed with the same size tires all around so rotation can be done even though I wanted to go with wider rear rubber. In hindsight should have gone with the wider tires.
Then u better look up a tire rotation for a 4wd truck. There is absolutely no problem switching from side to side. What do u think radially means? Kim
 
Not sure where everybody's 'hearing' not to rotate side-to-side from, the user manual for my '04 Dodge as well as the care sheet that came with the last set of tires for my wife's Ford Edge say otherwise...and they're definitely radials.
The only exception I read is, if you have all-season tires on the front and on/off road type on the rear ( or directionals of course) then don't switch sides. I stick with what the factory and tire shop recommend...good tires are too dang expensive these days.

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Then u better look up a tire rotation for a 4wd truck. There is absolutely no problem switching from side to side. What do u think radially means? Kim
I have two 4wd trucks and rotate the tires - I've not seen a need to swap tires side to side on my old car...rotate yes. If it's fine to do...well fine. Just not something that I've done.
 
Then u better look up a tire rotation for a 4wd truck. There is absolutely no problem switching from side to side. What do u think radially means? Kim
Ummmm... Definitely Not what you think it means... but yes, radials can be switched side to side.
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Back in the 70's rotating radial tires absolutely was a problem but tire technology has improved....

Back in 76 a neighbor had a 9 passenger Ford van... They rotated the radial tires in a cross pattern & within a few hundred miles the van developed a severe vibration, the whole vehicle shook & had a droning resonating noise... They dealt with it for almost a year before replacing tires...

Likely a van would probably be the vehicle most likely to exhibit the problem, it's heavy so it loads the tires more, it's a rolling box so it resonates the vibration like an echo chamber...
 
Yup, when radials first came out you did not change them from side to side because they would come apart. But that went away decades ago - probably in the mid to late '80s.
 
Thanks everyone. Well, it sounds like there is not much concern about the merits of swapping right to left and vice versa when you can't do a proper rotation. I wasn't planning on creating more activity for myself anyway. Just wondering if anyone else thought it was important.
Thanks again for the comments!
 
Back in the 70's rotating radial tires absolutely was a problem but tire technology has improved...
Yup, when radials first came out you did not change them from side to side because they would come apart. But that went away decades ago - probably in the mid to late '80s.

Agree. I've seen the early radials separate when crossed. My friend has a 2019 Jeep Compass and she's still taking it back to the dealership she bought it from for service. They're only rotating her tires front to back and not crossing them.
 
I've been rotating front to back, and side to side, seems like forever now. Last belt shifts I saw, were back in the 80's-90's. I swap my radials on Hot Rods side to side whenever they're off, No Problems. My Van, in the avatar, Sears Radials, I bought back in the 80's ? Still look great, no cracks, and ride smooth !
 
When I worked at CHRY PLY garages. '69-'79 if a new car would have a slight pulling effect to one side we would switch sides with the tires or rotate if need be to cure it. Radials were pretty new then, never had any come apart tho.... I rotate all my radials on my 2018 cherokee, 2006 3500 and 2002 Dakota,,no problems....Ed
 
When I worked at CHRY PLY garages. '69-'79 if a new car would have a slight pulling effect to one side we would switch sides with the tires or rotate if need be to cure it. Radials were pretty new then, never had any come apart tho.... I rotate all my radials on my 2018 cherokee, 2006 3500 and 2002 Dakota,,no problems....Ed

That you knew about... It didn't happen immediately probably a couple thousand miles...
 
That you knew about... It didn't happen immediately probably a couple thousand miles...

These were new cars under warranty, If any tires came apart I'm sure the owner would have let us know!!!!
 
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