First tire rotation coming up...what's the recommended rotation pattern?

rawbutt · 10-17-2009, 06:59 AM

With stock tires that came on the car, I'm assuming I want to just do front to back and back to front...not cross rotate?

Thanks!

09Maxima_Sam · 10-17-2009, 07:21 AM

That is what I plan to do in another 500 miles.

TBA · 10-17-2009, 08:31 AM

That's what the manual says, and what I did.

Ohio Maxima · 10-17-2009, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rawbutt

With stock tires that came on the car, I'm assuming I want to just do front to back and back to front...not cross rotate?

Thanks!

That's what it shows on page 8-38 of the owners manual. I wonder why some manufacture's have you cross them? I would think that would provide a more even wear!

k757 · 10-17-2009, 09:02 PM

FWD cars with non-directional tires you can do the 11 or the X. I tend to switch them up every other time.

lightonthehill · 10-18-2009, 02:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ohio Maxima

That's what it shows on page 8-38 of the owners manual. I wonder why some manufacture's have you cross them? I would think that would provide a more even wear!

From the 1940s until around the 1980s, the 'X' rotation method was fairly standard, except for some radials of the 1960s thru 1980s. You can still use the 'X' method, except (as k757 mentioned) with directional tires, which are denoted with a small arrow on the sidewall, pointing in the only direction that tire should turn.

As to the treadware benefits of the 'X' method, as compared with switching just with tires on the same side, that may have been true at one time, but with a properly aligned modern car, I would not expect to see any real difference in treadwear.

I personally stopped using the 'X' method back in the 1960s, when doing so resulted in the internal failure of several radial tires on my car. Reversing the direction of rotation of a tire does put additional internal stresses on the tire, and today's non-directional tires supposedly can handle that. But I feel keeping the tire rotating in the same direction may still give my tires a slightly better chance of survival. Just my opinion.

rawbutt · 10-19-2009, 10:45 AM

Great input from everyone..thanks. I think I'll just do the front to back scenario.

gizzsdad · 10-19-2009, 12:12 PM

I always do the "X" rotation if I have non-directional tires. The 'keeping radials on the same side' is a holdover from an era where a few problems developed - but were never proven to be correlated to changing rotational direction of tires.

STARR · 10-19-2009, 05:05 PM

I have done the X on everything except the directional tires.