What is the tire rotation pattern?

[Jason69]

I want to rotate my stock tires. What is the pattern? 1. FRONT TO BACK/BACK TO FRONT
2. CROSS FRONT TO BACK/BACK TO FRONT


Would it also be the same on my ranger? I have mud tires with the white letters in.


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1998 4x4 4.0L SHOC 4DR & 99 RANGER 4X4

 

[Mando]

Rear to front, same sides.
Front to rear, left to right, rigth to left.

That's for 4 wheel rotation. I don't remember how it is for 5 (including spare tire).

It is the same for all rear wheel drive cars and trucks.

[This message has been edited by Mando (edited 11-23-1999).]

 

[FordManiac]

DO NOT SWITCH SIDES WHEN ROTATING RADIAL TIRES!!! I did mine that way and they vibrated and shook so badly that one actually flew off when I was doing 40 down the road. Just go front/back-front/back.

 

[Paul Gagnon]

FRONT TO REAR ONLY for radials!!!!!!!!

Do not put the tires on the opposite side of the vehicle. If you do this will make them turn in the opposite direction. When radial tires are new you can turn them either direction. After they are driven on the steel belts are bent in that direction. Turning them backwards (opposite direction, not backing up) will weaken the belts and the sidwall of the tire will break.

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Paul Gagnon
"No Brain, No Pain"
Dead Link Removed

 

[Mando]

Are you jocking or what?!?!?

I have rotated my radial tires several times, switching the front tires to the other side when I mount them in the rear of the truck, with good results. No vibrations or any other bad thing. I also used to rotate my old truck's tires that way (wide radials) and never had a problem with that.

Where you got that info? Have you seen the manual? Where can I read about it?

Take a look at the following internet address (that's Pirelli site, the section that tells you about rotation):
http://pirelli.pearlcomm.com/training/t_d11.htm

I don't think they would skip telling you such safety issue. Everywhere you read about rotation is the same. This is just a sample.

What you do need to avoid is mixing radials with non-radial tires.

Break the sidewall? As far as I know the radial belts are not at the sidewall. I believe that it is just a coincidence that a tire got damaged after the rotation.

[This message has been edited by Mando (edited 11-25-1999).]

 

[tiessen]

I agree with Paul. Always rotate front to back but not side to side. It will *#$@ the steel belts on radial tires. You're OK with Bias Ply though, I understand...

 

[Mando]

Where says not to cross side to side?

Just show me where.

That's safety. It it were true, all of the tires manufacturers would clearly mention that. So, why they don't?

 

[Bart4man]

Looks like we have a little bit of a difference here. I work for a 5 Star Jeep Dealership, we rotate Back to Front, Front to back SWITCHING SIDES. That is the way it is supposed to be done RADIAL or NOT. My Explorer manual shows that as well as my Dad's 99 Grand Cherokee's manual. At work we have about 5 people with lifted trucks w/ mud -t's and they do the Back to Front, Front to back Switching sides!

Bart

 

[Tom Wilk]

In earlier times, it was recommended that radials not be switched from side to side. Older manuals will point this out, as will books from that time period. However, over the last several years, the recommendation has changed, and radials are now supposed to be rotated in the standard "cross pattern." Slipping belts was the concern in the earlier radials, but apparently isn't today.

I don't know why this changed, though I do suspect that improvements in tire manufacturing methods have made this so. BTW, the cross-rotation pattern for radials has been recommended by manufacturers for about 15 years (I'm showing my age here Dead Link Removed).

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Tom

 

[Paul Gagnon]

Mando,

You don't have to be so (insert colourful expletive here) SNOTTY. You go ahead and rotate your tires any way you please. Make flower pots for all I care.

I have had the sidewalls break on a set of expensive tires (Pirelli) that were in top condition after about 30 miles because they were put on the opposite side. I cannot afford to take the chance that it will not happen again, if you can then go ahead. The old school thinking (tire manufacturers decided this) was not to swap sides with radials. There was a reason for that. Maybe something has changed and it is no longer a big concern.

If you knew anything you would have said that there was new information available on tire rotation. Instead, because you know nothing, you come out ranting about how the tire manufacturers know more about it that we do. Grow up.

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Paul Gagnon
"No Brain, No Pain"
Dead Link Removed

 

[Mando]

Please escuse me for being such a snotty, your Excellence Paul Gagnon the first.

It is not my fault if you are outdated. I'm just showing you what the manufacturers suggest for their products (of course they know more about their products that ourselves!). If that happened to your tires, go law suit them.

If I don't know something, I thank the one that teachs me (by the way, I have learned a lot from people at this forum). I really believe that it would work for you also (that "because you know nothing" souds like you felt uncomfortable about learning something). Grow up!

 

[Frank Cranmer]

I have researched this issue and it appears that for radials the DRIVING tires should always stay on the same side for one rotational period. For a rear-wheel drive this means a REAR CROSS pattern- front non-driving tires to the rear on opposite sides, and rear driving tires to the front on the same side. Front-wheel drive vehicles should use a FRONT CROSS pattern- rear non-driving tires to the front on opposite sides and front driving tires to the rear on same side. I believe the reason for this is that the driving tires' belts take a 'set' while driving. They should always be put in a location where they can turn in the same direction but are not driving, so the belts can 'relax' for the rotational period. This amounts to one rotational period; ie 5k miles, or whatever. After that the ex-driving tires can switch sides and drive again as above. In the old days (ie the 1970s/80s) manuals always said radials should be rotated front-to-back/back-to-front on the same sides. I believe modern/improved tire manufacturing has allowed tires to switch sides as noted above. The cross pattern gives better/more even tire wear and tire longevity, as it allows the tires to rotate in opposite directions through their life.

 

[974X4BLACKSPORT]

When in doubt just rotate front to back, because some modern tires have an arrow on the sidewall indicating which way the tire is meant to rotate. You cannot just put these tires on the other side of the vehicle UNLESS you dismount the tire and reverse it on the rim and then put it on the other side of the car (but who wants to go through all that trouble)~!

 

[Mbrooks420]

Reviving a 19 year old thread....... lol

 

[974X4BLACKSPORT]

Reviving a 19 year old thread....... lol

Tires have come a long way....

 

[Jason94sport]

Yes 19 years...Frank gets a like for that LOL
I rotate front to back on everything I ever owned. And all my families cars I take care of.

 

[willie2323]

manual shows cross rotation