Tire Rotation - Diagonal or Front to Back?

[Chili Palmer]

I went to America's Tire last week to get my tires rotated and saw that they were rotating them diagonally (front left to right rear / front right to left rear), and I told them to keep them on the same side, just rotate front to rear. I was always under the told that you want maintain the rotation going the same way. Have things changed?

Edit: This is on my 2011 Silverado 2500 HD.

 

[Runs2rch]

Front to back. No on diagonal.

 

[satellitemike]

Fronts diagonal to rear and rears straight forward.

 

[Singleton]

All depends on the car IMO.
F350 - it is a 7 tire rotation to rotate the full size spare in and out. So that is diagonal
Jeep - 5 tire rotation - follows same as 350
Yukon - 4 tire, front to back only for those 22’s

 

[Ziggy]

All depends on the car IMO.
F350 - it is a 7 tire rotation to rotate the full size spare in and out. So that is diagonal
Jeep - 5 tire rotation - follows same as 350
Yukon - 4 tire, front to back only for those 22’s

What is the rotation pattern used on a dually? Never actually thought about that before.

 

[bowtiejunkie]

If directional tires, front to back. Otherwise, diagonal. With staggered tire sizes, I don’t rotate, but America’s Tire has said side to side is ok. That’s been my experience in last 15 years with Sierra (2005 & 2014) Accord (2010), and Focus (2017) - all of these owners manuals have stated diagonal rotation.

 

[rivermobster]

Always front to back. Unless you end up with a pulling problem, then swap the front tires left to right.

 

[Rajobigguy]

Bias ply rotates diagonally and radial go front to back. Bias plys do not establish a directional preference but if you turn a radial around (after they have been run in one direction for a while) the plys began to work against each other causing them to weaken there bond to the rubber and prematurely separate.

 

[Singleton]

What is the rotation pattern used on a dually? Never actually thought about that before.

requires all tires to be dismounted and remounted so discount hates me when I show up

 

[Chili Palmer]

Bias ply rotates diagonally and radial go front to back. Bias plys do not establish a directional preference but if you turn a radial around (after they have been run in one direction for a while) the plys began to work against each other causing them to weaken there bond to the rubber and prematurely separate.

Seems like their ulterior motive is to make your tires wear out sooner so they can sell you a new set....

 

[lbhsbz]

Bias ply rotates diagonally and radial go front to back. Bias plys do not establish a directional preference but if you turn a radial around (after they have been run in one direction for a while) the plys began to work against each other causing them to weaken there bond to the rubber and prematurely separate.

I'm not sure how much merit this has. Take a rear wheel drive vehicle for instance....the rear tires will have been loaded in the forward direction from acceleration and the rear direction from braking. Moved to the front, these will be loaded in the rear direction under braking only. Braking likely put more strain on things than acceleration...so is there really a difference between front to back and side to side with respect to the loading that the tire sees? I'm not sure there is.

 

[$hot]

1000+ stores between Americas tire and discount tire.... I think they know what they are doing

 

[69 1/2]

It’s been a long time since it was thought radial tires Should always roll in one direction only. Surprised some of you even remember that.

 

[thmterry]

Google search and this is what my Chevy HD2500 owners manual says also.

To rotate non-directional tires, use the cross pattern. For cars with rear-wheel drive, move the front tires to the opposite sides of the rear: left-front to right-rear and right-front to left-rear. The rear tires are moved straight forward.

 

[4Waters]

Fronts straight back, diagonal back to front

 

[LuauLounge]

1000+ stores between Americas tire and discount tire.... I think they know what they are doing

And privately owned......

 

[WhatExit?]

 

[Flying_Lavey]

If directional tires, front to back. Otherwise, diagonal. With staggered tire sizes, I don’t rotate, but America’s Tire has said side to side is ok. That’s been my experience in last 15 years with Sierra (2005 & 2014) Accord (2010), and Focus (2017) - all of these owners manuals have stated diagonal rotation.

Bias ply rotates diagonally and radial go front to back. Bias plys do not establish a directional preference but if you turn a radial around (after they have been run in one direction for a while) the plys began to work against each other causing them to weaken there bond to the rubber and prematurely separate.

I'm not sure how much merit this has. Take a rear wheel drive vehicle for instance....the rear tires will have been loaded in the forward direction from acceleration and the rear direction from braking. Moved to the front, these will be loaded in the rear direction under braking only. Braking likely put more strain on things than acceleration...so is there really a difference between front to back and side to side with respect to the loading that the tire sees? I'm not sure there is.

I worked at Big Brand tire for a while. The old rule of never cross rotating your tires is a myth. It stems actually from the bias ply days as it seems some manufacturers back then had issues with tire failure exacerbated by cross rotation. Modern radial tires does not matter unless the tread is directional. Its is actually beneficial to cross rotate because that helps reduce cuppping of the tread lugs and can greatly increase tire life.

 

[Rajobigguy]

It’s been a long time since it was thought radial tires Should always roll in one direction only. Surprised some of you even remember that.

Well I'm a really old guy that used to sell tires for a living so there is that.

 

[Rajobigguy]

I worked at Big Brand tire for a while. The old rule of never cross rotating your tires is a myth. It stems actually from the bias ply days as it seems some manufacturers back then had issues with tire failure exacerbated by cross rotation. Modern radial tires does not matter unless the tread is directional. Its is actually beneficial to cross rotate because that helps reduce cuppping of the tread lugs and can greatly increase tire life.

I think you have that backwards. Every tire manufacturer that I talked to ( back in the day ) said that once a radial tire had established rotational preference it should continue rolling in the same direction for the rest of it's life.

 

[SS-C]

Simply look in your owners manual

 

[Flying_Lavey]

I think you have that backwards. Every tire manufacturer that I talked to ( back in the day ) said that once a radial tire had established rotational preference it should continue rolling in the same direction for the rest of it's life.

You said the key there.... Back in the day. That has proven to not be true. When radials first came out that was the direction from the manufacturers as it was new tech and manufacturing processes at the time are not what they are now or have been.

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[DoughBallin14]

Fronts diagonal to rear and rears straight forward.

Have always done it this way on all my trucks with multiple brand tires. Always got at least 75k+ miles out of my toyos. Rotated every oil change around 7500miles.
Pops has said the same and has been in tire biz over 25 years. Worked for Parnelli Jones in SD, big o tires exec, Firestone exec, and now with Point S/Tire factory exec.
His advise has always been true for me and our tire choices.
Had a guy at american tire depot argue with me on how i wanted them rotated last time

 

[QC22]

The OP is gonna be busy figuring this out.

 

[Rajobigguy]

You said the key there.... Back in the day. That has proven to not be true. When radials first came out that was the direction from the manufacturers as it was new tech and manufacturing processes at the time are not what they are now or have been.

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You may be right but I look at the physics of whats happening to the steel belts in tires. If you flex steel in one direction continuously it will begin to take a set and if you begin flexing the opposite direction after it is set you have now doubled the travel from beginning to end of the curve. Now maybe they are using better steel now days or have come up with a better bonding process so it may not matter but I know that changing direction does induce more stress than keeping them rolling in the same direction so for me it's going to be simple back to front and front to back.

 

[Flying_Lavey]

You may be right but I look at the physics of whats happening to the steel belts in tires. If you flex steel in one direction continuously it will begin to take a set and if you begin flexing the opposite direction after it is set you have now doubled the travel from beginning to end of the curve. Now maybe they are using better steel now days or have come up with a better bonding process so it may not matter but I know that changing direction does induce more stress than keeping them rolling in the same direction so for me it's going to be simple back to front and front to back.

Since its been studied by many FAR more knowledgeable on the subject than myself, Im gonna guess that the repeated deflection of the circle is very different that deflection of a bar, also. the steel is flexing the same way not matter the direction of rotation. Its being pushed inwards like a rolling wave but without the crest. If the rotation change is causing extra stress, im assuming its less than the extra wear that can be had out of a tires serviceable tread life.

 

[Rajobigguy]

Since its been studied by many FAR more knowledgeable on the subject than myself, Im gonna guess that the repeated deflection of the circle is very different that deflection of a bar, also. the steel is flexing the same way not matter the direction of rotation. Its being pushed inwards like a rolling wave but without the crest. If the rotation change is causing extra stress, im assuming its less than the extra wear that can be had out of a tires serviceable tread life.

Like I said you may be right that with today"s processes and materials it doesn't make a difference but I've never had a steel belted radial didn't last at least 75,000 miles so I think I'll keep doing it my way.

 

[bowtiejunkie]

This is from the 1971 Chevrolet Chassis Service Manual.

Apparently a diagonal tire rotation has been recommended for longer than many here have been alive. I run staggered tire sizes on my ‘71 Chevelle so I chose not to rotate. Other vehicles I’ve owed had directional tires.

 

[Rajobigguy]

This is from the 1971 Chevrolet Chassis Service Manual.

View attachment 917483

Apparently a diagonal tire rotation has been recommended for longer than many here have been alive. I run staggered tire sizes on my ‘71 Chevelle so I chose not to rotate. Other vehicles I’ve owed had directional tires.

1971 Most cars had bias ply tires but the Corvette probably had radials, just saying.

 

[mitch6601]

This is from the 1971 Chevrolet Chassis Service Manual.

View attachment 917483

Apparently a diagonal tire rotation has been recommended for longer than many here have been alive. I run staggered tire sizes on my ‘71 Chevelle so I chose not to rotate. Other vehicles I’ve owed had directional tires.

Any one else catch the typo? CORBETTE I didn't know they made a model by that name!

 

[Runs2rch]

You may be right but I look at the physics of whats happening to the steel belts in tires. If you flex steel in one direction continuously it will begin to take a set and if you begin flexing the opposite direction after it is set you have now doubled the travel from beginning to end of the curve. Now maybe they are using better steel now days or have come up with a better bonding process so it may not matter but I know that changing direction does induce more stress than keeping them rolling in the same direction so for me it's going to be simple back to front and front to back.

This. Rotate your shit back to front.

 

[Runs2rch]

Rotating the spare in is dumb as well. Just saying.

 

[Flying_Lavey]

This. Rotate your shit back to front.

Not recommended by anybody in the industry if the tread is not directional

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[CoolCruzin]

Rotating the spare in is dumb as well. Just saying.

This is so you buy 5 tires instead of 4

 

[Bigbore500r]

1000+ stores between Americas tire and discount tire.... I think they know what they are doing

Harbor Freight has quite a few stores....
Lol

 

[Dan Lorenze]

Funny this should come up, I had my tires rotated on my new car for the first time by my very reputable local tire store. They rotated them front to back, no diagonal, same side. I was wondering if they did it right, it appears so.

 

[WhatExit?]

Rotating the spare in is dumb as well. Just saying.

If you have 5 tires and wheels why wouldn’t you rotate 5 and use the spare instead of keeping it unused

 

[Backlash]

It doesn't matter as long as you let the Alpine play.

 

[Ricks raft]

Use or owners manual. Or trust a company like Michelin. https://www.michelinman.com/tireRotation.html
Shows rotation for front, rear, 4X4, dually. Surprisingly they're all different. But pretty much shows you can do whatever you want. I live in the mountains on crowned roads I rotate based on wear patterns.

 

[WhatExit?]

It's what tires are made to do...

 

[lbhsbz]

1971 Most cars had bias ply tires but the Corvette probably had radials, just saying.

Corvettes in ‘71 came with bias ply tires...F70-15. Try again

 

[Backlash]

Hmmm.... My Dad's 1970 numbers matching convertible LS7 had BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires on Western Slot rims.....

 

[spectras only]

QUOTE="lbhsbz, post: 3824967, member: 3824"]
Corvettes in ‘71 came with bias ply tires...F70-15. Try again
[/QUOTE]
My 72 Challenger also came with F-70 14 bias tires. Went to Reno in 73 and found a tire shop selling radial tires. It was called Manhandler. Well it handled the car much better than the bias tires for sure.

 

[Your ad here]

I do front to back every oil change. It's already enough work as it is. Diagonal is just adds more work.

 

[Flying_Lavey]

Funny this should come up, I had my tires rotated on my new car for the first time by my very reputable local tire store. They rotated them front to back, no diagonal, same side. I was wondering if they did it right, it appears so.

Depends on the way you look at it. Its not wrong, but crossing isnt either. crossing CAN lead to extending the tread life as well.

 

[QC22]

If you're ever gonna change size significantly, 5 tire rotation makes some sense. Also, only requires one wheel jacked.