Do tires really have to be rotated?

Daniel644

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Depends on how good of a balance yoru wheels and how aligned your char is. My 2017 CRV went to 27000 miles without ever being rotated and the tires were still perfect, but I had cars that went to hell. I will say this. Don't rotate your tires unless you are doing a balance and alignment at the same time, its a complete waste and will ruin your wheels. I plan on 15k miles rotate/bal/alignment periods. Unless you have performance tires, they are cheaper to get new tires than getting rotations all the time.
Tires are balanced independent of the car so a simple rotation to another position on the car isn't going to suddenly push them to be out of balance and will not ruin anything from rotating them.

it's true that some tires take more weights to get into balance then others and are therefore more likely to have balance issues as tires wear down and so those are usually put on the rear and rotating them to the front would show if they have gone out of balance more noticeably then it being on the rear.

Alignments that often are frankly a waste of money, especially on these cars, that would be like 3-4 alignments in the lifespan of the tires and you end up paying more for alignments then you do for the tires themselves, if your alignment is going out of spec that fast you either have a crappy alignment shop not tightening the bolts back down good enough, worn/torn bushings in the suspension (which no amount of aligning will fix) or you are practically aiming for every pot hole and bump in the road.
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I guess he just doesn't like paying for the rotation haha
no one likes paying for tire rotations. It's one of the simplest parts of routine maintenance.

Just take the lugs off the tires and swap the tires around. Back ones go to the front, front ones go to the back. It's like 15-20 minutes of work. The EX and EX-L already has these tools inside the car. It would take less time if you have a lift and power tools.

Dealerships know people are dumb or lazy so they charge a massive amount of money for such a simple process.
 

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The reason why you rotate tires is so that the wear patterns suffered by the front tires don't wear them out much more quickly than the rear tires (All you are doing is taking the wheels from the front and putting them on the back, after all). Without rotating tires, the front tires will wear out much faster than if they spent half of their lives in the back.* It will almost assuredly cost more in the long run to not rotate (assuming rotating is either free or done at home).

I have been swapping between winter and summer wheels for the last few years (every 6 months or so), so I just rotate the tires during the swap. I label the wheels during the changeover(duct tape and Shapie on the inside surface), then put them in the appropriate rotated location on the next swap. It's worked fairly well for the two sets of tires. If I didn't label them, I would have no way of telling which end they came from by the tread pattern alone.

*This depends greatly on the type of car, and how good your alignment is. Also some manufacturers use different wheel sizes for front and rear. In those cases, it's not an option to rotate the wheels.
Most Discount Tires / Big O, etc. will rotate tires for free if you bought them there. Even if you have to pay for it, rotating tires should not cost much at all.
 

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It would really help if people simply fact-checked their opinions before posting...

Most vehicle manufactures recommend the tires should be rotated on the same schedule as oil changes...
Perhaps a decade or more ago, but definitely not today. Oil life today on new[ish] vehicles is anywhere from 7500 miles to 15k+ miles, depending on oil brand & type, combined with the environment the vehicle is located in. Tires are recommended to be rotated very 5k - 6k; generally it should be within 5k - 7500, or every 6 months, depending on which comes sooner.​

...How long we rotate, it depends on your owner's manual but at least once a year.
Where are you getting that information from? Rotation is based upon tire mileage. The manual should be consulted for rotation pattern, especially if the vehicle has a full size spare, is directional or staggered, has dual axles, etc. FWD, RWD, and AWD all have different rotation patterns.​

??? Where are you getting that info from? Tires are recommended to be rotated every 5k - 6k miles; generally it should be within 5k - 7500, or every 6 months, depending on which comes sooner.​

...The main reason you want to keep your tires rotated is for the mileage warranty that comes with your tire...
That's a good reason, but not the main reason, which is to prevent premature wear. There are quite a few tires that do not come with mileage warranties (Conti Sport Contact 6 and many other high performance summer tires).​

...That’s why it’s important to read your manual and find out what is recommended...
The manufacturer of the tire is who should be referenced for tire rotation mileage, and generally not a manual. A vehicle's manual will only apply to the specific size, brand, and model of tire the vehicle was shipped with from the factory, but should be consulted for rotation pattern.​

...So, in conclusion... Rotate your tires every 7500 miles or so.
You'll find slightly different recommendations depending on manufacturer and tire expert (Discount Tire, Tire Rack, etc.), and 7500 really is on the high side. The highest I've come across is 6k - 8k, but generally it should be within 5k - 7500, or every 6 months, depending on which comes sooner.​

New tires should always be placed on the rear of the vehicle to prevent oversteer.​

I just rotated my wheels last month at almost 10,000 miles, and I could have waited a bit more.
How do you know you could have waited a bit more? What data are you basing such a supposition off of?
OEMs and tire experts recommend every 5k - 7500 miles, or every 6months, whichever comes first. These recommendations aren't pulled out of thin air... there is actual data behind them.
  • Most drive less than 12k miles a year, which is why when asked, many people, if not most, will say every 5k - 6k miles.
But rotating every 5000 miles is only for the benefit of the tire business.
Please provide links to fact check the above assertion... this is a recylced, uneducated, flippant myth.

Please take the time to research why it's recommended to rotate every 5k - 7500 miles, or every 6months, whichever comes first, prior to spreading misinformation that's factually inaccurate. There's also issues of factual inaccuracies in your additional assertions, and rather than pointing out those inaccuracies, I simply ask you to please consult with google, as facts, and factual accuracy, matter.​

Depends on how good of a balance yoru wheels and how aligned your char is. My 2017 CRV went to 27000 miles without ever being rotated and the tires were still perfect...
Seriously? Come on now...
Balance and alignment issues can cause premature wear but does not prevent wear; what causes tread wear is the friction of the tire against another solid surface, in this case, asphalt and concrete. Please take the time to consult with google...​

...Don't rotate your tires unless you are doing a balance and alignment at the same time, its a complete waste and will ruin your wheels.
Where in the world are you getting your information from?
  • Wheel balance: should be checked when tires are rotated and balanced as needed. It doesn't require a lot to throw a wheel out of balance, coupled with the fact the weights added to wheels do occasionally come off
  • Alignment: should be performed when steering has an obvious pull, the vehicle has been in an accident, or if tire wear is uneven.
    • Most, if not all, shops offer free alignment checks, and if your car does need to be aligned, ensure you get the print off showing the degree differences of before and after, coupled with the final alignment degree values.
I plan on 15k miles rotate/bal/alignment periods. Unless you have performance tires, they are cheaper to get new tires than getting rotations all the time.
It's your car, so you're welcome to do with it as you please, however this is not recommended... please consult with google.​
 
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fredericktoo

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tire rotation also helps with the tire noise you hear in your car. When you rotate the noise seems less intrusive for a couple of thousand miles.

I think alignments are only needed on certain situations. I have never done an alignment on my 04 Civic with 217,000 that I bought new and the tires are wearing our normally.
 


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daniellee789

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I just rotated my wheels last month at almost 10,000 miles, and I could have waited a bit more. (I don't know why they call it "tire rotation." It's wheel rotation most of the time. :dunno:)

This is the first time ever I rotated my tires myself. I always had it done at a shop, and never kept the manufacturer's required schedule. (Btw. I also never before in my life had to take off a car wheel, and never had a tire fail so the spare had to be used in a vehicle where I was either a passenger or a driver). So carrying a spare and a jack for decades was all for nought.:doh:

Generally, rotating tires is recommended, because it's cheap and/or easy, so no problem. But rotating every 5000 miles is only for the benefit of the tire business. Most people (I imagine a landslide majority) fail to come in as often as they are required. Thanks to this, the tire manufacturers can claim high tire mileage in advertising, but rarely have to pay when the tires wear out prematurely. Even when they do give a discount, you also have to buy your next tires from them, not from any other place which currently may have a better deal. You don't win much, if anything by rotating as often as they require.

Generally, if you never rotate, your tires will last shorter. But if you rotate at least a couple of times during the tires' lifespan, the difference in tire wear is negligible.

If you park outside all the time and don't drive a lot, it's better to rotate than to replace the front tires when they are worn out, because tires do get old. Also, there usually are better deals on all 4 tires than on two.
no one likes paying for tire rotations. It's one of the simplest parts of routine maintenance.

Just take the lugs off the tires and swap the tires around. Back ones go to the front, front ones go to the back. It's like 15-20 minutes of work. The EX and EX-L already has these tools inside the car. It would take less time if you have a lift and power tools.

Dealerships know people are dumb or lazy so they charge a massive amount of money for such a simple process.
Well I don't exactly have the space my apartment complex's parking lot is pretty crowded all the time haha
 

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It would really help if people simply fact-checked their opinions before posting...


Perhaps a decade or more ago, but definitely not today. Oil life today on new[ish] vehicles is anywhere from 7500 miles to 15k+ miles, depending on oil brand & type, combined with the environment the vehicle is located in. Tires are recommended to be rotated very 5k - 6k; generally it should be within 5k - 7500, or every 6 months, depending on which comes sooner.​


Where are you getting that information from? Rotation is based upon tire mileage. The manual should be consulted for rotation pattern, especially if the vehicle has a full size spare, is directional or staggered, has dual axles, etc. FWD, RWD, and AWD all have different rotation patterns.​


??? Where are you getting that info from? Tires are recommended to be rotated every 5k - 6k miles; generally it should be within 5k - 7500, or every 6 months, depending on which comes sooner.​


That's a good reason, but not the main reason, which is to prevent premature wear. There are quite a few tires that do not come with mileage warranties (Conti Sport Contact 6 and many other high performance summer tires).​


The manufacturer of the tire is who should be referenced for tire rotation mileage, and generally not a manual. A vehicle's manual will only apply to the specific size, brand, and model of tire the vehicle was shipped with from the factory, but should be consulted for rotation pattern.​


You'll find slightly different recommendations depending on manufacturer and tire expert (Discount Tire, Tire Rack, etc.), and 7500 really is on the high side. The highest I've come across is 6k - 8k, but generally it should be within 5k - 7500, or every 6 months, depending on which comes sooner.​


New tires should always be placed on the rear of the vehicle to prevent oversteer.​


How do you know you could have waited a bit more? What data are you basing such a supposition off of?
OEMs and tire experts recommend every 5k - 7500 miles, or every 6months, whichever comes first. These recommendations aren't pulled out of thin air... there is actual data behind them.
  • Most drive less than 12k miles a year, which is why when asked, many people, if not most, will say every 5k - 6k miles.

Please provide links to fact check the above assertion... this is a recylced, uneducated, flippant myth.

Please take the time to research why it's recommended to rotate every 5k - 7500 miles, or every 6months, whichever comes first, prior to spreading misinformation that's factually inaccurate. There's also issues of factual inaccuracies in your additional assertions, and rather than pointing out those inaccuracies, I simply ask you to please consult with google, as facts, and factual accuracy, matter.​


Seriously? Come on now...
Balance and alignment issues can cause premature wear but does not prevent wear; what causes tread wear is the friction of the tire against another solid surface, in this case, asphalt and concrete. Please take the time to consult with google...​


Where in the world are you getting your information from?
  • Wheel balance: should be checked when tires are rotated and balanced as needed. It doesn't require a lot to throw a wheel out of balance, coupled with the fact the weights added to wheels do occasionally come off
  • Alignment: should be performed when steering has an obvious pull, the vehicle has been in an accident, or if tire wear is uneven.
    • Most, if not all, shops offer free alignment checks, and if your car does need to be aligned, ensure you get the print off showing the degree differences of before and after, coupled with the final alignment degree values.
It's your car, so you're welcome to do with it as you please, however this is not recommended... please consult with google.​

You went into a loop a little bit and you contradict yourself.

First you say "Rotation is based upon tire mileage." and then "...generally it should be within 5k - 7500, or every 6 months, depending on which comes sooner."
Really? If I drive 2000 miles in 6 months, I should rotate my tires? :rofl: It seems like you make it up as you go along.

Tire Rack or Discount Tire etc. are tire stores primarily, not "tire experts". They are in tire sales business, not counseling.

I simply ask you to please consult with google
Please understand that tires can be examined, which means looked at or googled with your own eyes. The wear can be even easily and quickly measured. Unless the owner of the eyes (the beholder) is a poet or a cable salesman, or a Hollywood actor, or another person who can't understand what they see, he/she can base his/her tire rotations on autopsy (googling) instead of "5000 miles or 6 months whichever comes first":rolleyes: There is really no secret or philosophy to it. Just LOOK :confused1:. Tires are simple objects, mostly made of rubber, and they can't hide anything from a sane observer. It's beneficial to look at your own tires from time to time, although some people think they need an expert. Well, some do.

There are gigantic differences among various cars, driving styles, and driving conditions. Some cars tend to get out of alignment often, some last for years of driving. Some people drive in a "spirited" manner, some in a sleepy manner. Some road surfaces in some regions, places, countries wear the tires faster than others. For this reason, obviously, different people's tires will look very different after the same mileage (or time).

So, preaching that everyone should follow "expert" recommendations and rotate their tires after a set interval just doesn't have any rational or "factual" basis, as you like to say.
 

JW0914

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...When you rotate the noise seems less intrusive for a couple of thousand miles.
I can't say this for certain because I don't currently have the time to research this, but, at first glance, this sounds more like the Placebo Effect. I'm not aware of anything that would make a rotated tire sound less intrusive temporarily, as a tire with damage, or severely worn can cause noise, generally road noise is from how the tire interacts with the pavement and air between the pavement and tread. (for example, simply by creating grooves in the surface of the road, road noise from tires drops by ~20dB.)
 


Gruber

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I can't say this for certain because I don't currently have the time to research this, but, at first glance, this sounds more like the Placebo Effect. I'm not aware of anything that would make a rotated tire sound less intrusive temporarily, as a tire with damage, or severely worn can cause noise, generally road noise is from how the tire interacts with the pavement and air between the pavement and tread. (for example, simply by creating grooves in the surface of the road, road noise from tires drops by ~20dB.)
If the tires were unevenly worn before the rotation (because of misalignment or any other reason), and then 2 wheels change sides (left vs. right side) then they obviously will be touching the road unevenly, until they wear out to adjust themselves again to the misalignment. A difference in sound will definitely be expected, either louder or quieter than before.
 

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You went into a loop a little bit and you contradict yourself.

First you say "Rotation is based upon tire mileage." and then "...generally it should be within 5k - 7500, or every 6 months, depending on which comes sooner."
Really? If I drive 2000 miles in 6 months, I should rotate my tires? :rofl: It seems like you make it up as you go along.
Clearly you've chosen to not consult with google before posting...
There are two completely different reasons for rotating tires every 5k - 7500 miles or every 6 months... consulting with google will prevent episodes like this where one finds their foot in their mouth.

Tire Rack or Discount Tire etc. are tire stores primarily, not "tire experts". They are in tire sales business, not counseling.
Generally, a business or person focusing on a single area of expertise would be considered an expert due to their knowledge on the subject their experts on. I'm not understanding your logic... Perhaps you consider Honda Master Techs to not be experts either? What about doctors? Engineers? Simply because someone charges a currency for their services doesn't make them not an expert... please think before speaking.

Please understand that tires can be examined, which means looked at or googled with your own eyes. The wear can be even easily and quickly measured. Unless the owner of the eyes (the beholder) is a poet or a cable salesman, or a Hollywood actor, or another person who can't understand what they see, he/she can base his/her tire rotations on autopsy (googling) instead of "5000 miles or 6 months whichever comes first":rolleyes: There is really no secret or philosophy to it. Just LOOK :confused1:. Tires are simple objects, mostly made of rubber, and they can't hide anything from a sane observer. It's beneficial to look at your own tires from time to time, although some people think they need an expert.
Have you nevered heard of KISS? Which is easier for the general population, telling a person every 5k -7500 miles driven, or 6 months, whichever comes first, or telling them to measure their tread and do the math, factoring in the mileage driven every year, the amount of mileage the manufacturer says the tire should last for and the amount of time they want before buying new tires or KISS? As I stated, those numbers aren't pulled out of thin air, there's actual data behind them. Might I again suggest consulting with google instead of being argumentative about your suppositions...

There are gigantic differences among various cars, driving styles, and driving conditions. Some cars tend to get out of alignment often, some last for years of driving. Some people drive in a "spirited" manner, some in a sleepy manner. Some road surfaces in some regions, places, countries wear the tires faster than others. For this reason, obviously, different people's tires will look very different after the same mileage (or time).
90% of people, 90% of the time.​
 

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Clearly you've chosen to not consult with google before posting...
There are two completely different reasons for rotating tires every 5k - 7500 miles or every 6 months... consulting with google will prevent episodes like this where one finds their foot in their mouth.


Generally, a business or person focusing on a single area of expertise would be considered an expert due to their knowledge on the subject their experts on. I'm not understanding your logic... Perhaps you consider Honda Master Techs to not be experts either? What about doctors? Engineers? Simply because someone charges a currency for their services doesn't make them not an expert... please think before speaking.


Have you nevered heard of KISS? Which is easier for the general population, telling a person every 5k -7500 miles driven, or 6 months, whichever comes first, or telling them to measure their tread and do the math, factoring in the mileage driven every year, the amount of mileage the manufacturer says the tire should last for and the amount of time they want before buying new tires or KISS? As I stated, those numbers aren't pulled out of thin air, there's actual data behind them. Might I again suggest consulting with google instead of being argumentative about your suppositions...


90% of people, 90% of the time.​
If you mention KISS, then we have nothing to argue about, because we agree. That's exactly what the general advice on tire rotation is. It may very well be 90% of the general population, but I hope it's a bit different on a forum like this.
 

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3 pages on whether or not to rotate tires? whoa.

Look at what you started @daniellee789 !!! haha.

TL; DR: rotate your damn tires. lol
 

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