# Does Rotating Your Tires Make Sense? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 12, 2008, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224 "2008-01-12T01:49:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/1 "2008-01-12T01:49:36Z")
I know your front tires usually wear faster than the rear. Do you gain anything by moving the front tires to the rear, after, say 15,000 miles? Or are you better off wearing out the front tires, and replacing them? Is the expense of rotating paid off bt extra wear? One of the centurie’s big mysteries! ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/2 "2008-01-12T03:17:36Z")
Rotate them every other oil change. It really does make a difference. Rotating them is not that expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/3 "2008-01-12T03:31:13Z")
Yeah, it makes sense. You’ll get more mileage out of all 4 tires and save in the long run. A lot of places will perform free rotation if you bought the tires there: well at least in my **location.** ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/4 "2008-01-12T05:02:56Z")
What expense of rotating? It takes very little know-how and effort to rotate tires. And generally speaking, it’s best to replace tires as sets of 4. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/5 "2008-01-12T05:34:28Z")
My car’s owner’s manual expressly warns against rotating the tires because the front and rear suspension geometries are different. It says it can lead to handling problems. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/6 "2008-01-12T05:50:44Z")
[QUOTE=Absolute] My car’s owner’s manual expressly warns against rotating the tires because the front and rear suspension geometries are different. It says it can lead to handling problems. [/QUOTE] Now that I think about it, Fierra’s car has directional tires on each side, and the front wheels are a different diameter than the rear, so they absolutely cannot be rotated. Shame, since her tires are quite…expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/7 "2008-01-12T06:39:13Z")
Of course you have to rotate the tires. How else would you even get the car to move? What? ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/8 "2008-01-12T06:51:26Z")
I find my tires last longer when rotated-- each position on the car seems to wear the tread out in a different way. It was kind of a pain on prior cars, where I did the work myself, but that also forced me to more closely examine the condition of the tires, sometimes catching damage that ordinary examinations would have missed. My current dealer does rotation for free when I bring it in for other scheduled maintenance, so I let them deal with it now. Now if I could remember to do the whole mattress flip/rotate thing… ---
**Author:** ![FourPaws](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e0b2c6/32.png) [@FourPaws](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FourPaws)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/9 "2008-01-12T13:27:08Z")
I do on some of my vehicles (I have 5) and others, I just don’t bother. It all depends on what they are used for, and how expensive the tires are, and what type of driving that vehicle actually gets. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/10 "2008-01-12T13:54:42Z")
[QUOTE=Enginerd] Of course you have to rotate the tires. How else would you even get the car to move? What? [/QUOTE] That is a good point but I don’t think that is what they mean exactly. Rotating your tires is done by taking each wheel off, flipping it around backwards and putting it back on. I do it myself every 5000 miles and it seems to have huge benefits. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/11 "2008-01-12T13:59:19Z")
Whoosh. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/12 "2008-01-12T17:35:11Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > Whoosh. Right back at you. Read it again. 😉 [QUOTE=Shagnasty] That is a good point but I don’t think that is what they mean exactly. Rotating your tires is done by taking each wheel off, flipping it around backwards and putting it back on. I do it myself every 5000 miles and it seems to have huge benefits. [/QUOTE] I knew that - I was just making a joke. I usually rotate my tires per **Shagnasty** when I’m carrying top-heavy loads in my truck. The wider wheel base lets me continue to take corners dangerously fast without tipping over. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/13 "2008-01-12T19:28:01Z")
[QUOTE=Absolute] My car’s owner’s manual expressly warns against rotating the tires because the front and rear suspension geometries are different. It says it can lead to handling problems. [/QUOTE] What kind of car? On some cars the tire size is different from front to rear, and this precludes rotation. On cars that have 4 of the same size tire, I know of no car maker that warns against rotation. I have never heard of suspension geometry given as a reason to not rotate. Think about it, if you are buying 4 of the same tire, what is the difference between the ones you put on the front, and the ones you choose to put on the rear? ---
**Author:** ![DJ\_Motorbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@DJ\_Motorbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DJ_Motorbike)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/14 "2008-01-12T19:50:16Z")
Maybe the word should be “revolve.” The wheels rotate on their axle but need to be revolved around the vehicle. The next time you go to your mechanic ask to have the tires revolved. They may think you asked to have them “re-valved” so you may have to slowly explain what the hell you are going on about. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/15 "2008-01-12T19:57:55Z")
I have snow tires on the driving wheels and regular ones on the non-driven wheels, so rotating wouldn’t be a good idea. I guess I could swap left-right, but I’ve got better things to do, like post in SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Aestivalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Aestivalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aestivalis)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/16 "2008-01-13T07:03:18Z")
[QUOTE=Musicat] I have snow tires on the driving wheels and regular ones on the non-driven wheels, so rotating wouldn’t be a good idea. I guess I could swap left-right, but I’ve got better things to do, like post in SDMB. [/QUOTE] Having only two snow tires is actually a bad idea. Please take a look at these videos to see the correct application for snow tires. > **[Tire Shop Calgary | Tire Sales and Installation | KMJ TIRE](https://calgaryrimandtire.ca/be-tire-smart)** > > ⚡️Instant Tire Quote 👉 587-600-0785 > 📍 911 48 Ave SE, Calgary, Alberta > ⬐ BOOKINGS | SHOP TIRES NOW ⬎ ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/17 "2008-01-13T11:36:04Z")
I have the tires on my van rotated every 5K miles, and I’ll do the Scion next oil change (next week, I think) but my husband’s Crossfire has different size tires on front and back (bigger on the back so he’s always driving downhill 😉 ) which sorta makes rotating impossible for him. And, of course, he’s got ridiculously expensive tires. Stoopit roadster. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/18 "2008-01-13T13:37:18Z")
Is "Rotating Your Tyres "some sort of euthamism for something else / As in “Hey Baby Wanna let me rotate your tyres for Ya ?” ---
**Author:** ![FourPaws](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e0b2c6/32.png) [@FourPaws](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FourPaws)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/19 "2008-01-13T14:53:14Z")
[QUOTE=Lust4Life] Is "Rotating Your Tyres "some sort of euthamism for something else / As in “Hey Baby Wanna let me rotate your tyres for Ya ?” [/QUOTE] Err, I have tIres on my car. I tried to by tYres but they don’t sell them here in the US 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224/20 "2008-01-13T15:41:13Z")
We recently discovered that the guy at the tire store had put our tires on backwards, which didn’t know was even possible. We rotate our tires. It is beneficial to the life of the tire. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-rotating-your-tires-make-sense/433224.md?page=2)