I grew up with a strong and unwavering belief in the commandment: ìThou shalt not cross-rotate radial tires, nor cause reversal of their directional rotationî. A friend of mine even carried two used spare tires (couldnít afford new ones in those days) in his Fiat - one which had been run on the left side of the car, and one on the right. He wasnít going to risk having a tire fly apart because he broke the rules!
Coker Tire Co., Firestone, The Kelly-Springfield Tire Co., and Pirelli Armstrong Tire Corp. responded to my plea for authoritative commentary with a unanimous ìItís OK to cross-rotate radial tires, with the exception of ëTemporary Use Onlyí spares, and tires with uni-directional tread patternsî. Firestone added the recommendation that the vehicle manufacturerís instructions be followed, even though their tires can be cross-rotated. Our thanks to these companies for all the information they sent, and special thanks to Mr. Jim Hildebrand of Coker Tire Co. who added: ìI understand that the original theory (common to the late í60s) was that, particularly on the drive tires, the torque would cause the radial side wall cords to slant, and if rolling direction was changed that a balance problem might exist. Further research and testing disproved this theory. The basis being that a slanting of the side wall cords did not actually take place.
Approved Rotation Patterns
The purpose of regularly rotating tires is to achieve more uniform wear for all tires on a vehicle. Before rotating tires, individual ownerís manuals should always be consulted for rotation recommendations for specific vehicles. If no rotation period is specified, tires should be rotated every 6000 to 8000 miles or at any sign of uneven wear. The first rotation is most important.
If the tires show uneven wear, ask the service person to check for and correct any misalignment, imbalance, or other mechanical problem before rotation.
Car & Light Truck Tire Rotation Patterns
Do not include a ìtemporary use onlyî spare tire in any of these rotation patterns. If the vehicle owner has a regular tire as a spare and wishes to include it in the tire rotation process, the proper procedure is as follows:
Use one of the four tire rotation patterns, but insert the spare in the right rear position, and place the tire which would have gone to the right rear position in the trunk as the new spare.
When tires are rotated, inflation pressures must be adjusted in accordance with the vehicle manufacturerís recommendations.
Eric Wilhelm
Moss Motors Staff
Working on automobiles is inherently dangerous. Moss Motors, Ltd. is not liable for injury or damage due to incorrect installation or use of their products. All products are sold with the understanding that the safe and proper installation and use of the products is the customer’s responsibility. Follow factory workshop manual procedures and instructions, but use current shop safety standards and common sense. Some tasks will require professional advice or services which Moss Motors cannot provide.Email (for Moss Tech help):
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