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Tire rotations?
Yahoo Message Number: 127034
We have a 2010TK that we have driven 20,000 (wonderful) miles in the last 17 months. We have valve extenders on the inside back tires. What is the advice on rotating those back tires?

Patti & John Brrrrr in Golden, CO

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Re: Tire rotations?
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 127045
On Thu, 1 Dec 2011 07:26:32 -0800 (PST), berni clark wrote:

Quote
What is the advice on rotating those back tires?
Some rotate, some don't. Both believe they are doing it right.
I was going to rotate and forgot about it for over 15,000 miles, At that point I decided it would not make much difference. As it turned out, after 50,000 miles, I can not tell any difference in wear on the rear four.

Still good tread on them, but they will be replaced before the next trip as they are over five years old and there is not enough tread to complete the next trip anywho.

Keep a CLOSE eye on the front tires. Our's got out of alignment or something and they were trashed in less than 200 miles.

Cheers, Don
Don & Dorothy
Sold our LD in June of 2023

Our boring always non-PC travel blog
Traveling Dorothy
Re: Tire rotations?
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 127069
Patti and John asked about rotating the rear tires.  Let me chime in with some of what Chuck "The Tire Man" told me (Chuck, I hope I remembered correctly).  Periodic rotation, balancing and reversal are of value for our tires.  This is not so much due to visible tread wear as to balance that wear and balance exposure of sidewalls to heat and UV.
 First, the balancing...  Our tires are heavy, with much of the weight located far from the hub.  This means that wear that would be meaningless on a car tire can easily bring our tires out of balance.  Allowed to continue, this out-of-balance condition may not noticeably affect ride and steering, but can cause the tires to move up and down, creating an uneven wear pattern that eventually leads to cupping and the need for tire replacement.  He recommended rebalancing the front tires every 10,000 miles.  While they are off, they might as well be rotated.
 Next, uneven heating and exposure to UV... He said this is a primary cause of sidewall checking.  He recommended unmounting and reversing all tires every 20,000.  Thus, the inside walls on the fronts would become the outside.  The rears, from left to right being numbered 1 to 4 would become 3 4 1 2 and would be unmounted, rotated and reversed so the outside faces turned together and the inside faces turned out.  As part of the unmounting, the tires would, of course, be rebalanced.
 As a disclaimer to protect Chuck (and me), he told me this 9 months ago, and I may well be remembering incorrectly.  I think I have the essence of it, though, and that is how I am maintaining my tires now.

Ken F in NM
'08 MB