Tires Rotation question prior to going on long trip

[DocLX450]

Hey guys,

I have a coupon from "Meineke service center"..they gave free tire rotations. However, when I brought the rig in, the manager told me it will need "balance" also or it will vibrate.

I thought, you bastard! just like those buy one get half off and free craps.

Is it true, can I just rotate front to back and back to front without balance. It has been balance at the dealer two months prior, still has fresh metal tabs attach the the rims.

[breathed]

A balanced wheel is balanced irregardless of it's position on the vehicle. The Meineke manager was trying to scam you. A proper 4 tire rotation would move a rear tire to the front axle, opposite side and a front tire to the rear on the same side. Tire rotation with the spare is a little different. Your owners manual should show you both procedures.

[Lka1988]

Originally Posted by DocLX450

...the manager told me it will need "balance" also or it will vibrate...

<snip>

It has been balance at the dealer two months prior, still has fresh metal tabs attach the the rims.

Then your tires don't need to be balanced. The Meineke guy is trying to sell you on BS you don't need. Tell him to shove off and rotate your tires.

[DocLX450]

I fingured this guy was trying to hit me up with another 20 bucks. Thanks guys.

So rotation is : the rear driver goes to the front passenger side. The front goes back right.

[Lka1988]

Originally Posted by DocLX450

I fingured this guy was trying to hit me up with another 20 bucks. Thanks guys.

So rotation is : the rear driver goes to the front passenger side. The front goes back right.

Here's what we do at work:

Cross the rears forward, fronts straight back. Unless they're directional...

[mainemike]

are you sure you have to rotate at all? If they were just balanced at the dealer, did they rotate as well?

that coupon is simply a way to get warm bodies thru the door... and then they have ways to extract your cold credit card....

FWIW, I haven't rotated my tires for 30,000 miles, following landtanks's lead. So far I see no uneven wear. This is the only truck I've ever tried this on, and the tires seem happy.

[hondaguy6513]

AWD vehicles wear the tires much more evenly than front or rear drive vehicles do. But, you cannot "over-rotate" your tires.

As far as rotation pattern you will find that different people do it different ways, I was always taught to cross to the power, ie the tires that were on the non-drive axle and are going to the drive axle cross, the tires coming off the drive axle go straight back(or forward as the case may be) and on awd vehicles I do the old school x cross rotate, opposite corners.

[Chevinater77]

mine are uni-directional should i have em dismount re-mount then balance?

[mainemike]

Originally Posted by Chevinater77

mine are uni-directional should i have em dismount re-mount then balance?

Not unless you see a terrible amount of wear, which points to needing an alignment. Directional tires are rotated front to back on the SAME side of the vehicle. They should have an arrow molded into the sidewall.

What tires are they? I wasn't aware of a directional tire for the 80. I've had them on Subaru's, but didn't think they manufactured them in larger sizes.

[Lka1988]

Originally Posted by mainemike

I've had them on Subaru's, but didn't think they manufactured them in larger sizes.

I've seen directional MUD tires. In the 315/65R20 flavor.