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You can eek out a bit more life on the tires if you spread the wear evenly across 5.
Personally, I'll just purchase new tires 5k miles sooner rather than go through the hassle of dropping the spare every time.
Personally, I'll just purchase new tires 5k miles sooner rather than go through the hassle of dropping the spare every time.
I rotate all 5. Then I know my spare is wearing at the same rate as everything else, is always aired up, and that my spare tire holder is working. Nothing worse than having a flat only to realize the spare tire carrier is jammed or rusted and the tire can’t be lowered.
- Thread starter
- #4
Exactly, that is why I'm considering rotate only 4 tires instead of five. In addition, I think the spare rim doesn't look as good as the four that are already on the vehicle. I just want to make sure I'm not missing any major advantage by rotating only 4 tires instead.
gaijin
GOLD Star
I also rotate all 5 tires every 5,000 miles using the Rearward Cross protocol recommended by Tire Rack:
This not only evens out Front/Rear and Left/Right wear patterns for all tires, but assures that my spare is the same diameter as the other 4 and ready for use if needed.
HTH
Interesting. If you are running the stock wheels all 5 should be identical. And it you rotate all 5, all the wheels will have the same amount of trail damage.
- Thread starter
- #7
Since when purchasing new tires, it's recommended to get a pair of new tires each time. If I only use the spare during an emergency to get home or to get a new pair of tires, does it really matter? On the other hand, if I rotate all 5 tires, there will be three tires that are worn out the same and two new tires. When I rotate these 5 tires, it's not going to be the same amount of trail damage. Am I over thinking here?
I don't think there is a great solution for dealing with a ruined tire doing 4 or 5 tire rotations. To me if you do 5 tire, it's most optimal to replace the bad tire with a new tire that's been shaved to match, or find a used tire that is similar tread. This is probably the most optimal of all solutions. I've never had to do this, but if I was in that position, that's what i would try to do. Edit: oh yeah, also, if you can't find a used/shaved tire, using a 5 tire rotation you have the option of using your 4 matching good tires as your running tires and putting your new tire as the spare, then running a 4 tire rotation until you get to the end of tread life. This would not really be an option with a 4 tire rotation.
With the 200 essentially being an AWD platform, I'm not sure how much benefit there is to matching tread on one axle, like you would a FWD/RWD/4WD vehicle. As far as you would still have one axle spinning at a different speed than the other, so if you were adhering to that doctrine, in theory you'd want to replace 4 tires if you got a flat, or you still have the option of shaving one tire. Also, if I was only doing a 4-tire rotation, had to replace a tire, and was going to do the matching tread per axle, I'd use the spare as a "new" tire and match it with the new tire and put the used good tire as the spare.
So now assuming any version of having to replace a tire sucks, if you only look at the advantages/disadvantages of never having a ruined tire. You get all the benefits listed above in other posts for doing a 5 tire rotation:
1. All tires similar tread.
2. Spare tire in good shape (check every 5k miles)
3. Spare tire mounting in good shape (check every 5k miles)
4. Longer life span for a set of tires (if you like to change tire models/brands)
Benefit #4 has to do with what happens when you get to the end of life of a set of tires. If you only did a 4 tire rotation you now have a 5th tire that is brand new when you are ready to replace tires. If you are okay with buying a brand new set of 4 of the same tires and rotate in the spare and use one of the 4 new tires as the new spare, then you actually get the exact same tread life efficiency as doing a 5-tire rotation (because you only had to buy 4 tires at tire refresh instead of 5). But if you want to change tires, then you have to buy 5 tires and you only got 4 tires worth of wear.
I can't imagine using "having to drop the spare" as a reason not to do a 5-tire rotation. Compared to unbolting and moving the 4 rotating tires, which doesn't change at all in a 5 tire rotation, dropping and lifting the spare is like 5% of the job.
Of course, I do understand, that if your spare is just a spare and only going to be used in emergencies, then it can almost be anything, as in doesn't have to be exactly the same size, and doesn't even have to be the same tire. 90% of cars on the road now have a little donut as a spare. So that can change some of the math above. But I'm still always going to do a 5-tire rotation on my 200.
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- Thread starter
- #9
I think I have free tire rotation at Discount Tire since I purchased all of my five tires from them. Should I tell them that is the way I want them to rotate? Or, is this something they should already know?
I drop my spare and place in the trunk, then let them know I want to do a 5 tire rotation when I do my free tire rotation at DT.
You need to ask, but they will happily do it. Ever since the spare lowering mechanism on my son’s 4R froze and needed a sawzall to remove it, I’ve done a 5 tire rotation on my LC.
The advantage is that you are using all five tires which all five have a shelf life regardless if used or not. So in six to ten years you are replacing the spare even if the spare is never used.
bloc
SILVER Star
If you ruin a tire halfway through their life, put that into the spare spot and switch to 4-tire rotation so the full-tread tire can match the other 4 when those get replaced, and join in the rotations again.
I also do the 5 tire rotation.
In terms of dropping the spare I think that is way easier then jacking up to where there are 2 wheels off the ground.
In terms of tire replacement. With the 5 tire your spare always is a similar tread depth. I needed a tire a few years back. I moved the spare to the tire location of the blowout. Then put the new tire as the spare. Then did a 4 tire rotation until I was due a new set 2 years later in where I bought 4 tires and went back to a 5 tire rotation.
In terms of dropping the spare I think that is way easier then jacking up to where there are 2 wheels off the ground.
In terms of tire replacement. With the 5 tire your spare always is a similar tread depth. I needed a tire a few years back. I moved the spare to the tire location of the blowout. Then put the new tire as the spare. Then did a 4 tire rotation until I was due a new set 2 years later in where I bought 4 tires and went back to a 5 tire rotation.
gaijin
GOLD Star
You're probably still OK - I'd do it.
Thank you for bringing up this topic. So funny that it just came up this month. For about 2 weeks now I've been wanting to ask the same question.
I think I am going with @gaijin and other's recommention of rotating all 5. I've been dealing with an issue of a spare tire being old, but never used. It was very hard to get rid of it.
I think I am going with @gaijin and other's recommention of rotating all 5. I've been dealing with an issue of a spare tire being old, but never used. It was very hard to get rid of it.
I also always do a 5-tire rotation, for all the reasons stated here.
BTW: Tire rotations are another time when the QuickJack is a huge time saver.
Lowering the spare with that janky crank provided in the kit kinda sucks. So I made my own crank, it hangs in the garage right at the spot where I need it for dropping the spare, during every oil change.
(That is on old photo of my crank, I've since modified it to remove the hook at the end and converted it to the little cross pin that the newer winches use)
I've had to torch off the chain on several frozen spare winches on mini-trucks, it really sucks, but not as much as finding it frozen on the side of the road and you have a flat. I spray mine with Fluid Film every time I lower the spare.
I will say that it's not as effective to do the 5-tire rotation with a directional tire like the Nokian R3s I run now in the winter. Mine are pretty much worn out now (and really noisy), so I'll be looking for something different next Fall.
BTW: Tire rotations are another time when the QuickJack is a huge time saver.
Lowering the spare with that janky crank provided in the kit kinda sucks. So I made my own crank, it hangs in the garage right at the spot where I need it for dropping the spare, during every oil change.
(That is on old photo of my crank, I've since modified it to remove the hook at the end and converted it to the little cross pin that the newer winches use)
I've had to torch off the chain on several frozen spare winches on mini-trucks, it really sucks, but not as much as finding it frozen on the side of the road and you have a flat. I spray mine with Fluid Film every time I lower the spare.
I will say that it's not as effective to do the 5-tire rotation with a directional tire like the Nokian R3s I run now in the winter. Mine are pretty much worn out now (and really noisy), so I'll be looking for something different next Fall.
