Tire rotation: positive or negative experience?

[rumratt]

So we all know that BMW doesn't recommend rotating tires. But if you do a search you'll see that some people rotate theirs anyway to extend tire wear, while others do not because it can cause handling and vibration problems (one example (http://bimmerfest.com/forums/showpost.php?p=369945&postcount=3) and another example (http://bimmerfest.com/forums/showpost.php?p=670276&postcount=12))

I'm debating whether I want to rotate mine or not, and I'm curious how often the associated problems actually occur.

[ObD]

Front and rears wear differently so unless you are cheap there really isn't any benefit to doing this.

[milski]

I can't vote. I have staggered setup but I would not rotate even if I did not. :dunno:

[rumratt]

I can't vote. I have staggered setup but I would not rotate even if I did not. :dunno:

Oops. The last category was meant for you as well. It was poorly worded, but it meant "if you could, because you didn't have a staggered setup, you wouldn't rotate anyway".

Also, all those who voted, please free to explain your choice!!!

Thanks! :thumbup: :beerchug:

[Pinecone]

I have rotated on previous cars, but have run into vibration problems So I stopped.

Both BMWs have staggered setups, so no rotation possible. But I wouldn't anyway.

[SoloII///M]

I don't have a staggered setup and I do rotate. I autocross and have my tires off almost every weekend. The rears wear much faster than the fronts, so I generally put the rears on the front every couple weeks. I'm getting an alignment tomorrow morning which will zero the front toe and reduce the rear toe, and I suspect my rear tire life will benefit from this (though that is not the reason for the alignment).

Why would you experience vibration from rotating tires? It should not cause any problems, unless something on your car is worn out.

[HankM3]

I rotated the tires on my 2003 325i w/SP after about 14,000 miles. Fronts were like new, rears were wearing quite fast. No problems / vibrations / etc after rotation. Tires were Dunlop SP Sport 2000E's. I did the "front to rear" rotation pattern.

[tgravo2]

I haven't rotated and it's too late to do it. My car has 18,500 miles and my rears are pretty much bald. I will be ordering new tires soon.

[Desertnate]

I am rapidly approaching the end of life for my third set of tires (non-staggered). I do not track/autocross my car, but do enjoy exploring the fine performance my car offers :angel:

I have never rotated ANY of the sets of tires I have owned. Not only is it not recommended in my owners manual, but I have never experienced any real uneven wear. When a set does reach the end of it's life, I have found that the rears do have slightly less tread than the fronts, but it is not that significant of a difference, maybe 1/16 difference maximum. Based on that even wear, I have never felt any need to rotate.

[BrettInLJ]

Right now I have staggard, but when I upgrade to 18's I will probably go with 245/40 all around. I plan to always run the same kind of tire (Bridgestone S03's) so I will probably not rotate, do frequent alignments, and just replace the rears and fronts separately as necessary.

This of course will preclude me from getting a road hazard warranty from tirerack, except on my first purchase of all four. I guess I'll have to stick to Costco (who will warranty tires not bought in sets of four) after the first order unless TireRack gets smart and changes their policy by then.

[Pinecone]

I don't have a staggered setup and I do rotate. I autocross and have my tires off almost every weekend. The rears wear much faster than the fronts, so I generally put the rears on the front every couple weeks. I'm getting an alignment tomorrow morning which will zero the front toe and reduce the rear toe, and I suspect my rear tire life will benefit from this (though that is not the reason for the alignment).

Why would you experience vibration from rotating tires? It should not cause any problems, unless something on your car is worn out.

Many vehicles have wear patterns that cause vibration when you swap them front and rear. In fact I have heard that this is why BMW recommends against rotating tires. Too many complaints of vibration in the front.

What I have seen on other vehicles where I have rotated tires, is the rears, when moved to the front, tend to cup badl, leading to front end vibration. And the problem is, when you switch them back, the old fronts have been on the rear long enough to do the same thing.

In the same vehicle, no rotation avoided problems, and I still got plenty of life out of the tires. YMMV

[SoloII///M]

Many vehicles have wear patterns that cause vibration when you swap them front and rear. In fact I have heard that this is why BMW recommends against rotating tires. Too many complaints of vibration in the front.

What I have seen on other vehicles where I have rotated tires, is the rears, when moved to the front, tend to cup badl, leading to front end vibration. And the problem is, when you switch them back, the old fronts have been on the rear long enough to do the same thing.

In the same vehicle, no rotation avoided problems, and I still got plenty of life out of the tires. YMMV

I think it must be alignment related. BMWs seem to come out of the factory with absurd amounts of rear toe-in. Can't say for sure. My current alignment settings are:

Front toe: 0
Front Camber: Driver: -1.5*; Pass: -1.4* (stock, not adjustable)
Rear Toe: Driver: .18* in; Pass: .20* in
Rear Camber: Driver: -1.5*; Pass: -1.5*
Thrust angle: 0

I would be curious to see what the rear toe is on cars with problems rotating tires. The primary reason I rotate is because my rear tires wear out before my fronts. Possibly that has something to do with a heavy right foot.

[DougDogs]

Actually, BMW said it was OK to rotate my tires.

Probably has alot to do with the AWD setup

[Nick325xiT 5spd]

I rotate. Any time I get a vibration, I get them balanced on the car and it's smooth as glass. :)

[PhilH]

I've never rotated the tires on my BMWs, because I'm pretty sure BMW advises against it right in the owners manual (not sure if I read it in my E46 manual or my old E34 manual). At this point, I can't rotate because my wheels and tires are staggered (and I thought yours were staggered too, rumratt :confused: ).

However, I regularly rotate the tires on my wife's cars, because I run her cars for lowest cost of operation and don't mind taking some short cuts here and there. Occasionally I'll get a small vibration after getting them rotated, but it goes away within a short period of time.

[PhilH]

Not for long. :eeps:


Sounds like a good move, at least for autocrossing.

If I ever get around to buying aftermarket wheels, I might go with 235/40-18s all around on 8.5" wide wheels.

[Moolji]

The back page of the latest Inside Track said this about tire check-ups:

"Be sure to check:
Pressure ...
Alignment ...
Rotation - Irregular wear can be avoided by rotating your tires.
[...]"

Has BMW changed its tune regarding tire rotation?:dunno:

[Wolfcastle]

Bentley recommends against tire rotation.

[MG67]

I rotated my tires back in Holland and Germany, for my 535i Hartge there was no problem 245/40/17 front and back, my VW Corrado VR6 had 235/35/17 with Zender rims so I rotated those too... must admit that they always used to shake a bit after the rotation but then when the car was settled there was no issue...
My 996 GT3 had a staggered setup so I could not rotate...
My current 325iT I have never rotated because the service adviser at my dealership told me it was better...
Soo, now after 1 year and 9 months of ownership with 32,xxx on the clock my rears need to be replaced... those 225/45/17 Dunlop 2000e are pretty good I must say! :thumbup: Especially the way I drive them around town...:D I'm considering replacing the rears with Pilot Sports 255/35/17... is that a good idea or just stick with the 225/45/17 in the rear...?