Do you use your spare tire in rotation?

[mercanucaribe]

A lot of people apparently do not. Even off roaders will buy 5 all terrain tires, and only use 4 of them. Then when they bust one they have to replace 4 because using 3 worn tires with one brand new one is no good!

Benefits of using the spare in rotation:
If one is irreparably damaged, you can still use the other four normally, at least until one of those busts.
You get 25% more tread life.
You don't look like a newb.


Edit:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=43

Five (5) Tire Rotation

While many vehicles are equipped with temporary spares that cannot be included in a tire rotation program, if the vehicle's four wheels and tires on the ground match the spare wheel and tire (if non-directional and not branded "for temporary use"), they should be included in the tire rotation pattern. Follow the vehicle manufacturer's recommended tire rotation procedures, or if not available, insert the spare in the right rear position at every rotation. Place the tire that would have gone to the right rear in the trunk as the spare until the next tire rotation.

Five tire rotation results in equally distributed use that will help maintain equivalent tread depths on all five tires throughout their life. When applied to many four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles, this is required to prevent driveline damage if a flat tire forces a new spare to be put into service with partially worn tires on the other three wheel positions.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I never thought about doing this, but I will start doing this with my next car...

 

[ElFenix]

then i'd have to unmount it and remount the other and i can't do that myself (i can rotate them myself just fine thank you) and i doubt the guys down at walmart would have any clue what the hell i was asking for. you'd have to give them a chart telling them where each tire should go.

 

[daveshel]

Radials need to stay on the same side of the car. You could work the spare into the rotation on one side, but then the other side would last half again as long.

 

[Mermaidman]

I'ts recommended, but so few cars have a spare tire/wheel that is identical to the non-spares.

 

[imported_inspire]

Tires rotate in pairs, adding an odd tire in doesn't make a whole lot of sense. You also replace tires in pairs. If one blows, you use the full size replacement until you can replace the one that blew. Now you have the new one and the spare with little or no wear, so you take the odd worn tire (Original on the fron if one of your front tires blew) and use it as a spare (even if you have to have it re-mounted in the interest of bling), and you go from there.

Rotating an odd tire in just isn't the way to go.

EDIT: Radials rotate front to back...

 

[sao123]

Unless you buy the same make and model tire every time... this makes horrible sense..

you'll have 3 tires of 1 kind and 1 of another... that can make for poor handling and wear.

 

[Mermaidman]

According to Tirerack.com

5 Tire Rotation

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: inspire
Tires rotate in pairs, adding an odd tire in doesn't make a whole lot of sense. You also replace tires in pairs. If one blows, you use the full size replacement until you can replace the one that blew. Now you have the new one and the spare with little or no wear, so you take the odd worn tire (Original on the fron if one of your front tires blew) and use it as a spare (even if you have to have it re-mounted in the interest of bling), and you go from there.

Rotating an odd tire in just isn't the way to go.

EDIT: Radials rotate front to back...

What? Why can';t you switch which side a radial is on?

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=43

Five (5) Tire Rotation

While many vehicles are equipped with temporary spares that cannot be included in a tire rotation program, if the vehicle's four wheels and tires on the ground match the spare wheel and tire (if non-directional and not branded "for temporary use"), they should be included in the tire rotation pattern. Follow the vehicle manufacturer's recommended tire rotation procedures, or if not available, insert the spare in the right rear position at every rotation. Place the tire that would have gone to the right rear in the trunk as the spare until the next tire rotation.

Five tire rotation results in equally distributed use that will help maintain equivalent tread depths on all five tires throughout their life. When applied to many four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles, this is required to prevent driveline damage if a flat tire forces a new spare to be put into service with partially worn tires on the other three wheel positions.

 

[StrangeRanger]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
A lot of people apparently do not. Even off roaders will buy 5 all terrain tires, and only use 4 of them. Then when they bust one they have to replace 4 because using 3 worn tires with one brand new one is no good!

Benefits of using the spare in rotation:
If one is irreparably damaged, you can still use the other four normally, at least until one of those busts.
You get 25% more tread life.
You don't look like a newb.

Your 1st point makes no sense, I mean, the whole point of a spare to begin with is so you have 4 wheels to use in case a tire is damaged.
2nd point: No, you're actually doing more damage to that rotating tire by switching it from one side of the car to the other. You will wear it out faster than by simply rotating your "normal" tires properly. At least this applies to cars with performance tires that are directional.
3rd point: Very few people have their spare mounted on a matching alloy wheel. So unless you want to pay to mount and balance your "spare" all the time, and risk the shop monkey scratching the piss out of your nice alloy wheel this makes no sense.

Another point, what about us folks that live where snow tires are used? You gonna buy a 5th snow tire and rotate that around too? Sorry bud, bad idea all around.
j

 

[imported_inspire]

Interesting, I've always read that radials stay on the same side. I don't feel like looking it up, though...

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: StrangeRanger

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
A lot of people apparently do not. Even off roaders will buy 5 all terrain tires, and only use 4 of them. Then when they bust one they have to replace 4 because using 3 worn tires with one brand new one is no good!

Benefits of using the spare in rotation:
If one is irreparably damaged, you can still use the other four normally, at least until one of those busts.
You get 25% more tread life.
You don't look like a newb.

Your 1st point makes no sense, I mean, the whole point of a spare to begin with is so you have 4 wheels to use in case a tire is damaged.
2nd point: No, you're actually doing more damage to that rotating tire by switching it from one side of the car to the other. You will wear it out faster than by simply rotating your "normal" tires properly. At least this applies to cars with performance tires that are directional.
3rd point: Very few people have their spare mounted on a matching alloy wheel. So unless you want to pay to mount and balance your "spare" all the time, and risk the shop monkey scratching the piss out of your nice alloy wheel this makes no sense.

Another point, what about us folks that live where snow tires are used? You gonna buy a 5th snow tire and rotate that around too? Sorry bud, bad idea all around.
j

The first point makes perfect sense. If you have 4 worn tires, and 1 new one, you can't use the spare permanently. Your only options are to repair the flat tire, or if that isn't possible, to replace two or ALL four worn tires (if you have AWD). If you had been doing a 5 tire rotation, you'd throw out that bad one, and buy a new spare. Then you'd keep that new spare out of rotation until you get a whole new set of tires.

Most tires aren't directional.

This only applies if the spare wheel matches.


As for radials staying on the same side, why does tire rack recommend a 5 tire rotation?

 

[marulee]

I see. Next time when I get a car ..

 

[DaWhim]

I put used tired on my spare. it was $25 for the tired and mount.