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Tire Rotation

Gunner_45

Super Moderator
Staff member
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1,932
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Texas
OK, at the risk of sounding like a total newb, I have to ask:

How many of you guys add your spare into your tire rotation.

Way back when I bought my first set of MTR’s, the dealer cautioned me
about not adding the spare into the rotation, as the small difference in
tire diameter between the spare and the other tires could have a detrimental
effect on the drivetrain of the H3. Something about it being full time 4X4.

Seems like I heard that elsewhere as well and just never really questioned it.

Soooooo……fast forward to yesterday.

Just Swapped out a set of well used 12.50X33 Swampers for a set of Good Year MTR’s W/K in 12.50X35.

(Yes, Steve #1……That is the ripple in the force that you felt about 10:00 a.m.) --- 8^)

The four ground tires had lost whatever road manners they ever possessed and were fairly well worn….40K by best guess.

However, the spare had never been on the ground. Seems like such a waste.

Just curious what the general consensus is amongst you guys.
 
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Gunner_45

Super Moderator
Staff member
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1,932
Location
Texas
I can't see how there would be much difference between a tire that is a couple of

pounds off air pressure-wise and one that has a tad less tread. At least when it comes

to the over all diameter of your rolling stock. Lord knows I have NEVER seen all of my tires

read the same pressure at any given check interval......always a pound or three difference.
 

Green 1

Matty Patty Pookie Bear
Messages
1,149
Location
Ferris,Texas
Next time you put new tires on measure them before they are ever on the truck. They will never be the same. I think the intent is to keep them as close as possible but it is impossible with all of the outside factors.
 

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
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10,442
Location
Scottsdale
Heck, I think the difference in tire size (and potential damage) when using a five tire rotation is less than you would experience in putting on a brand new tires as an emergency spare and driving 100 miles with three other half worn tires.
I did five tire for a while but now do a four tire rotation with an older, half worn tire that is only for emergency, short term use. My main reason for the four tire rotation is ease of use, less work and no need to replace the fifth tire when replacing the other four
 

Zach

Mall Crawler
Messages
4,812
Location
So Cal
I only did the four tire rotation when I went to the 37's. Only had to buy two new ones when they were done.
 

Gunner_45

Super Moderator
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1,932
Location
Texas
One of many iterations I found…..All basically like this.



Tire_Rotation_09.png



As expensive as these ****ers are these days, I damn surewant to get max wear out of them ! ! !
 
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08H3

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,314
Location
United States
I include the spare. The tread difference is negligible, and I'm not wealthy enough to throw away a perfectly good tire. I can not name a specific example off the top of my head, but I have seen vehicle owner's manuals with a 5 tire rotation diagram, so apparently the manufacturers don't feel its detrimental.
 

Steve #1

Well-Known Member
Messages
534
Location
TEXAS
Just Swapped out a set of well used 12.50X33 Swampers for a set of Good Year MTR’s W/K in 12.50X35.

(Yes, Steve #1……That is the ripple in the force that you felt about 10:00 a.m.) --- 8^)

:)

I always do 5 tire. I rotate mine between 5K and 7K.

Even with a significant tire size differences you should be fine with the full time 4WD. You would be more likely to have issues with a locking or limited slip running different size tires but with open front rear and center diffs you should be fine. A big difference could irritate the ABS and stabilitrac systems. I'd feel better running a tire with 10% more tread than having to put one that has never been on the ground on with 3 near the end of their life.

Sure, it makes it cost a little more when you go to buy 5 tires vs 4 but it take longer for 5 to ware out than it does 4, and if you come to your senses and switch to a better tire you aren't stuck with one tire that you never used.
 

machineguneddie

ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
Messages
212
Location
Omaha
I just had mine rotated and when I picked it up they hadn't rotated in the spare. they said they dont normally do that any more, so I had to ask them why they had to charge extra to put a pressure monitor in it.
anyway since I picked it up at closing time I took it back the next day to get the spare rotated in. I'd always heard you needed to rotate the spare in as it will just sit in the sun and rot
 

05Mudiak

Well-Known Member
Messages
731
Location
Lake Charles, LA
we rotate our spare i, we do have TPS in all 5. rotate every oil change. as much as the KM2's cost I want to get the most out of them plus I almost never buy the same tire twice. So more than likely I will not buy KM2's after these wear out and I have to have a matching spare or it would drive my crazy.
 

f5moab

Mr. Beretta
Messages
1,986
Location
Hiding in a potato patch in Idaho
If you are running stock tires, GM does not recommend rotating in the spare. That's one reason why the deletion of the sensor in the spare was not a big deal to the tire engineers. The spare on the H3 is considered a class 2 tire vs. class 1 on the four corners. Class 2 (a GM designation) is as safe as a class 1; however, they can tend to be harder to balance.
If you look into the owners manual, at least the latest ones, you will see a four tire rotation.
If you are running aftermarket tires, then what I have just said means nothing.
 

Big2dabank

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,216
Location
Central Florida
I always rotate all 5 of mine. At over $300 a tire, I'm all about getting as many miles out of them as I can. Plus I think it looks better when the spare is as scuffed up as the rest of the tires.
 

Gunner_45

Super Moderator
Staff member
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1,932
Location
Texas
Thanks for all the input guys.

Being that I have TPMS sensors in all 5 tires/wheels, I will be going with the 5-tire rotation hence forth and forevermore.

Right now I rotate every 5K but might reduce the interval to3K, being that rotations and balancing are free FTLOTT.

Hell the guys actually use torque wrenches for the final tightening and can do in 25/30 minutes what would take me half a day to do.

Comments on tires:

Interco Super Swamper TrXus MT’s 12.50 X 33 X 17


I got a lot of good miles out of those Interco Super SwamperTrXus MT’s.
(Only because I rotated the snot out of them). Great all around tire until
they hit the 30K+ mark. A lot of the on-road manners went away and they
started to sound like a B-29 Superfortress on take-off once Igot above 60 mph
on the highway. They took a LOT of weight to balance but were for the most part,
pretty smooth until old age crept up on them. Hell, I bought‘em back in ’06 and they
lived on all three of my H3’s at one point or another.

Good Year MTR W/Kevlar 12.50 X 35 X 17


Loving the things so far. Smooth as glass on the highway and pretty damn quiet to boot.
Just got to try them out on some rain soaked highways and in a bit of this lovely black gumbo
mud we have here in NC TX. They worked quite well I am pleased to report. Very happy
with the buy so far. May even post a pic when/if I get a chance.
 
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jakesz28

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,041
Location
Cabool MO
I loved the trxus m/t on my truck. Had great manners on snow covered roads. Almost went with those on the Hummer. But the guy at the truck shop I ordered tires from. Said they were having problems balancing them and with run out. Said quality had dropped at SS.
 

guruerror

Well-Known Member
Messages
70
Location
Gaithersburg, MD
This has been a very interesting read. I've never rotated my spare into the mix, but I believe I will start with my next set. I agree with 05Mudiak, at close to $500 a pop for the KM2s it would be good to get a little extra life out of them.

EDIT: Additionally, I typically do a rotation with every oil change.
 

MaxPF

AGNTSA
Messages
1,394
Location
The dark side of the globe
If I had 2 spares like Paladine, then I might be inclined to include the spares in the rotation, but only as sets of 2! With 5 tires, I only rotate the 4 working tires. 5 tire rotations never seem to work worth a crap. You always end up with at least one axle having unevenly worn tires, and they can cause crappy handling.

The best bet is to designate a single tire as your spare and keep it that way. As long as it isn't dry rotting, keep that tire as your spare even when you buy new tires. I have used the same BFG KM as a spare for 5 years, and now Todd is using that tire as the spare on his Jeep (I couldn't use it because I went to 8 lug axles, and a 15" 8 lug rim won't clear the brakes). My new spare is a well worn but otherwise sound 35" KM on a 17" 8 lug Dodge rim. I will run it until I need new tires, and then I will rotate the best of my old tires into the spare position. Or, I may buy a newer, less worn used tire for the spare. I have found that good one-off used tires are so available that I won't waste my money buying a new tire that sits unused as a spare.

Another thing I do is, if I destroy a tire and they have a fair bit of miles on them, I will buy TWO new tires for that axle. If the remaining good tire is better than my spare, it gets rotated into the spare position. One way or another I always have a good, reliable used tire as a spare and equally worn tires on each axle.
 

HUMMERDAD

Well-Known Member
Messages
141
Location
GraysLake IL
I know my spare has only hit the road 1 time when one the size walls got a bolt through it and the tire shop had to order the tire I am running now. Hell the spare still has the rubber nipples from the casting. Yes I know the 5 tire roation but OEM and the Yokahamas that I got the truck with are too big of a size difference for me. When I was running the spare for a day thats when I noitced how narrow those BFG's are but overall diameter was just about the same. Still running the newer Geolander ATS without any issues and getting close to needing a new set.
 
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