Does anyone know whay Subaru recommends tires to be rotated on the same side and not diagonally?

 

Would Rotating them diagonally harm anything?

 

My tires on the right side seem to uniformly wear more, perhaps due to road camber?

Not completely sure, but maybe many AWD/4WD vehicles recommend rotating only on the same side? Also, if you have directional tires (arrow on tire indicating rotation direction or directional tread pattern), obviously those can't be rotated to the other side.

Before I got directional tires I rotated them like you would for RWD cars. Backs go straight to front, fronts cross to back. Seemed to work well, no issues that I can recall.

Before I got directional tires I rotated them like you would for RWD cars. Backs go straight to front, fronts cross to back. Seemed to work well, no issues that I can recall.

That's exactly how it says to do in the owners manual for my 91 AWD.

Does anyone know whay Subaru recommends tires to be rotated on the same side and not diagonally?

 

Would Rotating them diagonally harm anything?

 

My tires on the right side seem to uniformly wear more, perhaps due to road camber?

 

Radial tires have a memory. The know which direction they have been spinning, including the non directional ones. By doing a cross rotation you canpossibly cause the belts to seperate.

This is not a subaru/awd thing, this is a Radial tire thing.

 

nipper

Radial tires have a memory. The know which direction they have been spinning, including the non directional ones. By doing a cross rotation you canpossibly cause the belts to seperate.

This is not a subaru/awd thing, this is a Radial tire thing.

 

nipper

On the other hand, most tire sales shops recommend doing cross rotations on non-directional tires. Take a look at tire rack for instance.

On the other hand, most tire sales shops recommend doing cross rotations on non-directional tires. Take a look at tire rack for instance.

 

thats been a recent change, i think thats acceptable if the tires are rotated per mfg recomendation. Rotation is falling under the catagory of engine oil, no two peoples opinions are the same.

One thing to beware of is if you have directional tires, the tire shop may do a cross roatation and damage the tires (happened to me). Tire rotation is given to the new kid to do.

 

nipper

Back in the 1970s you couldn't switch radials from side to side, that has changed. Unless the tire has a directional arrow or other recommendation from the manufacturer to not do so, you can switch modern radials from side to side.

 

Tires with power to them wear more evenly. Tires that freewheel tend to wear the leading or trailing edge of the tread unevenly. The unevenly worn tires may benefit from crisscrossing to the other side to even out the wear. If you wait too long the tires will be noisy for a while after the swap.

i'm just surprised no one has said they roatate like this.........

:burnout::burnout:

 

nipper