Tire rotation - what's best for towing?

^ Everything is a compromise. What you're explaining makes perfect sense, but many of the posts in this thread are just like other threads here where you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

If you have a blow out, you want that to occur on a rear tire and be able to steer and maintain control with functioning tires on the front. For cars especially the weight of the engine is on the front tires and that causes more wear and stress. Cornering also wears and stresses tires. So for many reasons it makes sense to put the best and newest tires on the front axle.....for a car. If you are towing heavy loads that might not make sense. My rear tires are at about maximum load capacity and the fronts are carrying only about 75 percent load. I want my newest and best tires on the rear.

I have also reconsidered the wisdom of tire rotation. Years ago it seems that cars were always going out of front end alignment. That is no longer the case. I have driven cars for hundreds of thousands of miles and not needed to have the front end aligned. Now if there is a problem that causes uneven tire wear, rotation of tires only covers up the basic problem. For my tow vehicle, I run the rear tires until about half the tread or lifetime by years has been used up. I move those tires to the front and replace the rear tires.

schlep1967 wrote:
And I have been told by some shops they are not allowed to put new tires on the rear only. They must go on the front for liability reasons.

If the rear slides you can still steer with a grippy front. If the front slides you are going straight whether you want to or not.

You need to find a new tire shop! And if the rear of you vehicle starts to slide around, your "trippy front" will do nothing.

drsteve wrote:
Most tire shops will put the new tires on the rear when replacing only two, regardless of the vehicle. Tire Rack recommends it, so do Belle Tire and Discount Tire.

And Wal Mart.

Tire Manufacturers Recommendations. What the Manufacturers Say.

Goodyear: www.goodyeartires.com When you select a pair of replacement tires in the same size and construction as those on the car, we recommend you put them on the rear axle.

Bridgestone/Firestone: www.tiresafety.com from the Replacement Manual: Winter tires are best applied to all vehicle positions. If winter tires are applied to the front axle of any vehicle, they must also be installed on the rear. Do not apply winter tires to only the front axle --- this applies to all passenger cars and light trucks, including front wheel drive, 4x4 and all-wheel drive vehicles.

Dunlap: www.dunloptires.com When you select a pair of replacement tires in the same size and construction as those on the car, we recommend you put them on the rear axle.

Michelin: www.michelinman.com A pair of new tires should go in back. See video.

But do what you want.

Most tire shops will put the new tires on the rear when replacing only two, regardless of the vehicle. Tire Rack recommends it, so do Belle Tire and Discount Tire.

Aside from those that got off track by the 2nd post with reccomending buying 2 new tires.......I don't agree with the more tread on the rear theory. Typically rears on trucks and rwd vehicles wears quicker overall. (At least my experience in almost 30 years of driving). If one never rotated the least tread to the front, there would be no point in rotating. Except maybe side to side up front. Not sure where this theory comes from but..... yes if you got 2 almost bald tires and 2 decent tires, I'd put the decent ones on the steering axle. Otherwise move them to where the tread will even out the best on each tire.
To the OP, my rotations are always specific to tire wear. Feathering tread gets rotated to opposite rotation if possible to correct that wear. Most tread goes on the right rear, if possible as that typically wears first, especially with open diffs. Not so much with good limited slip or lockers.
You're doing it right, look at the wear patterns and move to the location that will best correct that wear.
Sound like you took a bunch of tread off the tears when new, towing, and the current rear tires haven't caught up yet with treadwear. I'd go side to side up front to change direction on those and leave the rears alone.
However after running a set of transforce at on my similar truck, I'm having a hard time telling the difference in treadwear even after a bunch of heavy camper miles.

The more worn tires go on the drive axle whether front or rear.

You should be rotating your tires more often (5,000) to keep the tread wear more even.

Old-Biscuit wrote:

If you were to purchase 2 new tires they would be installed on Front (recommended)
Best tread goes up front for steering control etc.

I'll agree with Old Biscuit on this one. And I have been told by some shops they are not allowed to put new tires on the rear only. They must go on the front for liability reasons.

If the rear slides you can still steer with a grippy front. If the front slides you are going straight whether you want to or not.

Mine get rotated when the rear tread starts looking flat all the way across. The turning action on the front will keep a more rounded profile across the tread. By rotating them I don't wear out the middle on the rears or the shoulders on the fronts. It wears more evenly.