Tire Rotation Not Needed?

[CarnationSailor]

Took my 2015 Silverado 2500 to the Chevy dealer for a regular oil and filter change, and tire rotation. The service writer told me the tires did not need to be rotated because the tires with the most tread were already on the rear. (I have 8/32's on the rear tires and 7/32's on the front tires.) I have never heard of such an idea. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks

[97chevor]

jfkmk wrote:

97chevor wrote:
And as a tire wears down the tread depth doesn't wear as fast.

:h
Not sure what you mean by this. Tread depth is how you measure tread wear, no?

As an aside, if you were buying only two tires, you'd always put them in the rear. However, at only a 1/32" difference, I'd insist on rotsting them.

I mean for tires to last longer. The intervals between rotations should become longer as the tire looses tread depth. Because the tire doesn't not loose depth as fast as it did when new.

[97chevor]

Michelin video of where should the deepest depth tires go.

https://youtu.be/oa9hzcjdi5Q

[jfkmk]

97chevor wrote:
And as a tire wears down the tread depth doesn't wear as fast.

:h
Not sure what you mean by this. Tread depth is how you measure tread wear, no?

As an aside, if you were buying only two tires, you'd always put them in the rear. However, at only a 1/32" difference, I'd insist on rotsting them.

[CarnationSailor]

97chevor wrote:
And as a tire wears down the tread depth doesn't wear as fast.

Are you saying that the first 1/32's wear down quicker than the last 1/32's?

[riven1950]

My buddy bought tires from Walmart for his Dodge Nitro. He does not tow. He had free rotation but they refused to rotate because of the amount of tread left. ( or lack of tread ) He was pissed. I looked at tires and they looked good for another 10,000 miles to me. Never heard of a place refusing rotation like that before. Guess it is not so uncommon.

[mtofell1]

I think for traction/safety purposes the most tread on the front has always been the idea but for wear (on a RWD) the most tread should be on the rear to balance them out with the fronts. I tend to agree with the service writer. I love how everyone just skips right past that fact that the service writer might have a point and that he's just a lazy bum 🙂

[97chevor]

And as a tire wears down the tread depth doesn't wear as fast.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

rightlaneonly wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:
I agree with the service writer.

I want the tires with the most tread on the back because they are the drive tires and wear the fastest. When towing the drive tires wear the fastest by a long shot.

Showing my age but back in the day, we were always told the best tires should be on on the front. Rear tires don't steer in wet weather and blow outs on the front are far more catastrophic. By rotating tires wear even.

This is a towing forum. Tires that have a lot of weight on them (from towing a TT or 5er or camper) wear the quickest. Trucks with a lot of torque (think of diesel trucks) really burn up the rear tires.

The whole idea of rotating tires is to have them all wear at the same rate. If the OP's tires with the most wear were already in the front there is no reason to put them on the rear for faster wear. That defeats the whole purpose of rotating them in the first place.

[Old-Biscuit]

I get an e-mail from Discount tire ----Time to rotate and check air pressure

Service is FREE

[rightlaneonly]

Turtle n Peeps wrote:
I agree with the service writer.

I want the tires with the most tread on the back because they are the drive tires and wear the fastest. When towing the drive tires wear the fastest by a long shot.

Showing my age but back in the day, we were always told the best tires should be on on the front. Rear tires don't steer in wet weather and blow outs on the front are far more catastrophic. By rotating tires wear even.

[AlmostAnOldGuy]

I suspect the reason your front tires have less tread then the back is because unloaded you have more weight on the front axel than on the rear. This is even more so if you are running a diesel.

Also, you and I live in some country that can get wet. If I am plowing through some water on the road I want the front tires which do most of the braking and steering to shed water well.

So if you think these apply to you I would rotate.

Take it easy,
Stu

[bartlettj]

It's a good idea to do it anyway so the wheels don't weld themselves to the brake disks and then you can't get them off when it comes time to change a flat. It also gives you a chance to inspect the bearings and calipers. You're greasing the caliper sliders and ball joints regularly, right? A'15 2500 has a bunch of grease zerks in the front end that require regular service.

[CarnationSailor]

I forgot to say that when I bought the truck, it came with 20 complimentary oil & filter changes and 20 complimentary tire rotations. I think I still have about 17 of each left, so that makes the situation even more galling!

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

I agree with the service writer.

I want the tires with the most tread on the back because they are the drive tires and wear the fastest. When towing the drive tires wear the fastest by a long shot.

[rightlaneonly]

Sounds like a lazy service dept.
I get my vehicles serviced Every 6 months and may only have 2 or 3 thousand miles, they rotate tires every time. Rotating keeps wear even and tread edges from rounding off.