Wearing front tires - To Rotate or not to Rotate

[dresslered]

As I have posted many times before, ninty-percent of my driving in my dually is over a fairly fast, winding mountain road. As a result, I completely go through my front tires fairly quickly due to the turns and the weight of the Cummins.

The factory Goodyear tires (although they were extremely terrible to say the least) only lasted 15,000-miles total using 3,000-mile rotation intervals. My new tires are wonderful handling Yokohama Geolander H/T road tires, but at 5,000 miles the front tread is already half gone. I have never had the truck aligned since the wear is even and there is no pull what so ever.

My question is, since the rear tires show absolutely no wear at all, why don't I just stop with the hassels of tire rotations and just replace the front tires as needed? It would be much easier just to drop off the front rims for tire replacement as needed. I realize that this will void my 60,000-mile treadwear warranty but it would sure be a lot more convenient. Thanks,


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David Dressler
2001 Driftwood 3500 Quad Cab 4x4, 155 inch WB, HO Cummins (ETH), 6-Speed (DEE), SLT+, 3. 54 LSD, Camper Special, Trailer Tow, Heated Leather, Sliding Window, Jacob's E-Brake, Rhino Liner, VDO Vision (pyro, boost, engine + diff. temp. ), Weather Guard Diamond Plate Saddle Box, Tork Lift camper tie-downs, Mag-Hytec, Mopar Tow Hooks, AND functional Halo light!
Bigfoot 3000 10. 11 Slide-in Camper. "Do it in a Dually"

 

[willyslover]

David. . Ol#1 also a dually ate the tires also just as yours is doing now [bout the same miles on the first set]. . then I put on the Michlens XPS that is a very bad asss commercial tire with extra tuff sidewalls = little or no flexing or tire roll over/under the rim in cornering [and I drive it like a slot car] those got 60K miles until I broke it . . the new 01. 5 dually has about 16. 5K miles and the tires are about 45 % worn out. . go figure and my drive habbits are still the same. .
anyway my suggestion is to try the XPS tire. .

 

[illflem]

On my dually the problem is the other way around, the rears go first, probably from hopping with an empty trailer. I found long ago it's not worth the trouble to rotate duallies, you won't gain much. My stock Goodyears also only lasted 15k, the Toyos I have now still look great after 40k.

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'95 2500 4X4, AT, Driftwood, Banks Stinger, Warn fender flairs and running boards (work truck)
'95 3500, 5 speed, 3:54, BD E-brake, Driftwood, Banks & Psycotty, 34,000 GCW apple and tractor hauler (works harder truck)

 

[KCJackson]

I never rotate my tires either. I'm running Bridgestone M773 commercial-grade all-terrain tires. The tread design is similar to, but more aggressive than, a Firestone Steeltex AT; instead of the solid outer rib of the Steeltex, the M773 has half-depth outer rib lugs.

I have had them on for over 2 years now (bought all six March 1999, and mounted tham all on aluminum dually wheels). The 4 rear tires look almost brand new in terms of tread, while the fronts are pretty much done. I'm ordering a new pair for the fronts next week, and after 2 more years, they'll be hostory too, in time for me to order a 2004 Ram 3500.

I agree - just pitch the front tires when they're dead. Unless your bed is always full or your trailer is always hooked up, the 4 rear tires require much less PSI than the front, and they will last much longer back there. I run 75 psi front and 40-45 psi rear (depending on loads) with the stock size 215/85R16E.

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1996 3500 Club 4x4 Laramie SLT, unmodified 180/420 12-valve, 47RE automatic, 3. 54 limited slip

 

[dresslered]

Thanks for the feedback. I guess that I will have plenty of oportunity to try different brands on the front.

 

[SMorneau]

I don't have a dually but I do have a theory; Tire rotation is good at keeping your tires wearing evenly but it also masks problems with tires wearing too quickly. Tire people like this because you don't complain you just buy tires!

Say, your front tires are running with too much pressure so they wear more in the center and your back tires are running with too little pressure and wearing on the outside. If you rotate the things every 6,000 miles you may never notice the abnormal and unnecessary wear.

On the other hand, if you carefully find the best pressures for your each wheel and only rotate when other types of wear (front and rear tires do wear different sometimes) you can get more tire life.

Rotate every 6K? I don't think so! Just another conspiracy theory.