5 Tire Rotation and unequal wear?

[Morton2020]

With previous ‘AWD’ SUVs, I was always told it was not recommended to replace just one damaged tire (even the same model) due to the unequal tread wear and the differences in tire circumference and the strain that puts on the drivetrain. I took my Bronco into a dealer for the 10K oil change and 5 tire rotation (also done at 5K) and they told me they were concerned about the difference in tread depth between the spare and the 4 on the ground, and therefore didn’t recommend a 5 tire rotation. Only 5K since last rotation but a fair amount of off-road during that time. Is this a concern with the Bronco like it might be with a full-time AWD? That seems extreme. I’m in 2H or 4A the vast majority of the time. How much difference in tread depth is too much?

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[Tricky Mike]

I took my Bronco into a dealer for the 10K oil change and 5 tire rotation (also done at 5K) and they..... didn’t recommend a 5 tire rotation.

A tale as old as time. Or at least 2021.

No, it's not going to hurt anything.

 

[JediMcMuffin]

i intend to basically do one full rotation (each tire takes a turn on the back, and when i do my fifth rotation the original spare goes on and stays on, and from that point forward just do a four tire rotation. I intend to stick with these tires long term and i'd rather buy four next time instead of five.

 

[Lcubed]

What were the depths?

 

[Morton2020]

What were the depths?

I’m sorry, I don’t recall. The 4 on the ground only had 5k more miles than the spare though.

 

[userdude]

A tale as old as time. Or at least 2021.

No, it's not going to hurt anything.

How important do you think the staggered pattern is to just clockwise/counterclockwise? I had thought clockwise was probably fine, but then my stepbrother pointed out they were cupping but I had rotated at 5k several times. So I'm wondering if not swapping the side to get the pulling direction changed each time won't end up wearing as evenly.

 

[JT58Bronc]

In 5 tire rotations the tires will not wear perfectly evenly as one is always not being used. I rotate mine every 2500- 3000 miles to minimize this. If you wait too long your steering wheel may even be off center too due to the uneven wear.

 

[WarthogJr]

It’s probably best to consult a dealer or tire store that understands the difference between their butt and a hole in the ground. They will likely tell you that 5-tire rotations are just fine every 5k miles.

 

[Tricky Mike]

How important do you think the staggered pattern is to just clockwise/counterclockwise? I had thought clockwise was probably fine, but then my stepbrother pointed out they were cupping but I had rotated at 5k several times. So I'm wondering if not swapping the side to get the pulling direction changed each time won't end up wearing as evenly.

I think there's something to that line of thought.

 

[MayhemMike]

Odds are one tire at a minimum will suffer a non repairable puncture through daily road use. Toss in off roading and the odds of a ruined tire increase. Unless you rotate your tires yourself or get it done for free, by the time you pay for all the rotations to reach the expected tire life one has basically paid the equivalent for one new tire. I ceased tire rotations decades ago and my tires reach the expected mileage without issue. Correct pressure and alignment matters way more. Enjoy your Bronco.

 

[ABorges]

With previous ‘AWD’ SUVs, I was always told it was not recommended to replace just one damaged tire (even the same model) due to the unequal tread wear and the differences in tire circumference and the strain that puts on the drivetrain. I took my Bronco into a dealer for the 10K oil change and 5 tire rotation (also done at 5K) and they told me they were concerned about the difference in tread depth between the spare and the 4 on the ground, and therefore didn’t recommend a 5 tire rotation. Only 5K since last rotation but a fair amount of off-road during that time. Is this a concern with the Bronco like it might be with a full-time AWD? That seems extreme. I’m in 2H or 4A the vast majority of the time. How much difference in tread depth is too much?

I think they were lazy and didn't want to remove your spare haha! your tire wear with the miles you say should be fine to rotate all of them.

 

[dejones64]

I heard that same thing on AWD vehicles at one time or another. I do a 5-tire rotation at every 5k when I do an oil change. Over 60k miles and these General Grabbers still have a lot of tread. All road miles, I don't off-road. When these wear out I'll be going to 35's. So I kind of want all of them to wear out evenly, a 32" spare won't do me any good.

 

[swamp2]

...your steering wheel may even be off center too due to the uneven wear.

Thanks, solved a minor mystery that's been bugging me.

 

[gwp]

With previous ‘AWD’ SUVs, I was always told it was not recommended to replace just one damaged tire (even the same model) due to the unequal tread wear and the differences in tire circumference and the strain that puts on the drivetrain. I took my Bronco into a dealer for the 10K oil change and 5 tire rotation (also done at 5K) and they told me they were concerned about the difference in tread depth between the spare and the 4 on the ground, and therefore didn’t recommend a 5 tire rotation. Only 5K since last rotation but a fair amount of off-road during that time. Is this a concern with the Bronco like it might be with a full-time AWD? That seems extreme. I’m in 2H or 4A the vast majority of the time. How much difference in tread depth is too much?

Yep, this is a concern with AWD vehicles that use viscous clutches and whatnot that will wear out if when constantly challenged by different tire sizes and therefore rotational velocities, causing constant slip at speed.

BUT, with a full size Bronco there should be no concern as these technologies are not used. You’ll only have problems with major differences in tires that result in steering pull or excessive stress on the rear diff, assuming you stay out of 4WD (and/or the rear locker) as you must on tarmac.

 

[Brian_B]

I’ve always heard tires are ok up to about 3/32 of mismatch.

That’s a good deal of miles though on a modern tire.

For offroading - I tend to go slow. I get big chunks and gouges out on my tires from rocks and stumps, but I don’t burn rubber or anything that erodes the tread life significantly faster than on road does

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