Long Islander

Obviously you can't rotate them front to back since they're different sizes, but Tire Rack indicates that you can rotate them left to right as long as they're not unidirectional tires.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...jsp?techid=43&

I have Michelin Pilot Sport PS2's, which are not unidirectional.

sjfehr

You can unmount and remount on the other wheel to rotate them, even if they're directional. $20 a tire beats replacing them if they're wearing uneven on the inside from excessive camber/toe.

I suppose for PS2, which are both directional and asymmetric, you're kinda stuck.

deckman

I don't think I will by tires like PS2's anymore. I can't afford to get new tires every 6-8,000 miles, so I need one's that can be rotated. Directional, no prob. Asymmetric, no way.

JW911

PS2s are asymetric but they are not unidirectional.

I have swapped sides with my PS2s by swapping the wheels. The outside stays on the outside where it should be, but the tire spins the opposite direction. I have had no problem doing this.

deckman

Does the left or right matter in this case? The wear is on the inside regardless of which side the tire is on. How will swapping sides help prolong life?

Van

Unless you do oval track racing, I don't think rotating left to right will offer you much in terms of even wear.

AudiOn19s

You physically dismount the tire from the wheel and switch the left to the right. In doing this the inside is now the outside.

However around here it's more like $50 a wheel/tire to dismount / mount and re-balance them.

gota911

Deckman,

Simply swapping the wheels and tires from side to side will not prolong the tire life.

The only way to prolong the tire life would be to dismount the tire and remount it so that the side of the tire that was facing the curb becomes the inside of the tire facing the engine. However, this can only be done if the tread pattern is symmetrical. You can not do this with asymmetric tires.

Another thing you can do to improve tire wear (especially if you are driving only of primarily on the street) is have less negative camber on the rear wheels. Something like -1.0° to -1.25° will help reduce inner tire wear but it will have an unfavorable impact on handling compared to -1.50° camber.

AudiOn19s

Agreed, but at the cost of handling. It's a sports car, tires should be considered yearly consumables.

gota911

I concur, but that is an option. As with most things in life, there is a trade-off, something is gained and something is lost.

deckman

I didn't think you could do this with asymmentric tires. I use to have Toyo T1R's which are directional and symmetric. I could dismount them from the wheels and rotate them to the other side to prolong tire life.

PJorgen

Not completely true - if you are experiencing differential wear L vs R, then swapping side to side will help.

I do this because I track my car and most of the tracks I visit are CCW, so I get more wear on the R over L.

gota911

You are corect, you can not do that with asymmetric tires, which is what I stated initially (see below)

deckman

Tim, right. Although it didn't read that way, I was affirming what you said originally

Eric - Plug Guy

My tires rotate every time I drive the car.




Sorry, can't believe Tim didn't do that.