5 tire rotation discussion

[KQL]

It also might matter on which wheels you have. I kept my sport stock wheels and got a 5th from eBay for $80 and got 5 better tires. If you have nicer rims, that 5th one can be pricey. If you don’t do the 5 tire rotation, still want to drop/raise the spare once in a while as there have been reports of stuck/corroded cable/mechanism.

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[Reddog]

I can’t believe I went there….but I did.

So……
4 Tire Rotation = The truck will go 20,000 miles and each tire will have 20,000 miles on each tire.

5 Tire Rotation = The truck will go 25,000 miles and each tire will have 20,000 miles on each tire.

Perhaps some folks would rather wait longer (50,000 miles) before having to change out their 40,000 mile tires?? If I did the 5 tire rotation…. I’d leave the spare in place (with 40,000 miles) and only buy 4 tires and use the 4 tire rotation after that.

But I’m curious what others have to say…

How often do you rotate your tires? It matters here.

 

[LouisvEarlleJT]

Good discussion here. Basically it seems like what it boils down to is just physical time between tire purchases.

I think for sake of keeping maintenance easy I'll stick with 4-tire rotation. If my odo says 20k, then there's 20k on my tires. Every 10-15 years I'll buy a spare lol.

 

[Mr Miami]

Good discussion here. Basically it seems like what it boils down to is just physical time between tire purchases.

I think for sake of keeping maintenance easy I'll stick with 4-tire rotation. If my odo says 20k, then there's 20k on my tires. Every 10-15 years I'll buy a spare lol.

Yes Louis,
Just think of it as going out and having 5 cans of beer. If you drink 1 per hour and take 1 home, you had enough beer for 4 hours. If you stay an extra hour and drink the last can, you then had 5 hours of beer. Either way, you only have 5 cans of beer to work with.

Now I'm getting thirsty thinking about it .....

 

[whysoserious]

Figured it'd be easier to start a new thread than to hijack someone else's to ask this question.

Can anyone provide data on tangible benefits gained from a 5-tire rotation? I often read about more even wear and longer tire life but it's just not adding up.

If I have four tires with a 40,000 mile tread life, and I rotate them, they are theoretically going to make it to 40,000 miles and then be replaced. Around year 10-12 I will also need to replace the spare.

If I have five tires with a 40,000 mile tread life, and I rotate them, they're still lasting 40,000 miles except I'm just buying 5 tires at the end of the 40,000 miles instead of 4. Or rather, buying 4 at 40,000 and then a spare at 45,000 (assuming a 5,000 mile rotation interval and that the spare wasn't already starting with 5,000 miles on it).

I see plenty of folks swearing by it, so surely there is something I'm missing here.

Thanks in advance.

It all boils down to how long you're going to keep the vehicle, mileage wise. And while you still have 40k on each tire with a 5-tire rotation, your JT will have gone 50k on those 5 tires.

 

[Hootbro]

To be fair, the other 4 tires and wheels are also exposed to the elements

Most people are cognizant to keep the facing side of the vehicle occasionally washed, cleaned and maintained, underside not so much.

 

[AustyPosty]

Most people are cognizant to keep the facing side of the vehicle occasionally washed, cleaned and maintained, underside not so much.

Yeah, most people fail to upkeep their vehicles. Jeeps, especially ones that off-road really need their underside washed regularly.

 

[Stuntman Mike]

I see the advantage of 4 and 5 tire rotation.

But I have to admit, I am just to lazy to do it. If they are gone I buy a new set.

 

[ScottBeach]

Tire inspection should be done on the spare every rotation. I know it's a pita to get it down. But better to check and make sure you have a usable spare.
Last jt. I found I had a gash in the tire (still held air) i keep the spare at 20 psi now. In case it takes a hit off road. I have a compressor on board so no worry if I need to use it.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

I see the advantage of 4 and 5 tire rotation.

But I have to admit, I am just to lazy to do it. If they are gone I buy a new set.

I just replaced a set of Michelins on my F150 that I never rotated, not once. I got 77k miles out of them.

 

[Janster]

A five tire rotation is different from just having a matching fifth spare.

It's the height of the spare, not the width, that many worry about.

I think you missed my point…or I didn’t explain it well enough. It didn’t really have anything to do with the 4-5 rotation comparison. It was just a FYI

When you’re upgrading to bigger tires…..You don‘t always have to buy a new wheel for the spare. Say for example….. You’re upgrading to 35x12.5’s…..

Buy 4 new 35 x 12.50’s for your main 4 wheels. Buy a New OR USED 35”x11.50” or 35“x9.5” (pizza cutter) tire to mount on the OEM 7” spare wheel and you’re done.

Obviously…with this situation - you’d only be doing a 4 tire rotation. It was just an FYI….no need to buy a 5th wheel for the spare unless you want to do the 5th tire rotation. Otherwise, in this situation, you can do 4 tire rotation and keep your costs down (especially, if you can find a USED tire for a spare).

 

[Wildtoad]

Rotate 4. When time to get new, buy 3, have original spare remounted to be fourth road tire. Used used tire as spare. Put cover over spare to reduce any further UV damage. If you own the Jeep long enough to need a third, buy four replace spare with one you just took off.

all assumes stock tires.

 

[ScottBeach]

The spare isn't the same as the stock primary tires in all trims.

 

[sharpsicle]

The 4 vs 5 tire thing is purely a preference discussion. The math on cost vs. mileage is a wash.

As others have said, I'd probably do 5 tire on a Wrangler since the spare is visible and I'd want it to match. On the Gladiator, though, I see no real reason unless you do a spare relocation.

 

[Zachanadandy]

The 4 vs 5 tire thing is purely a preference discussion. The math on cost vs. mileage is a wash.

As others have said, I'd probably do 5 tire on a Wrangler since the spare is visible and I'd want it to match. On the Gladiator, though, I see no real reason unless you do a spare relocation.

^ is exactly what I do. JLUR gets 5 tire rotations as it looks dumb if the spare doesn't match and I'm probably going to a different tire every time they need replaced. On the JT, the stock spare is still under there...and the other 4 are 37s. No, the difference in size won't matter because spider gears exist. If I had a rear LSD I'd have to make sure the spare ended up on the front, but otherwise it will work just fine to get me home/off the trail/ to a tire shop. There's a reason no truck manufacturers recommend 5 tire rotations. Most don't come with a matching wheel or tire anymore. Almost every car that still comes with a spare comes with a donut. And yet some act like a few mm more wear will make the vehicle undriveable? Even if you're super paranoid, put the spare on the passenger front and thanks to the fad it isn't even connected to the powertrain at that point. 20% more tread life vs 20% higher cost when buying tires makes it pretty obvious that you aren't gaining anything either way.

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