What's the pattern for rotating tires on a 4x4? The Haynes manual I have says RR-RF, LR-LF. I thought with a 4x4 you'd have to X them? ex. LF-RR, RF-LR. Is that right? And it's a 4 tire rotation, no matching spare.

 

front to back and criss cross are both acceptable for most tire manufacturers on 4wd systems.

Personally I'd criss-cross them.

 

Thanks, Super

 

If you do the X swap, won't this change the direction the tire is rolling? I have always heard that was a big no no with radials. Unless your talkin about havin the tires remounted, which would be way too much for helpin tire ware.

 

I would just go front to back.. if you X then you will get a buttload of noise and vibration sometimes.. esp. if you dont rotate like every 5000 miles (less on aggressive tires)


Rand

 

front to back and criss-cross works for me. I do that on all tires I have except mud tires.

 

I always go front to back, never X. I did that X a couple of times and ended up with belt shifts and strange wear patterns. I think the manufacturers just like to sell tires. On a TIB front end I would swap the tires on the rims to help with the outer edge chopping. You can't go wrong with front to back so why take a chance? A good low mile spare can be traded in after a couple sets of tires to a dealer for replacement use.

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I might be ****, but I do it just like the owners manual says. Front tires cross over onto the back and back tire move straight to the front. I have always used this pattern about every 5,000 miles and typically I get 75,000 miles out of a set of OEM tires before I replace them.

 

I agree with ranger pat. I've followed the owners manual and haven't had any problems. And I am currently on my second ranger.

 

so it's almost a half and half of the two methods. i got it.

what I don't have is the owner's manual....bought used and never got it. I have a Haynes manual, but it only gives the front to back and only talks about 4x2's...not 4x4's.

I'll go with the manual.

 

87 Ranger 4X4 Owners Manual....

https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gallery/sizeimage.php?&photoid=11217&.jpg

 

It lists rotation patterns just like those above in my owners manual also. I am just overly **** and use the 4 tire front back method pictured in the manual. I have received 70,000 miles out of a set of Firestone FR480's on a fullsize Ford van with tire rubber to spare, now that's impressive. I changed them out just to have more rubber for the winter. I probably could have got another 10-15,000 out b4 the wear bars were showing.

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Newer owners manuals only show 4 and 5 tire cross rotation instead of both cross and front to back.

 

Haven't ya figured out yet that they don't know. Lawyers wrote the manual. So just put your front tires on the back, and your back tires on the front, repeat as necessary. And when ya switch brands of tires, hang your spare from a rope in a tree so the kids can swing on it.

Lifes short, enjoy your truck. Just drive....

 

I did it..front cross to back, back straight to front..a little more road noise and a little more vibration....but they'll be alright in a couple hundred miles.