Rick - rotating tires ????

[Taxman10]

How do you rotate tires??

My understanding was always, you bring the back to the front and criss-cross them. and the front ones you bring straight back.

So the front left moves to the back left. and the Back left moves to the front right.

So here's my story.

I take my wife's Acura MDX to the dealer for their "fall service special" -- I knew it was a rip off, but I went anyway. They were supposed to change the oil, rotate the tires, new wipers, wash and vacuum and give their "world-class 145 point inspection" for $69.95.

Before I leave the house, I take the chrome valve-stem cap off of the right rear tire and replace it with a black pastic one. So I'm expecting to see that valve-stem cap on the front left tire after the rotation.

When the car is all done, I look and the plastic cap is still on the right-rear. So I asked why if they rotated the tires is the valve cap still on the back tire.

I was told "we take the valve caps off, then the lug nuts, rotate the tires, and then put the lug nuts and valve cap back on in the same position they were in"

I can't figure out why you would take the valve caps off with the lug nuts to rotate the tires and then put them all back on.

Maybe b/c it makes it faster to check the tire pressure after the rotation, I don't know??

Is that standard practice??

[domic]

A lot of trucks will have higher pressure in the rear tires so I have seen the tire shop do that when rotating my truck tires. It is a good time to check pressures as well.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I wonder if your tires got rotated.

After my little run in with Subaru's dealership (telling me that I badly needed new brake pads when I did not), I question the validity of most work done there.

[Taxman10]

Ok - thanks Domic, I'll hope that is the case...


I was worried about that too mich - i wanted the mark the tire or wheel somehow, but i didn't want to mark them permanently, so i hoped the valve cap would do the trick. I know they didn't vacuum, if I had realized that earlier, I would have called them on that.

[weltschmerz]

Do I even need to rotate my tires if I have them changed twice a year? I have to put all-season ones on in the spring and winter tires in the fall.

[weltschmerz]

I live in a foreign country. It's the law. Our winters need winter tires.

[weltschmerz]

Since 2008, the Highway Safety Code provides for the following:

“Between December 15 to March 15, the owner of a taxi or passenger vehicle registered in Québec may not put the vehicle into operation unless it is equipped with tires specifically designed for winter driving, in compliance with the standards prescribed by government regulation. The prohibition also applies to any person renting out passenger vehicles not equipped with that type of tires.”

It is important to remember that in terms of road safety, winter tires have proven their worth. They ensure that the vehicle has better stability when braking, make it possible to stop in a shorter distance and help the driver to stay on course around bends.

www.mtq.gouv.qc.ca/portal/page/portal/grand_public_en/vehicules_promenade/securite_routiere/securite_conditions_hivernales/reglement_utilisation_pneus_hiver

[weltschmerz]

I find the winter tires SO much better in our winters. I used to have the all-season ones on all year, but traction and stabilty are greatly improved with the winter ones.
Which comes back to the question.....do I have to worry about rotating tires?