Often it really depends if you have directionally treaded tires, such as aquatreads. Those can rotate only one direction.

I'd do whatever Subaru suggests. If you rotate side to side, the rotation direction of the tires changes. That shouldn't be an issue with modern tires (unless they have directional tread).

 

In my owners manual I believe it says front to rear and rear to opposite side front. Pretty sure you can switch sides with anything as long as it isn't directional.

 

Subaru changed the recommended rotation pattern for non-directional tires recently: http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=15075

 

I still have the stock Yokohama Geolandar G900s. Are these directaional or not, and how do you tell if they are?

 

Th Geolandars are non-directional. Directional tires usually have an arrow on the sidewall indicating the correct direction.

 

What are "standard" OEM tires on a new 2020 Subaru Forester Premium? Are they non-unidirectional tires or unidirectional tires?
What is the "right" direction to rotate these tires?

 

@williefan I recently did a rotation with the non-oem tires. They are non-directional (no arrow on them indicating their orientation). Simple front to back; no change of sides.

 

@Klpawl
That's incorrect. ....at least according to the manual.

@williefan
It's in your manual but unidirectional (one direction) tires, it's front to back on each side. For non-unidirectional tires it's backs to front on the same side but fronts to back cross sides. That's the official recommendation from Subaru so you decide if you just want to do front to back on each side or the mixed X method they outline.

 

With non directional tires, doesn't matter which method you use, unless for some reason one side is wearing faster than the other.
I've always done front to back on the same side, it's just easier.

 

Maybe the latest radials are different (though I doubt it), but I'd never change wheel rotation direction when rotating the tires. I've had steel belted radials fly apart at highway speeds due do this change in wheel rotation direction. It's no fun!

Only way I'd do what the book illustrates (right rear to left front, for example) is if I had the tires flipped on the wheels. (I did this to squeeze a few more miles out of a set on a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which went through tires like crazy).

Frankly, I do not care what the book says in this instance. 50 years driving experience tells me oherwise.

 

Well, it's not as if Subaru just makes this stuff up. If you can't trust them, how about the tire manufacturers themselves?

Tire Rotation: How and Why to Rotate Your Tires

www.bridgestonetire.com

 

@Kean -- so, you're asking me if I trust corporations (whose sole purpose, by law, is to make money for shareholders) more than my experience? Not gonna happen!

Show me an unvested third party stating such and the like -- then, maybe I'll listen.

IME, it's mainly engineers, some scientists and fools who prioritize theory over reality. I'll go with the practical experience of having driven over well 750k miles in various vehicles with various tire types on all types of roads (and non-roads) any day over what self-serving corporations may say. (Remember when oleomargarine was purported to be better for one's health than butter?)

 

@08subfor
How about the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration then?

Tires

Because safety is our top priority, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Department of Transportation want to make sure you have the tools to avoid being in vehicle crashes. TireWise is your resource to help you make smart decisions to keep you and your family safe, whether...

www.nhtsa.gov

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There are a ton of resources that discuss the subject of tire rotation and while there may be some variations in the recommendations, there is a commonality in the cross-parttern just like Subaru suggests. I can even point to a C&D article on the subject or the non-profit Tire Industry Association, etc.

Look, I'm not here to tell you that you need to do it like they show in the Owner's Manual. Hell, for the most part I just do front to back for the simple reason is that it's a lot easier and faster to do. .....but to suggest you know more on this subject than the engineers that built the car, the tire companies that manufactured the tires and other experts / professional organizations in the industry is a stretch to be honest.

 

I'll state up front: I'm inclined to continue the practice of regularly rotating my AWD vehicles' tires. I figure it can't hurt, unless I injure myself in the process. 😨 I invite those with expert knowledge and strong feelings either way to chime in.

In addition to my 4G Fozzie, I also own and maintain two other AWD vehicles, a BWM and an Audi. The owner's manual for the BMW states:

Rotating wheels between axles

The manufacturer of your vehicle advises against swapping wheels between the front and rear axles.

This can impair the handling characteristics.

Rotating the tires is not permissible when using different types of tires.

Today, while I was visiting a tire shop, I asked the manager for his philosophy on the subject. He said he advises his clients that it's unnecessary to rotate tires on an AWD vehicle, unless to address uneven wear.

I see Car and Driver says AWD vehicles' tires should be rotated, and endorses the x-pattern/crisscross pattern ("move the right front to the left rear, the left front to the right rear, the left rear to the right front, and the right rear to the left front"). It also seems to go along with Tire Rack's recommended rotation interval of 3-5K miles.

The tire shop I visited today balanced tires they had installed new on my AWD BMW less than 6K mi ago, after a wheel threw a weight. The tech located the two least round wheels to the rear axel, which involved crossing one front and one rear wheel. When the vehicle reaches 6K mi next week, I plan to rotate the other two wheels similarly. That will result in all four tires having been rotated using the x-pattern.

 

I'll state up front: I'm inclined to continue the practice of regularly rotating my AWD vehicles' tires. I figure it can't hurt, unless I injure myself in the process. 😨 I invite those with expert knowledge and strong feelings either way to chime in.

In addition to my 4G Fozzie, I also own and maintain two other AWD vehicles, a BWM and an Audi. The owner's manual for the BMW states:

Today, while I was visiting a tire shop, I asked the manager for his philosophy on the subject. He said he advises his clients that it's unnecessary to rotate tires on an AWD vehicle, unless to address uneven wear.

I see Car and Driver says AWD vehicles' tires should be rotated, and endorses the x-pattern/crisscross pattern ("move the right front to the left rear, the left front to the right rear, the left rear to the right front, and the right rear to the left front"). It also seems to go along with Tire Rack's recommended rotation interval of 3-5K miles.

The tire shop I visited today balanced tires they had installed new on my AWD BMW less than 6K mi ago, after a wheel threw a weight. The tech located the two least round wheels to the rear axel, which involved crossing one front and one rear wheel. When the vehicle reaches 6K mi next week, I plan to rotate the other two wheels similarly. That will result in all four tires having been rotated using the x-pattern.

Question....

Why would you refer to Audi or BMW or a tire shop for recommendations / philosophies on the tire rotation pattern, etc. for your Subaru? The manual that came with your car is quite clear. I guess I'm just not understanding the dilemma.

Having said that, most tire chains will usually recommend an X-pattern or an alternate front-back swap. .....which seems to be the industry standard for the most part and coincidentally happens to be what Subaru suggests as well.

 

Tire rotation - Tires and wheels - Maintenance and service - Subaru Impreza Owners Manual - Subaru Impreza - SubaruManuals.org subaur says every 7500 miles x pattern unless directional tires installed.

 

So your question is which tire rotation method to follow for AWD vehicles or?

I have swapped front to rear/rear to front on same side for near a decade with zero tire related issues outside of one car where the tires hadn't been rotated in so long it developed tread pull from a bad alignment. That was on a 1999 fwd car that after a couple of rotations/re-alignment the treadpull was thankfully removed.

Now do I think my process is right or best I dunno. But when the same practice is followed on heavy diesel trucks, fwd cars, trail rigs with 28in+ tall tires and my awd cars without any bad results I just stuck to what has worked and i'll be honest all my vehicles have had great tread life on the tires but I do buy quality tires,check air pressure, replace shocks,structs, get re-aligned in the mean time etc. Even my 1 ton diesels get 40-50k plus on its tires and that's including 40% of the times towing 10k/lbs or more.

I think its fair to assume there isn't a one size fits all approach esp since tires/suspension and the environment affect vehicles differently.

current 09 forster with 25k plus on general grabber AT2 tires not named brand but little less quality and still 80% of treadlife compared to new with no unusal wear front to back/side to side.

 

I rotate IF tire wear indicates a need, otherwise I don't.

 

Subarus have cambered wheels so you will wind up with uneven wear over time. Personal opinion, 7500 miles is probably very conservative, but if you're on warranty, do what they want. When it's all on you, do what you want.

 

I rotate rear to front every 5000 on the dot. No crisscross on all wheel drive. Never had any issues. Tire wear looks even all around. I dont see how rotating is going to hurt anything unless you have alignment issues, but that's just me.

 

One thing to consider when it comes to the BMW and some other vehicles - tire size. Often times, some of these vehicles will have different sized tires front vs rear. So you cannot rotate front to back.

But you should always rotate you tires to promote even wear. I've done that on all of my cars and on my current AWD Subaru.

 

In order to keep the 60k treadwear warranty on my Michelin Cross Climate 2 tires I am required to rotate tires every 6-7k. Rotation is free where I bought them, so why not

 

BMW's may have different size tires on the front and rear as on their X5M. I think they also avoid recommending rotation because the different rates of wear on the front and rear due to camber could compromise tread contact with the road. I could only imagine this being the issue at near-race speeds.

Subarus wear front tires faster than rears because of additional weight and scrub due to steering. I've gotten a bit of feathering on the outside edges of the front tires on both of my Foresters; I prefer a system that puts each tire on each corner. The easiest for most dealers and tires stores to understand is to do a full criscross with the first rotation and then front-to-back for the next rotation, etc etc. I have a tread depth gauge so I can see where my tires are at in terms of wear, and as they get older, I might extend rotation mileage.

One interesting theory is to do the very first rotation at half the mileage of subsequent rotations, which will really keep wear even among all 4 tires. I love Michelins but I am not likely to get their Cross-Climates because I like the ability to rotate on an X basis, and the tread pattern just screams "scalloped outer edges" at me. (Of course you can fix that by remounting left and right tires with the rear side mounted outward.

 

I automatically rotate and avoid uneven wear by virtue of swapping snow tires and regular ones back and forth every year. I measure tread depth, and the pair with greater depth goes on the front, where the tires wear faster than on the rear. All my tires are directional, so there's never an X swap.

 

+1 on what @YoGeorge said about the Subaru feathering the outside front tires. Hard cornering and additional weight, while the back tires only go straight and push the vehicle forward and handle some braking!

 

My experience is that the fronts on the forester wear twice as quickly as the rears, so if you want your tyres to wear evenly (changing 4 at a time) then you definitely want to rotate.

If you are ok changing 2 at a time, then no rotation can work, but then you need to be very careful about lateral wear as well, especially with bad front control arm bushings etc

 

AWD vehicles should only be 4 tire changes. The stress on the gearing isn't worth it.