Carlos, get yourself some better tires:P

In any case, I agree with Norm. Most manufacturers do have a recommended cross-rotation pattern, but usually they also note that it's just fine to rotate them front to back. Most tire shops will do a front to back rotation just because they can't keep track of how the rotations have been done in the past. If you choose to use a cross-rotation pattern, you need to keep track of it and make sure it gets done every time.

 

My next performance upgrade will definately be real tires. All the upgrades I've done so far are a waste if I'm going to be bouncing around the freeway on toy tires. I don't have the budget right now for new rubber (which is why I was interested in stretching my old tires), but when I do I'll be looking for something softer without going to the poorhouse.

CP

 

Don't have to say that twice.

I've been autocrossing this FWD car on DOT-legal tires that I'd rather not heat-cycle to death in daily-driving (Falken Azenis RT615, FWIW).


As with most FWD cars, the front tires are overworked while the rears have almost nothing to do (and I can barely get any heat at all into them once the weather stops being hot). These particular tires are "outside/inside" rather than directional, so I can do any variety of 4-tire rotation and do so for each event. The only way I can keep track of where I want them to go next is to write things like "WAS RF → RR" or "WAS LR → RF" on the tread blocks when I take them off to drive home. Obviously, that method's not going to work for DD tires.


Norm

 

Carlos, look into some BFG G-Force Sports. It looks like you have 16's, and there are several different sizes available for 16" rims. That's what I'm going to be shooting for when I get my 16" wheels. They're affordable, but they still very well for the price and will still last more than 10k mi.

 

In the last several years I have started the cross rotation that I described earlier and I do it at every oil change on all my vehicles.

That said, rotation is MOST important on front wheel drive vehicles (of which the only one on my place is my wifes Mini Cooper.) If you don't keep up with a good rotation program on a front wheel drive car, tires will start roaring so bad that you'll swear that it needs every bearing on it replaced.

I have had great luck cross rotating on everything, but I don't think it's as important on our Mustangs as it is on other cars.

My $0.02,

 

+1

Having worked sales at a Sears Auto for 2+ years, FWD cars are very, very prone to tire wear on the front tires if they're not rotated regularly. Not only is all of the weight on the front tires, but they're also the same tires used to accelerate, brake, and steer the car. Without rotations, I'd expect a set of average tires on a FWD car to last a maximum of 20k miles.

 

Thanks, They're actually 15x7 and 15x8s. I will definately check out the BFGs.

CP