Traveler III
I have heard mixed opinions on to, or not to rotate your spare on the rig. Whats everyone else think?
Do you rotate you Spare on your rigs?
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Creator III
I agree with bandit. Proper rotation IMO helps with tread wear and prolongs tire life. Also include proper tire pressure.
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Benefactor
Should, but don't.
Nope, I didn’t when I had a jeep with a matching spare now that I have a steel spare that doesn’t match the alloy wheels I definitely won’t. I actually probably only rotate the 4 on the truck half as often as recommended anyway. They seem to wear evenly enough for me and I have never noticed a big enough difference to matter. It’s the only maintenance that I’m not meticulous about. I could probably stretch a set of tires a little longer, and if it was a street vehicle I would do it more, but by the time it gets that close I am wanting deeper lugs again anyway so they tend to get replaced earlier than later. I have seen vehicles that wear tires dramatically though and rotation often is definitely needed. Fortunately for me this hasn’t been the case.
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Traveler III
If I had a matching spare tire I would, but it's just a free all-season I got when the old spare tire would no longer hold air. Thankfully I do have a matching rim to the alloys on the rig. This is definitely something many do not practice due to most spares being a steelie or a donut. OB/off-road rigs might have better luck as they usually have a matching spare wheel
Enthusiast III
I do a five-tire rotation because I have a matching spare and want to make sure that, if and when I have to use it, the wear pattern roughly matches those of the remaining three tires.
Mixing a spare with fresh rubber with tires that have substantial wear risks the issue of compromised traction and handling, which I'd rather avoid at both highway speed and off-road. This issue is due in part to the difference in tread wear, and in part because a new tire will still have its coating of mold-release lubricant on it from the manufacturer's curing process. It takes roughly 500 miles of break-in before a new tire's coating is worn off and it performs at full design spec. In other words, a fresh spare will usually have inferior traction to the three broken-in tires. Having a spare with fresh rubber is better than having no spare at all, but a five-tire rotation avoids this issue and isn't any more difficult than a four-tire rotation.
Mixing a spare with fresh rubber with tires that have substantial wear risks the issue of compromised traction and handling, which I'd rather avoid at both highway speed and off-road. This issue is due in part to the difference in tread wear, and in part because a new tire will still have its coating of mold-release lubricant on it from the manufacturer's curing process. It takes roughly 500 miles of break-in before a new tire's coating is worn off and it performs at full design spec. In other words, a fresh spare will usually have inferior traction to the three broken-in tires. Having a spare with fresh rubber is better than having no spare at all, but a five-tire rotation avoids this issue and isn't any more difficult than a four-tire rotation.
