Rotation Of 18 Inch Tires

[leggo]

I have a new 2009 IS 250 RWD with 18 inch Bridgestone Turanza ER33 tires, 225/40 front and 255/40 rear. Page 326 of the manual says no rotation of 18 inch tires. Anyone know why these tires cannot be rotated side to side? They are not directional tread tires.

[NicLX470]

It will not hurt anything to rotate the tires that way but honestly it will not do any good. Switching the front wheels with each other still subjects them to cornering and all the other hazards of being on the front of the car. Same goes for the rear tires. The only reason you rotate tires is to move the front tires to the back and vice versa to get an even wear pattern on the tires. Just moving them to the opposite side will probably really not make any difference in your wear pattern. But because rear wheel drive versions of the IS are staggered sizes you cannot rotate the tires in the normal fasion.

[bartkat]

First, are you sure you have non directional tires? Second, after reversing direction radials will be squirrely for a few hundred miles and reversing the set may cause more wear than you saved by the rotation. Rotation won't correct any noticeable wear problems so it's really probably not worth the effort.

[mr_raider]

Your tires rotate enough when you drive, leave them be :P

[leggo]

First, are you sure you have non directional tires? Second, after reversing direction radials will be squirrely for a few hundred miles and reversing the set may cause more wear than you saved by the rotation. Rotation won't correct any noticeable wear problems so it's really probably not worth the effort.

I don't know that I am sure they are non-directional, but I looked at them carefully and there is no arrow or any other indication on the sidewall that they need to rotate in one direction. Plus the tread does not look to my admittedly unskillled eye like it is directional. And the manual literally says not to rotate "2WD models with 18-inch or directional 17-inch tires."

I am a pretty tame driver. How many miles should I expect to get on these tires?

[bartkat]

First, are you sure you have non directional tires? Second, after reversing direction radials will be squirrely for a few hundred miles and reversing the set may cause more wear than you saved by the rotation. Rotation won't correct any noticeable wear problems so it's really probably not worth the effort.

I don't know that I am sure they are non-directional, but I looked at them carefully and there is no arrow or any other indication on the sidewall that they need to rotate in one direction. Plus the tread does not look to my admittedly unskillled eye like it is directional. And the manual literally says not to rotate "2WD models with 18-inch or directional 17-inch tires."

I am a pretty tame driver. How many miles should I expect to get on these tires?

My Dunlop Maxi's had about half tread left when I took them off the front at about 12,000 miles. I'd guess you might get 20,000 plus miles. The OEM tires were usually made to be sticky and hence a softer rubber compound that wears faster.

As for directional, they should show a definite non 90 degree angle to the tread pattern and shoulder sipes for wet weather water squishing. Turning those around is also going to make them tend to hydroplane more. You can, however have them dismounted and remounted, switch car sides and keep them rotating the same direction as they have been. If you need balance or alignment that's a good time to do it.

It's just that I haven't seen or heard of any non directional OEM performance tires, not that they don't exist.

[CrunchySkippy]

It's just that I haven't seen or heard of any non directional OEM performance tires, not that they don't exist.

I'm not aware of any either.