Tire rotation?

[dr. d]

i recommend the cross-wrench over the casa-supplied one-sizer. then get a 1 meter length of appropriate-diameter nawasa pipe. they go well together. pintahan nyo yung nawasa pipe kung gusto nyong mas maganda. in our long experience changing tires spanning over 3 decades, the cross-wrench-nawasa-pipe combo will suffice.
breaker bar for removing tight lugs, cross wrench only for tightening.

torque settings? it never bothered us before. steel rims or mags. small minicar or breadloaf van. wag lang tapakan at talunan.
i suppose the size of the wrench dis-allows over-tightening. and the breaker bar easily addresses over-tight lugs by over-eager tire shop hulks..

and oh! always have a pair of work gloves.
and a pair of 2 x 4s, pang-kalso ng gulong.

[oj88]

What comes next is just a personal opinion of mine.

---

Tire rotation stemmed from the fact that suspension systems aren't perfect. One way or another, the subtle changes in the suspension geometry over time due to wear and tear and damage can affect how the tire contacts the pavement.... hence, can potentially lead to uneven tread wear. Not to mention that many owners takes a relaxed approach to maintaining the correct tire pressure.

But as of late, it seems that tire rotation is becoming less of a requirement if you drive mostly in MM and/or your vehicle just averages 10-12k km a year (my personal average). Two reasons why:

1. With such low mileage, the tread life will likely outlive the life of the rubber. It is common knowledge that rubber decays over time. So by the time the tread wear even reaches critical depth, the tires would've needed replacement anyway due to structural fatigue or decomposition
2. It seems that modern suspension systems have tighter fitments (bushings, ball joints) and they hold these tolerances quite longer than yesteryear's models. Suspension geometry also seems to be designed better throughout the full motion of the wheel, again, compared to older designs

But as always, there is no replacement for tire maintenance, such as:
1. Maintaining proper inflation
2. Regular inspection for cracks and other structural damage
3. You still have to check for uneven tread wear. But consider it as an indication of an underlying problem (ie. suspension wear/damage, improper inflation, etc.)
4. Having the wheel alignment checked every year or so, or after the vehicle has been subjected to a jarring bump/pothole
5. Having unusual suspension noises and 'clunks' checked immediately

This is a bit unorthodox but, in the last three vehicles that I've owned, I've sold them all with the original tires still on them (all averaging 6-7 years old with 50-60k km on the odo). None of them ever had a tire rotation. Though, at point of sale, I did tell the buyer that the car will probably need new tires soon.

Just to be clear, there is NO harm in having a tires rotated. However, it may be unnecessary if you fall within the parameters I've indicated above.

My 2c worth.

[dr. d]

front tires always wear faster than rear tires.
they have the un-enviable task of steering the car in the right direction.

[oj88]

front tires always wear faster than rear tires.
they have the un-enviable task of steering the car in the right direction.

True. Two of my previous cars (6th and 8th Gen Civics) were FWD. They still had their original tires at point of sale. There were maybe around 30-40% tread left in the front and about 50% in the rear.

That said, even with the usable tread, the tires were approaching their "rot" zone.

[papi smith]

torque settings? it never bothered us before. steel rims or mags. small minicar or breadloaf van. wag lang tapakan at talunan.
i suppose the size of the wrench dis-allows over-tightening. and the breaker bar easily addresses over-tight lugs by over-eager tire shop hulks...

I wonder how our weight can be used as a torque indicator. I always tighten my lugs with my weight by standing on the wrench, that's all, no jumping on it, just a 2 second stand on each lug. I am 65 kgs.

The tire boys most probably tighten it more as i have to jump around 1-3x before i get 1 loose, unless, it tightens over time with use?

[jick.cejoco]

I wonder how our weight can be used as a torque indicator. I always tighten my lugs with my weight by standing on the wrench, that's all, no jumping on it, just a 2 second stand on each lug. I am 65 kgs.

The tire boys most probably tighten it more as i have to jump around 1-3x before i get 1 loose, unless, it tightens over time with use?

The torque used to tighten a fastener is measured in pound feet (pound force) or kilogram force meter.
It is derived from multiplying force in pound times length of the arm in feet or force kilogram times length of arm in meters.


High school physics i think

[bloowolf]

I wonder how our weight can be used as a torque indicator. I always tighten my lugs with my weight by standing on the wrench, that's all, no jumping on it, just a 2 second stand on each lug. I am 65 kgs.

The tire boys most probably tighten it more as i have to jump around 1-3x before i get 1 loose, unless, it tightens over time with use?

Naalala ko tuloy si Botchie Santos ng Topgear magazine.
Yung proper way is to tighten it buy not ovetighten with your hands then use a torque wrench to check. But if you do not have that wrench, just tighten by hand. It won’t loosen if it tightened just right. You are not even supposed to grease the nuts. It has a tendency to loosen when greased.

[Ry_Tower]

Naalala ko tuloy si Botchie Santos ng Topgear magazine.
Yung proper way is to tighten it buy not ovetighten with your hands then use a torque wrench to check. But if you do not have that wrench, just tighten by hand. It won’t loosen if it tightened just right. You are not even supposed to grease the nuts. It has a tendency to loosen when greased.

Hand tighten nga lang, no need na sipain pa para humigpit, kontra naman sa takbo ng gulong kaya hindi yan matatanggal. Bawal nga din ang grease.

[12vdc]

I always have a 1/2 drive swivel 18 inch handle chrome vanadium breaker bar under the car seat and appropriate sized deep socket for the lug nut. Adds extra self defense, kesa tubo ang dalhin ko.

Passenger cars are usually 90-110 N.m, HD trucks around 150-200 N.m

[jick.cejoco]

Torque specs for lug nuts


https://www.discounttiredirect.com/learn/wheel-torque

[bloowolf]

The torque specs are all in the manual. With all my different cars through the years, the manufacturers have always included the torque specs in the manual. All we have to do is read it. Admittedly, I have made the mistake of greasing the nuts before, since this was what was taught to me by my father. Now I know better.
There were two memorable instances i recall involving tire mechanics. One was when I bought tires from Tire Center. They used a pneumatic wrench. When I got home, I wanted to loosen it so that I can torque. It was so tight that I had to get the help of our fat househelp to step on the wrench & jump on it. Imagine doing it on 16 lug nuts. The other was when I suffered a flat & had it fixed in your friendly sidewalk vulcaniziing shop. When he loosened it, he felt that the nuts were too loose. Sanay kasi gumamit ng extension bar to tighten the nuts.