Rotation Explanation (Tire Rotation Patterns)
January 7, 2024
You may notice that when you get your vehicle's oil changed, your service adviser may recommend that you have your tires rotated at the same time. The reasons are simple. That will allow your tires to wear more evenly and reduce the noise your tires make as you drive down the road.
There are different ways of rotating tires. If your vehicle has non-directional tires and the same size wheels at each corner, here are the different rotation patterns.
For all-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive vehicles, one is called the rearward cross pattern. The rear tires are moved to the front and stay on the same side of the vehicle, and the front tires are moved to the rear on the side opposite of where they were on the front.
For all-wheel and four-wheel drive vehicles, use the X pattern. The rear tires are moved to the front on the opposite side of the vehicle, and the fronts are moved to the rear on the opposite side of where they were on the front.
For front-wheel drive, there's the forward cross. The front tires are moved to the rear wheels on the same side of the vehicle as they were on the front and the rear tires are moved to the opposite side of the vehicle than they were on the rear.
If you have directional tires (they only can be mounted in one direction) and the same size directional wheels, the rear tires are moved to the front on the same side of the vehicle where they were, and the front tires are moved to the rear on the same side they were on the front. And if you have tires with different sizes of non-directional tires and wheels on the front and rear, rotation will be from one side of the vehicle to the other.
If you have a spare, it's put into the rotation using a forward cross or rearward cross.
Yep, that's a lot to keep straight. So, we suggest letting your service advisor recommend the right rotation pattern for you at the interval your vehicle's manufacturer specifies.
Sterling Tire & Auto
34701 Van Dyke Rd
Sterling Heights, Michigan 48312
586-264-7775
Need Service?
More articles from Sterling Tire & Auto
Losing Your Cool (Why is My Air Conditioning System Not Working?)
January 25, 2026
When you turn on the air conditioning in your vehicle, you expect cool air to come out of the vents. You depend on it, especially in hot weather, but it can also be important in humid weather when you need it to help defrost your windows and windshield. The air conditioning system has a lot of p... More
Why Maintaining Your Windshield Wipers and Washers Matters (Windshield Wiper and Washer Inspection)
January 18, 2026
What do mud, bird droppings and frost all have in common? When theyre covering your windshield, they can temporarily obscure your view of the road, leaving you driving blind. And when you cant see the road clearly ahead of you, it can be really scary. Thats one of the reasons its important to m... More
Why is My Brake Pedal Hard to Push?
January 11, 2026
When you push on your brake pedal, you should find your vehicle easy to stop. But at some point, you might notice stopping takes much more pressure on the pedal than it used to. When it gets to that point it becomes a safety issue, and you should bring your vehicle in so we can track down whats... More