(No) rotation for cars with larger rear tires?
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From: Long Island, NY
2024 E450
(No) rotation for cars with larger rear tires?
Just checked with Costco tire center and was told they couldn't do rotation since the front/rear tires are of different sizes. So do we just drive them to the end?
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Assuming this is your fitment, you also need to be aware that these are summer tires and not adequate for consistent temperatures below 45 degrees. Look to Tire Rack or similar for the options but I’d offer that Michelin Pilot Sport All Season is a good option.
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Correct called STAGGERED tire size.
No rotation and do not let any shop try to sell you a tire rotation.
One thing it does it cut tire MILEAGE WARRANTY in half - Read Fine Print.
Does allow you to buy just the rears or fronts as needed though.
Kinda makes you wonder why all your life you heard YOU MUST ROTATE tires.... if they now sell cars where you cannot rotate
No rotation and do not let any shop try to sell you a tire rotation.
One thing it does it cut tire MILEAGE WARRANTY in half - Read Fine Print.
Does allow you to buy just the rears or fronts as needed though.
Kinda makes you wonder why all your life you heard YOU MUST ROTATE tires.... if they now sell cars where you cannot rotate
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When you rotate tires you do not balance and/or remove tires from the wheel: It is only moving the wheels from the rear to the front. Many years ago, when we had a spare, we rotated in an "X" pattern. Today rotation is rear to front, same side to keep the same rotation direction.
Most tire shops when you buy tires, including Costco, there is no charge for rotation.
The reason to rotate tires is to have the tires wear evenly. In RW bias cars with AWD, like the E Class, the rear tires wear faster than the front tires. If you do not rotate, the rear tires will need replacement while there is plenty of tread left on the front tires. By rotating you extend the time before replacement and replace all four tires. By rotating you will not have new tires on the rear with old tires up front.
Contrary to what you wrote rotating tires is cost effective.
Try to get your information correct before posting.
Also on other threads you posted that you replace your tires well before there is 3/32 of tread life left, usually about 10,000 miles. If you replace at 10,000 miles there is of course no reason to rotate at 5,000 miles.
It would be helpful when you post to let others know this so they can make their decision accordingly. What you do is unique and not applicable to most other posters.
Last edited by JTK44; Apr 24, 2025 at 08:20 AM.
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I have my tires balanced while mounted on the car. That way all of the moving parts - hub, disc, wheel and tire are balanced as a unit. Removing a wheel/tire for balancing not only costs more for labor, but does notbalance the hub or disc. The disc is subject to wear which means that it can also become unbalanced. The last time I had tires mounted and balanced the cost was $240 + tax. That's more than the cost of a Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus. If one rotates tires every 5k miles, one could purchase a new set of tires after 20k miles from the savings obtained by not rotating tires. Not rotating tires is cost effective.
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I have my tires balanced while mounted on the car. That way all of the moving parts - hub, disc, wheel and tire are balanced as a unit. Removing a wheel/tire for balancing not only costs more for labor, but does notbalance the hub or disc. The disc is subject to wear which means that it can also become unbalanced. The last time I had tires mounted and balanced the cost was $240 + tax. That's more than the cost of a Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus. If one rotates tires every 5k miles, one could purchase a new set of tires after 20k miles from the savings obtained by not rotating tires. Not rotating tires is cost effective.
It is about rotating tires, which does not require rebalancing tires and is often done for free and balancing a tire, which is not the subject of this thread.
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The point of this thread is what to do when you have staggered tire dimensions. The answer is simply you are precluded from rotating tires. That was the OP's original question.
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Staggered tires are not cost effective for me. My X7 was delivered with a staggered Continental setup that I removed and replaced with a square setup before reaching 1K miles. There are maybe 6 tire brand and model (including winter tires) setups that fit the X7's OE staggered setup, all are $500 - $600 per tire, and the tires are toast in less than 20K miles. The set of Michelins I bought were $1200 for the set of 4, balance/rotation is free (as is flat repair) every 5K at Discount Tire, and the tread wear warranty is 60K miles. I can't see my tires from the driver's seat, and why should I care how they appear to others?
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It goes without saying that if you have staggered tires you cannot rotate your tires.
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Nothing is free.
You missed the part about balancing the hubs, discs and the tire while on the car. If you only partially balance the moving parts by excluding the hubs and discs, rotation does not require balancing. However, if one does complete balancing of all the moving parts, tire rotation without rebalancing may leave the entire assembly out of balance.
Last edited by ua549; Apr 24, 2025 at 12:01 PM.
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This is because the wheels in the front have a different offset from the rear wheels. So even though the tires are the same size (and might appear to be a square setup), we cannot rotate, unless one wants to pay for removing, remounting and rebalancing. So the situation exists even in the non-staggered tires, due to the decision made by Mercedes to have different offsets in the front vs the rear wheels.
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Please also note that in case of the 2024 GLE (possibly earlier years too) etc., even though the front/rear tires are the same size on 20” wheels, it has the same situation as the staggered tires.
This is because the wheels in the front have a different offset from the rear wheels. So even though the tires are the same size (and might appear to be a square setup), we cannot rotate, unless one wants to pay for removing, remounting and rebalancing. So the situation exists even in the non-staggered tires, due to the decision made by Mercedes to have different offsets in the front vs the rear wheels.
This is because the wheels in the front have a different offset from the rear wheels. So even though the tires are the same size (and might appear to be a square setup), we cannot rotate, unless one wants to pay for removing, remounting and rebalancing. So the situation exists even in the non-staggered tires, due to the decision made by Mercedes to have different offsets in the front vs the rear wheels.
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But the front wheels have a different offset from the rear wheels. So cannot rotate, unless the dismounting/mounting/re-balancing routine is done. Either way, crazy decision by MB to do it this way.
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Yes, wheels have the same width, front to rear. Tires have the same width front to rear.
But the front wheels have a different offset from the rear wheels. So cannot rotate, unless the dismounting/mounting/re-balancing routine is done. Either way, crazy decision by MB to do it this way.
But the front wheels have a different offset from the rear wheels. So cannot rotate, unless the dismounting/mounting/re-balancing routine is done. Either way, crazy decision by MB to do it this way.
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I think the 2 sparring members here, need to cool off.
Why would you waste these precious minutes of your life, tossing insults at each other ? Life becomes a lot more pleasurable, when we support each other, than try to bring the other person down.
Why would you waste these precious minutes of your life, tossing insults at each other ? Life becomes a lot more pleasurable, when we support each other, than try to bring the other person down.
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Yes, wheels have the same width, front to rear. Tires have the same width front to rear.
But the front wheels have a different offset from the rear wheels. So cannot rotate, unless the dismounting/mounting/re-balancing routine is done. Either way, crazy decision by MB to do it this way.
But the front wheels have a different offset from the rear wheels. So cannot rotate, unless the dismounting/mounting/re-balancing routine is done. Either way, crazy decision by MB to do it this way.
