So looking at the owners manual for my new 2023 Equinox I see a note saying that the 1st tire rotation is the most important. (see screen grab) Why would that be true?
1st tire rotation most important?
- Thread starter BobsArmory
- Start date
Canadian car or are the manuals now so metric oriented such that they show metric figures primarily and British units as secondary?
TLM.Didn't know if the tires are settling in during this period, if it is a way of getting you in the habit of going into the dealership service center or something else.
JHZR2
Staff member
Perhaps most important to ensure there are no defects or issues that go unnoticed too long.
There might be something to the concept that new tires should get worn in evenly at first, not after 20k mikes, but that means consistent rotations, not just the first…
There might be something to the concept that new tires should get worn in evenly at first, not after 20k mikes, but that means consistent rotations, not just the first…
I always believed that the first was the most important because it sets the wear pattern in the tire and if it goes too far its impossible to undo. I never had any hard proof and back then the only thing we had were bubble balancers but if a tire goes to far wearing the inside or outside, no matter were you put it, it will tend to follow that pattern. If you catch it soon enough it will level itself out.
This is the right answer. All the better for them to sell you an alignment, which could actually save money since tires are larger and more expensive now.
The first 5k miles would be the most difficult to see abnormal tire wear. Abnormal wear would likely will be more easily detectable on the second rotation.
