q5q7

the manual indicates the rotation should be front back, same side only. any idea why it is the case?

I am not using directional tires.

manishaudi

Really? I did that with my 2012. I will have to check the manual of my 2012 & 2016 about that

schalliol

Good question! I'm planning to get my tires rotated around lunch, so any insight would be good. Audi's differential system isn't as finicky as some other AWD cars that get really upset if you have much tread difference between them.

If you get your car aligned, it shouldn't matter (or at least I don't know why it would). In my C6 with full-size spare, I would do a 5 tire rotation.

superswiss

It has to do with the steel belts in the tire setting in one direction and if the rotational direction of the tire is changed, belt separation may occur. Different tires are more or less susceptible to this, so the safe rotation pattern is front to back so the tires rotate in the same direction over their entire lifespan. Pirelli for example recommends front to back rotation of their tires. So, if you criss-cross, check with the tire manufacturer first if belt separation is a concern for your particular tire.

schalliol

Ahh, I see, so it's a tire manufacturer thing, not an Audi thing. That makes sense.

gk1

Sorry but I'm doubtful. No manufacturer would risk someone not following a recommended rotation pattern and having belt separation failure occur. Especially since they can't even win the battle of putting responsibility on the owner for proper tire inflation. (Hence TPMS in every car.) Plus from the Pirelli website they indicate switching sides if the size is different front and rear so that puts the manufacturer belt separation risk out.

https://www.pirelli.com/asset/index....idelement=5810

IMHO it may be just because front to back is the simplest effective solution and covers directional tread tires.

snagitseven

Ever since steel belted radial tires were introduced years ago, it has been recommended to rotate front to back, same sides. While a belt failure could be uncommon, reversing direction can warp the belt introducing shimmy vibrations that can be difficult, if not impossible to correctly balance and can affect true tracking of the tread.
Been there, done that.

superswiss

Complete belt failure with today's tires is probably minimal, however, the fact remains that the belts settle in one direction over time. If you force them to resettle in the opposite direction every 5k-10k miles they will weaken over time, potentially warp or make the tire less resistant to pothole impacts and cause bubbles when they snap. Ever taken a piece of metal and bent it back and forward until it snapped? That's exactly what's going on here.

Any tire shop worth their money will reverse the tire on the rim if they rotate side to side in order to preserve the rotational direction. Obviously an absolute must if the tires are directional. Reversing the tire is not always possible, because some tires like the P Zero for example have a dedicate inside/outside thread design.

The gist is front to back is always safe provided the tires are the same size. If rotating side to side you need to know what you are doing and if the tires are not reversible than you shouldn't rotate side to side.

q5q7

thanks everyone.

here is the story:
when I was on my way home, the tire pressure alarm sounded, I ignored it, kept driving for about 3 miles till I get home, not knowing what had happened.

the next morning, driver side rear tire is flat, and only then I realized I hit a nail.

the tire has some damage on the sidewalls.

I hope the rim will be ok.

I'll do the rotation as suggested.

snagitseven

Just curious, why did you ignore the warning? If you had stopped and changed to the spare you would probably would have saved the tire and not be worrying about the rim. (Most any damage to the sidewall renders a tire unrepairable).