Tire rotation patterns

I’m sharing observations from a persistent annoyance with tires and vibrations that are solvable depending on tire placement. I don’t think any of the tires are defective but I can’t be sure on that. They’re about 1.5 years old with probably about 12-15k on them or so. Maybe less, not more.

Tires are 265/75/16 Procomp AT sport on 3rd gen TRD OR wheels. Balanced and running smooth. Wear seems even across all four.

Last thanksgiving I rotated my tires in an effort to cure some unwanted vibrations at highway speeds around 65-75. I rotated my tires front to back with no cris crossing and the vibrations completely went away. Win.

Yesterday I reversed that and rotated them again, front to back. A road test reminded me of the vibrations I got rid of last thanksgiving - they were back and at the same speeds. I did some looking and found that for rear wheel and 4 wheel drive vehicles, rear tires to the front and fronts cris crossed to the back is the recommended pattern..? So I swapped my rear tires and sure as excrement, the vibrations are gone.

Again, with no discernible abnormal wear on any of them, with them all being balanced, what gives with that scenario? Anything I might have overlooked? Vehicle is aligned and tracks straight.

Torqued lugs to 85 ft pounds. No wheel spacers or anything abnormal.

No outstanding issue, just sharing these observations wondering if anyone has experienced anything similar.

Happy 4th

 

We’re they “forced balanced”

if not try that type of tire balancing 1st

 

I do not know the method of balancing that was used. Paperwork didn’t specify either. Next time I’ll get more details on that.

Thanks!

 

I believe this is the best method. Driven wheels go straight, the others are crisscrossed as long as they are not directional tires.

 

Ahh, a detail I forgot to mention. Mine are not directional so I was able to switch sides.

 

How many miles since the wheels were balanced? Mileage and use will cause wear and impact the balance.

Also notable, swapping side to side changes rolling direction.

edit: Do you air down for off pavement use? The tire bead can shift with low air pressures effecting wheel balance.

 

I do a matching 5 tire rotation like this:

Put the truck up on jack stands, remove all 5 tires, rears X to the front axle, fronts X to the rear axle, then I find the lowest tread depth tire and put that on the spare carrier and the spare in place of it.

All tires have been road force balanced.

I have some vibes but I believe that's all drive shaft angles as it's speed and harmonics dependant, comes in around 45-65 being noticeable.

With that said I haven't heard much good about ProComp tires, could be a shifted belt or manufacturing defect.

 

They haven’t been balanced since mounted new. And with the exception of the occasional unpaved road to a random customers house I don’t get off the pavement much sadly. Luckily as of now it’s a ton smoother just since rotating my rear tires this morning. So in the end, it’s as if I just went rears to the front, and crossed the fronts to the back.

My next set of tires will likely be skinny’s and definitely of a different brand.