Tires rotated. Now Noisy

[MDJAK]

Imagine this. My wife, a truly lovely woman if I do say so myself, (as would anyone else who knows her) is generally oblivious to all things cars. She drives whatever I buy for her, knows nothing about cars. On the rare occasions I find myself in her vehicle, if I hear a noise, etc., she's like "I didn't hear that."

So yesterday we are in my truck and she says "What's that noise?" I attributed it to the fact I had just had it serviced and they rotated the tires, which they didn't do in the last 10k miles. The fronts are not down to the wear bars (32k miles since new) but getting close. Those fronts are now on the rear and that is where the increased road noise is coming from, or at least I think it is.

Does that seem plausible? I know some tires when they become worn can make more noise.

If that's the case, Falken AT4 or the new KO3? I saw the Falken on a truck recently and loved the agressive looking sidewall but I've also seen videos which said the snow traction is not as good as the AT3 was.

 

[EricM]

You are wearing them the other way now, cutting the high areas of tread and scalloped areas down. I can see them making more noise for a while in that case.

 

[GCATX]

These tires get noisier as they wear. Rears wear faster than fronts, now the noisier ones are under your feet.

 

[EricM]

Rears wear faster than fronts

That's a broad statement. I think you won't find many who agree with that.

 

[GCATX]

That's a broad statement. I think you won't find many who agree with that.

Coming from someone that never rotates tires. Rears for sure wear faster.

You can believe it or not.

 

[EricM]

I'm sure they do on your truck, I'm not doubting that. Everyone's use case is different.

In general though- that's not the case. Fronts get eaten up quickly by most people simply by the way they park. They turn the wheel while sitting still, then move. That one thing just destroys front tires. You can see the black rubber on concrete when someone does it. The same types back out onto the street, straighten the wheels, then go. They wreck lawns the way they operate zero turn mowers as well.

Add in the front tires doing 80% of the braking and nearly every driver will wear fronts way faster than rears. Tires also wear unevenly up front, developing scallops across the tread blocks which cause vibration. The rears never do that.

 

[shigman]

On the independent suspension axle you're more likely to have cupping or slightly more uneven wear between the inside and outside of the tire (alignment, turning, braking, more weight, as the suspension ages this can get worse). Once they go on the rear they get cut down to more even. It can make some noise. I've noticed pretty even wear between the front and back, no difference between all 4 after 5K miles. Thats my theory anyway.

 

[GCATX]

Last set I took off measured 7/32 on the rears and 13/32 on the fronts. Yes, the fronts wear on the outer edges though.

 

[EricM]

What pressures do you run?

 

[GCATX]

What pressures do you run?

Low/mid 30's. I went and checked my new tires, a month or two old, the rear is already 1/32 lower than the front.