Question about Tire Rotation
 

I rotated my tires a few weeks ago and now the rear end of my car feels like I am driving on ice. The traction control is constantly coming on which was never the case before. Any idea what would cause this to happen? The tires all look fine and do not vibrate or anything when driving, but I am no professional.

Thanks,

are your tires directional?

Every time I rotate my tires the car wants to slide a lot more and I may see TC kick in on the street, but this typically goes away within around 50-100 miles of driving. I always chalked it up to slightly differences in diameter and tread wear patterns wearing themselves in between the front and the rear, probably exacerbated by the fact I dual-use the car on track.


Also, check your tire pressures. If you let other people do your tires they always do pressures stupidly high. Look at the door card, it's supposed to be 35psi cold in every tire. I run slightly higher on the street for economy and because I'm lazy and there's a big black marker for 2.5 bar (36.25 psi) on my tire gauge.


Higher pressures can induce oversteer, especially if the rear pressure is higher than the front pressure.

They are all facing the right direction.

I was hoping it would go away after driving it around for a couple weeks, but it has not. I have not checked the tire pressure yet but unless they put over 40psi, I do not see how it would make the car slide all over. I usually run 35 psi and the last time I had work done to my car (different garage) they did fill it to 40 psi. Though even at 40 psi the car did not slip around like it is currently.

Why in the hell not?

My wife has been in the hospital and I have spent most of my spare time there. Also, I did not think that is what is causing this issue.

I hope your wife is OK.

What make/model tires, how old are they, and how much tread depth left? All same age, similar tread wear?

She is in a lot of pain but will be fine. She is having issues with her Sciatica and will need surgery. Thanks

My tires are Uniroyal Tiger Paw GTZ All Season's

If pressures are all OK, you might have a "bad" tire or two. In which case you should replace them.

I hope your wife's surgery goes well.


You should definitely check your pressures for several reasons.


1) Very high pressures can cause uneven tire wear which will result in strange handling behavior over time.


2) Different brands/types of tires are rated for different maximum pressures. Some dodgy tire shops will set the pressure to what the sidewall says... that's not a recommendation, it's the max. When you're driving your tires warm up, especially during braking or cornering, this will cause the pressure to rise with temperature. Having an excessively high pressure causes tread/compound damage and can result in a tire blowout.


3) While it's important to be in the right range for pressures, it's also important that the pressure are the same in every tire, or at least L/R in the front and the rear. Different pressures on each side can absolutely trigger TC and cause strange handling behavior. You may not notice a 1psi difference, but a 3psi difference WILL be noticeable.


4) Tire pressure is perhaps the most important component of tire performance and handling.




While I cannot with certainty claim that this is what is causing your issue, the probability is high. You may also want to inspect your tires for damage because it's possible they have worn unevenly due to incorrect pressures and this will definitely result in strange behavior. There's some good guides online for what good vs bad tire wear looks like.

I am thinking I waited to long to have the tires rotated which messed up the tire if thats possible. Its to bad since the tires have plenty of tread still. Question, I have Rays Gram Lights 57xtreme's 17 inch. The current tires I have do not fit perfectly (245/40-17).

Attachment 171497

Will a slightly larger tire rub when I turn the steering wheel?

If you have time to put gas in your car, you can check tire pressure. It's literally a 3 minute job. Sorry for your wife's troubles and I wish her the best, but saying you haven't had time to check tire pressure at all in the last few weeks since having them rotated is a bit of a stretch. Hell - in the time it took to start/reply to this thread, you could've done it. It goes right along with making sure you still have oil in the motor, and it's a fundamental piece of info needed to diagnose your complaint.

Its possible to rub depending on ride height. Look for marks or spots rubbed clean in the fender area

Do they show any weird wear? Or are one half significantly more worn then the other?

You could always change them back and see if it fixes itself.