VS30: Watch out for your diff if getting tyres changed

Mr. Bills

Raconteur Emeritus
what is the recommended rotation interval?
Recommended by whom?

Michelin says every 6-8,000 miles or every 6 months.
Bridgestone/Firestone says every 5,000 miles or every 6 months.
Goodyear recommends every 3-6,000 miles.
Discount Tire/America's Tire recommends every 6-8,000 miles
Mercedes Benz dealerships recommend every 5-7,500 miles for 2WD Sprinters and every 3-5,000 miles for 4WD Sprinters.

I have my tires rotated on my 2016 Sprinter 2500 4WD every 5,000 miles.
 

Kajtek1

2015 3500 X long limo RV
Wheels on dually Sprinters with alloy wheels can't be rotated.
Inner rims are steel, when outer rims are polished only on 1 side.
You can rotate left to right, but not front to rear.
 
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third coast

2012 Sprinter 3500, 2013 Winnebago Era 70A
what is the recommended rotation interval?
What configuration do you have? You might want to add that to your profile/signature. I don't rotate on my 3500. My dual rear tires wear very evenly and they are a total pain to get on and off without risking damage to my dually valve stem extenders. With the dual setup Alcoa wheels it is not practical to rotate with fronts. And for all the issues identified in this thread.
 

third coast

2012 Sprinter 3500, 2013 Winnebago Era 70A
Another consideration in rotation is that in heavily loaded RV applications the front alignment if often off as the unit comes from the up fitter. The tires cup and edge wear as a result. By the time you notice the front tires might be to the point that you are better off replacing them and getting an alignment with camber set more towards 0 degrees. There is lots of discussion on this forum on that issue.
 

hippy

Hardware Modifier
Wheels on dually Sprinters with alloy wheels can't be rotated.
Inner rims are steel, when outer rims are polished only on 1 side.
You can rotate left to right, but not front to rear.
Yeah, I never got that, mixing alloys with steel rims on the same axle and then with different size tyres. So you have to carry a spare alloy for punctures? Not sure that would even pass an mot in this country.
 

Cheyenne

UK 2004 T1N 313CDi
Yeah, I never got that, mixing alloys with steel rims on the same axle and then with different size tyres. So you have to carry a spare alloy for punctures? Not sure that would even pass an mot in this country.
No, all seven tyres on a dually Sprinter are the same size. It is only when you get a SuSi that they are different front to rear.
 

Kajtek1

2015 3500 X long limo RV
Yeah, I never got that, mixing alloys with steel rims on the same axle and then with different size tyres. So you have to carry a spare alloy for punctures? Not sure that would even pass an mot in this country.
Spare is steel.
When I don't suspect MB of nickel and diming, my previous 2500 Sprinter had all steel wheels with the same wheel on spare.
Yet the spare had no TPMS, so when I wanted to use it, I had to buy sensor and reinstall it.
$10 sensor become $40 job plus my time and miles to tire shop.
 

third coast

2012 Sprinter 3500, 2013 Winnebago Era 70A
The steel spare will fit any position. Concave (dished inward) orientation for the rear outers, convex for the rear inner and front. Or at least that is my understanding. I have never needed to try it. When I got new front tires I had one of the used ones mounted on the spare so that it had the same as manufacture as the others and eliminated the original spare tire that had a 2012 date code. The tread was getting pretty hard.
 

third coast

2012 Sprinter 3500, 2013 Winnebago Era 70A
Another good reason for not having someone else remove or install your wheels/tire assemblies for rotation or basic maintenance - you will gain experience on how to do it and to have some confidence they will easily come off. Its best not to attempt to learn how to do this far from home in less than ideal conditions. Waiting for road service in the middle of nowhere is not always an option.

If you have the occasion to remove any of your wheels I suggest adding a small amount of anti-seize to the inner wheel surface that contacts the steel brake rotor. In the case of dual rear wheels also add anti-seize where the two wheels contact each other. Without anti-seize and with time and moisture the wheel can corrode between mating surfaces such that it can be very difficult to separate them. I had one vehicle that the rear wheels would adhere to the brake drums so substantially that it required prolonged pounding on them with 4x4 blocking and a large sledge hammer or optionally loosening all lug nuts and driving/braking until the wheel freed up (not the best approach). You don't want the el cheapo tires tech who just put a floor jack under your differential cover to have an excuse to get a sledge hammer anywhere near your expensive wheels.

I have been using a high temperature marine grade anti-seize such as Loctite LB 8203, Loctite LB 771 or a nickel based anti-seize such as Jet-Lube Nikal. These cost more but are worth it. The standard inexpensive aluminum based anti-seize compounds are not very effective and quickly break down. Be careful not to use an excessive amount or get anti-seize on lug nuts/bolts, threaded holes or braking surfaces. Typically this type of fastener is specified to be assembled dry. Anti-seize acts as a lubricant, resulting in significant over torque.
 

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