JB74 - Gen.4 5 wheel Tyre rotation

Bob1050 wrote:

DAGZOOK wrote: Hello all,

I've got a question for all fellow Gen. 4 owners regarding tyre rotation. I'm of the understanding that that the spare on the Gen.4 doesn't have a TPMS sensor fitted. Does this mean that you'll have an error light displayed whilst the spare is fitted in a rotation situation? Or as others online seem to suggest, the spare won't transmit a pressure signal - but the wheel now mounted on the spare rack (with a TPMS sensor fitted and correctly inflated) will keep the system behaving?

I was hoping someone has conducted a real life test. I want carry out a 5 wheel rotation as I feel its best practice - I do relatively high millage on the tarmac but also use the car off road frequently whilst at the local shoot. I figure it'll be the best way to prolong the life of my tyres whilst also being mechanically sympathetic to the AWD system.

It would be a real nuisance if carrying out a 5 wheel rotation would mean you've got to persevere with a highly irritating warning light on the dash.

I will happily supply a definitive answer based on personal experience. I have a 2019 G4 Jimny and have undertaken the 5 Tyre rotation twice. All 5 wheels/tyres came with TPMS factory fitted and other than checking/resetting tyre pressures - it was a simple job. Just remember to check your tyre pressures when stone cold. Trust this helps clarify myth from fact.

Really appreciate the constructive response Bob! I guess there's only one way to truly find out and that's to test my spare as you've done. Hopefully we draw the same conclusion because the TPMS warning system sounds like an absolute nightmare to live with.

Keeping tyre wear equal is not an issue! In 2wd the rear differential will cope perfectly well with differences in tyre wear, which typically amount to less than a 1% variation in tyre size. The front wheels aren't connected to anything, so they can do what they want.
When in 4wd any difference in tyre size is completely insignificant compared to the stress on the transmission caused by turning a corner. If having different sized tyres could harm the transmission, then turning a corner would destroy it! Clearly it is ok to use 4wd when turning corners, as long as you are are not on a high traction surface, therefore it is also ok to have slightly different sized tyres.

Busta, I'm not disagreeing with you. I tend to agree that you'd only run into serious issues if you used the 4WD system inappropriately on a tarmac road. But the general consensus when you internet search 4WD tyre rotation is that it's best practice. Not just to protect the running gear of the vehicle but also to get the maximum mileage and £££'s out of your tyres. I'm in the aviation engineering industry, I tend to adhere to these best practices even when in most cases they're not essential. I'm guessing most of the car lovers on this forum that are investing in expensive 4X4 tyres (BFG K02's ) will want to maximise their investments.

Dagzook, I apologise but that's not how your earlier post came across. I've been running Jimny's on KM2s for nearly 7 years and rotating all 5 tyres every 6 months. The reasons for doing so on a Jimny are to keep the tyres with most tread on the rear (deeper tread = less chance of aquaplaning. Front tyres aquaplaning is preferable to rear tyres aquaplaning) and to extend the life of them as a complete set. It does nothing to protect the running gear of the vehicle as there is absolutely no risk of damage to any component caused by running tyres with dissimilar wear.
If there is a financial cost to having the spare tyre in the rotation (e.g. dismounting a tyre to move a TPS) then I personally wouldn't bother, just rotate the 4 road wheels.

It would appear not quite the definitive answer to 5 wheel rotation. My car could not read the spare on TPMS and I tested it to be sure. A line in the hand book suggested this to be the case.

I lost interest in the restrictions imposed by TPMS and fitted an emulator.
Chris

CC Baxter wrote: It would appear not quite the definitive answer to 5 wheel rotation. My car could not read the spare on TPMS and I tested it to be sure. A line in the hand book suggested this to be the case.

I lost interest in the restrictions imposed by TPMS and fitted an emulator.
Chris

It was that part of the manual that prompted my comment about moving tyres from wheel to wheel.
So, it's not certain whether the spare has TPMS fitted, or not?
Emulator? Tell me more

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationEmulator. Mine has been running fine for over a year now, it sits under the back seat squab and is roughly the size of a cigarette packet. You plug it in to a nearby 12v supply and it just tells the system all is fine and dandy. The dash seems to read 28psi regardless of your chosen pressure or ambient temperature. The thing self programmes once the dash is red so an easy way to get it working is drop your tyre pressures to say 22psi and go for a short drive reaching 30mph.
When I first mentioned these things there were some concerns raised over insurance acceptance and general legality. On the basis of these concerns I cannot recommend one, but I like mine very much. Chris

CC Baxter wrote: It would appear not quite the definitive answer to 5 wheel rotation. My car could not read the spare on TPMS and I tested it to be sure. A line in the hand book suggested this to be the case.

I lost interest in the restrictions imposed by TPMS and fitted an emulator.
Chris

How strange that my Jimny was supplied by the dealer with 5 inter-changeable wheels/tyres (all with TPMS) and yours wasn't. As the Jimny is supplied with a full sixed spare and designed for going off-road I'd have thought all Jimny's had TPMS on all 5 wheels/tyres? After twice doing the "5 Tyre Rotation" it's all been rather easy to do and I'm getting fairly even tyre wear at 15k miles. Bad news will be forking out big bucks for 5 new tyres all at once, rather than just buying a pair at a time for each axle.

One advantage of doing the tyre rotation is taking the opportunity to deep clean the rear of the rims and also do in behind the spare wheel bracket. I'm also confident that all my wheel nits are correctly torqued up and a very light smear of copper grease on the hubs/threads minimises the risk of experiencing 'alloy/steel hub weld' if you need to change a wheel on a dark rainy night.