[s-cars] help w/ the 'real deal' on cross-rotating tires?

[JC]

Gentz:
 
What's the modern view on cross-rotating radials?  Leaving aside directional
tread tires for a minute, I've always been steeped in the theory that once
you run radials in one direction you don't want to reverse them and so you
always same-side rotate.  However I see stuff on teh inertwebz suggesting
this is outmoded BS from back in the day and overcautious geezers like me
should shut up and take our meds. 
 
Victim in this case is wifes A3, which has OEM P6's cupped pretty nicely on
the rear (datapoint: those apparently known to do that... also alignment has
been stealer eyeballed and pronounced "not a problem" so pretty strong
evidence it's P6 design issue).  
 
The suggested solution I'm getting is that when they go back on for summer,
we cross-rotate the cupped rears, and they'll wear back to something
approximating flat - or at least better than what they are now. 
 
Thoughts? Is "never cross-rotate a radial" a 1972 rule of thumb that I can
discard?  No problem to run them in the opposite rotation?  
 
The S & M cars all get directional tires so I haven't even had the
possibility to consider it until now... 
 
JC
 
---- current ----
1995.5 S6 Avant 
2003 E46 M3 Cic
2008 A3 2.0tDSG
---- past lives ----
2006 A4 2.0TQA
1998 A6Q 2.8 PES G2
1989 200TQA SJM
1990 CQ
1997 A4 1.8TQ Wett
1987 4kCSQ 
 
John J. Cunningham
 <mailto:jc at j2c3.com> jc at j2c3.com
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