I'm living in a country where we need proper winter tires during that season so I have to switch between tires sets twice a year. Each switch I rotate the tires (rotation depends if the tires are direction or not) and mark the position on the one I remove for the next season to make sure to rotate them. Tire rotation is recommended (by [Transport Canada][1] and [USA DOT][2]) and I don't see an issue with that. The problem you facing is that your front tire "running band" (the part that touch the ground) may be worn and might need replacement and/or can affect drivability. EDIT: Here some rotation patterns from the [MoutainViewTire.com][3] site: ![enter image description here][4] ![enter image description here][5] ![enter image description here][6] [1]: http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/tp-tp2823-rotation-423.htm [2]: http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/tiresafety/ridesonit/brochure.html [3]: http://www.mountainviewtire.com/a-blog-for-drivers-the-mountain-viewpoint/3-good-reasons-to-rotate-your-tires.html [4]: https://i.sstatic.net/Res5c.jpg [5]: https://i.sstatic.net/ZLJ7e.jpg [6]: https://i.sstatic.net/RuDyD.jpg