Last updated on January 6th, 2024 at 11:28 am
Have you ever heard the term “Tire rotation” when you come across car mechanics and tire dealers and wondered what that means? Stop worrying now because, in this post, we will tell everything about tire rotation, from explaining its basics to how often you should rotate your tires. Keep reading till the end to understand it completely, with some tips and tricks about different methods to assist you.
Table of Contents
What Is Tire Rotation
It is a process of changing the position of each tire of a car, including the spare wheel if the size matches. All tires replace their placement with each other so that all tires wear off equally; it provides adequate performance all year. However, the process is as simple as changing tires, but repeating it four times requires more skill and time; that is why most people prefer car repair professionals.
Why it is important
If a car has 4 wheels, it doesn’t mean that all 4 will work evenly. Tires on the front axle of the front-wheel-based vehicle will wear off faster than those on the rear axle. A similar thing will happen with a rear-wheel vehicle; more force will be put on rear axle tires.
To deal with this problem, car professionals rotate the front axle tires with the rear axle to distribute the force equally between all tires. Tire rotation also increases the tread life along with the tire performance. It is proven that drivers who rotate their car tires have fewer tire burst incidents and are less likely to buy new tires before the warranty.
How often should you rotate
It is prominent to rotate tires every six months; that way, you can always track tire performance and make decisions based on the situation before something goes wrong. Also, there is an instruction in the owner’s manual to rotate tires based on that. For ease, you can rotate whenever you go for your car’s oil change. It will save you time, and both tasks will be achieved together.
How much is a tire rotation
Normally, in the United States, tire rotation costs between $30-$60, based on your tire professional. If you have bought tires from famous retailers like discount tires and others, you can have a free rotation for the life of the tires.
Every retailer gives discounts and offers if you have purchased tires from them, so it is good to ask your provider if they offer rotation; this way, you can save a lot because a single tire requires 5-7 times rotation in its life.
Which rotation pattern is best
There are two types of tires and three types of cars, each requiring different methods. The three methods that are commonly used for rotation are rearward cross, frontward cross, and x-pattern. Each is demonstrated below in vectors.
For asymmetrical tires (non-directional), X-pattern and frontward crossover are recommended for front-wheel-based vehicles, and they make the most difference. The rearward crossover is recommended for all-wheel and rear-wheel-based cars because it brings the rear axle tires to the front axle.
The directional tires can not change their position as they happened in the X-pattern, so you can either rotate the right front wheel with the right rear wheel or the left front wheel with the left rear wheel. Due to their tread, they are not capable of rotating in a different direction.
Can tire rotation mess up the alignment?
Tire rotation could never mess up alignment if rotated carefully and according to the guidelines. Because directional tires are different and fit in one direction if you put them somewhere else, they might not work; that is the only misalignment you could get when rotating tires.
The reason why most people prefer a specialist is that it is a long process that requires a little bit of skill that every other person can perform. Also, rotation along with alignment doesn’t mess up with car balance; it always improves balance and car performance.
rotation with spare
If your car has the same size spare wheel, then you should also put it in a queue when rotating tires. The most common pattern of rotating tires with a spare wheel is; to bring both rear axle tires onto the front axle, bring the right front wheel to the left rear wheel, replace the left front wheel with the spare wheel, and put it onto the right rear axle. This way, all 5 of your tires will wear evenly and make it to their warranty life.
Conclusion
The rotation process has proven to improve tire life and reduce tire burst incidents. It is necessary to keep your tire rotating for your own safety and that of others on the road because it vastly reduces road accidents. After all, if there is any bad tire attached to your car, you will catch it when rotating tires, and it won’t burst during your road drive.
If you want any information about tire rotation or anything related to tires, you can always contact us or visit the homepage to read our articles. We hope you liked this article, and we will gladly assist in the comment section if you still have any queries.
