Why and when to Do Tire Rotations on Cars

Tire rotations are common and easy to do yourself. Rotating tires are essential for maintaining handling, traction, and tire wear. Most tire rotations are done with oil changes due to already being off the ground. Typical vehicle inspections at auto shops include rating the condition that the tires are in. Tire rotations are exactly the same thing as changing a tire, except instead of replacing a single tire you are moving all of them around the car.

Tire rotations are useful in evenly distributing equal tire wear on all of the tires. It is recommended to have tires rotated every 3-5,000 miles. Auto shops tend to give you a little more time before having them rotated, usually 6-12,000 depending on the shop you take it, too. Whatever the case maybe, tire rotations are a must, so that one tire doesn't wear faster than the rest. If one tire where to wear faster, that would mean one more tire to replace at a sooner date. If your rotation process is well scheduled you could have them replaced all at once instead of different dates. Proper rotation will also promote longevity in your wheels. Also many shops offer those buy 3 and get the fourth free deals.

There are several ways in which you can rotate tires. There is the typical front to back scenario, but there is also the cross the body and around the back technique that are equally or more effective. When rotating the tires across the body you typically start with the left front tire and move it to the back right position. The back right tire moves to the front right position, which then moves to the back left and then back to the left front. This is only one of many ways to tire rotation. When you are changing a tire remember to inspect it for debris and uneven wear.

Uneven wear on tires due to alignment issues or mechanical dysfunction, will not be resolved from simple rotating the tires, if this is the case, make sure to have a proper vehicle inspection before continuing. If you continue to rotating the tires your problem will only affect those tires that come into contact with the issues.

Once the tire rotation is complete, make sure that the tires are snug tight and check the air pressure. Last thing you want is uneven wear from lack of or too much air in the tires. Keeping your tires in the best condition possible will be rewarded in your driving conditions.