Proper maintenance is imperative to keep the tires in good condition, extend their life, and enhance their performance. Rotating tires is a common practice performed in tire maintenance. Here we have explained why you should rotate your tires.
What Is Tire Rotation?
Tire rotation is a standard practice where the position of all tires is changed at regular intervals. The recommended tire rotation interval is every 6,000 to 8,000 miles or every six months whichever comes earlier. If you drive less than 7,500 miles a year, you can stretch the tire rotation interval slightly (every 7.5 months).
Why Rotate Your Tires?
There are several reasons to rotate tires. Here is the list
- The front and rear tires can wear differently. According to tire experts, the tires mounted on the drive wheels have to perform extra duty as they apply power to the pavement. If the vehicle is front-wheel-drive this is amplified because they also have to do most work in the turns. Rotating tires will help even out the wear in tires. For example, by moving rear tires to the front and vice versa.
- Tire manufacturers are known to offer tread life warranties. If the tire has worn evenly across the tread before the estimated mileage warranty, the tire manufacturer offers free replacement. However, if the tire is worn out unevenly, the tire warranty becomes invalid. Hence, in the case of new tires, you need to rotate tires to keep the tire warranty intact.
- Rotating tires will maintain balanced handling and traction because it evens out tread wear. This is important especially on roads covered with snow.
What Are the Different Tire Rotation Patterns?
There are six tire rotations patterns. Here is the list.
Front-to-Rear
In Front-to-Rear tire rotation pattern, the front tires are moved to the rear position without changing sides. The rear tires are moved to front axles without changing sides.
Side-to-Side
In the side-to-side tire rotation pattern, the tires are moved to the same axle. For example, the front right is moved to the front left and vice versa. Similarly, the rear right tire is moved to the rear left side and vice versa.
Rearward Cross
In Rearward Cross, both rear tires move to the front axle without changing sides. The front tires move diagonally. The front left tire moves to the rear right side and the front right tires move to the rear left side. The Rearward Cross rotation pattern is followed in rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive vehicles.
Forward Cross
In Forward Cross, both front tires move to the rear axle without changing sides. The rear tires are moved diagonally. The rear left moves to the front right and the rear right moves to the front left side.
X-Cross
In the X-Cross tire rotation pattern, all four tires are moved diagonally. The front left moves to the rear right and vice versa. The front right moves to the rear left and vice versa.
The severe tire wear is an indication of not rotating tires as recommended by the car manufacturer. This would not only affect the handling of the vehicle but also require you to buy new tires more often.
