Tread Lightly: The Importance of Tire Rotation
By: Tessa WegertWhat's it all about
When to have your tires rotated
What you can expect to payThink for a moment about the improtance of your tires. With all of the technology incorporated into your vehicle, the only thing that touches the road is four patches of rubber roughly the size of your hand. Here, you'll find an overview of what's probably the simplest automotive service procedure, while also being one of the most important.
Rotating your tires is not an intensive maintenance procedure, but the fact that it can affect fuel efficiency, safety, and increase the life of your tires makes it an important one. First, let's define the process.
Generally, rotating your tires involves swapping your front tires for your back ones, without removing them from the rims. If you've got a specialty sports car, this isn't something that will be included in your service schedule; specialty sports vehicles usually feature rear tires that are larger than those in front, and therefore can't be effectively switched.
Because cars vary in design (i.e. front-wheel drive versus rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive), and because the demand placed on the front tires of your vehicle is considerably different than the rear tires due to steering, acceleration, braking, and so on, consistently rotating your tires is a necessary protocol.
If you've purchased new tires from a tire retailer or specialist, they often offer either low-cost or free tire rotation for the life of your tires while you wait, so it's a good idea to take advantage of this value if you don't mind making the extra trip. If you're still using the original tires that came with your car (known as OEM tires), however, they will be rotated during your dealership automotive service.
As a rule, it's a good idea to have your tires rotated at every oil change (when using synthetic oil), or every other change (when using regular petroleum-based motor oil) - in other words, every 5,000 to 10,000 miles for synthetic oil, or 3,000 to 6,000 miles for regular oil.
Dealership service advisors go by this rule when completing your regularly scheduled automotive maintenance, so you won't usually need to request this service when you take your car in to the shop.
Under Pressure
Part and parcel with rotating your tires is checking your tire pressure, something that will be done each and every time you have your tires rotated. The increasing and decreasing ambient air temperatures (i.e. the heat of the summer and cold weather of the winter) cause the air pressure of tires to increase and decrease. Over time, these pressures can fall permanently. The real problem with this is that not all tires lose pressure at the same rate. And when you have even one tire that's under pressurized (below the factory-recommended pressure setting), it can lead to uneven wear of the tire, a decrease in fuel economy, susceptibility to puncture, and, if it the pressure gets low enough, dangerous problems with car handling, braking, and so on.
As far as extending the life of your tires is concerned, this should also be incentive to get your tires rotated and your tire pressure checked regularly. New tires aren't cheap, ranging anywhere from $200 to $800 or more for a set of four, and the typical car owner will need to replace his tires every 30,000 to 75,000 miles. In other words, your tires will likely have to be replaced every 2 to 4 years. Over time, the tread of those new tires will wear down. You'll know when it's time for new tires by completing this simple test: insert a penny into one of the treads. If you can see the top of Lincoln's head, you know you're due for a new set.
Another benefit of having your tires rotated that's often overlooked is that it can lead to the discovery of larger automotive issues, such as steering or suspension problems. If your service advisor or automotive technician finds uneven tread while rotating your tires, this could be an indication that you have an alignment or other steering issue that can cause dangerous results.
If your service advisor tells you this is the case, you can trust in his diagnosis simply by having a look at the tires yourself. The worn tread should be obvious to the naked eye.
Tessa Wegert is a journalist and copywriter specializing in online media. She has written for such companies as Audible.com and Audi, and also pens a weekly syndicated column on Internet media for ClickZ.com. To contact Tessa about this article or to suggest future topics, please click here.
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