What is Tire Rotation?

Tires don’t wear evenly, so a tire rotation is necessary to prevent one tire from wearing down too quickly. Rotating your car’s tires regularly can help extend their lifespan, giving you more value for your money. In addition, tire rotation is crucial to maintaining traction, improving fuel economy, and keeping tires in the best shape possible. Read on for answers to the questions, “What is tire rotation,” and, “What does tire rotation do?” 

What Does Rotating Tires Mean?

Tire rotation isn’t a complicated auto service; it’s fairly straightforward. During a tire rotation, the tires are moved from one place to another, preventing them from wearing down too quickly in one position. Tire rotations should be performed according to specific tire rotation patterns. Below, you can review some tire rotation basics: 

• Cars typically carry most of their weight at the front, meaning the front tires will wear down more quickly. Your car’s drivetrain will affect that rate at which your tires wear, though. 
• A front-wheel drive vehicle’s engine sends power to the front axle. This means the front tires will wear down faster than what you’d see on a rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, or four-wheel drive vehicle. 
• All that being said, your vehicle’s drivetrain will dictate the tire rotation pattern. Sticking to this pattern is critical to ensure no tire’s treads wear down too quickly. 

What Does Tire Rotation Do?

The main purpose of tire rotation is to lengthen the life of your car’s tires. It accomplishes this in the following ways: 

• Maintains Traction: Tires lose tread depth as they wear down. Traction is reduced as tread depth is lost. This can make your vehicle more difficult to control. Keeping tire tread depth as consistent as possible will help prevent traction loss. 
• Prevents Blowouts: The weaker tires become, the more likely they are to blow out. Tire blowouts can be dangerous if they occur while you’re driving. 
• Boosts Performance: Uneven wear can cause vibrations that be felt in the steering wheel. 
• Maximizes Efficiency: Worn tires create drag, which puts unnecessary strain on the engine and reduces fuel efficiency. 

Let Our Experts Care for Your Tires! 

Typically, tire rotations are recommended every 5,000 miles to 7,500 miles, which aligns with many manufacturers’ suggested service intervals. Check your owner’s manual for more information on tire rotations! If you need to schedule a tire rotation, you can do so at one of our six locations. Contact us online with any questions!