Tire rotation is an important part of tire maintenance and overall driving safety. In 2019 alone, the US saw over 600 deaths from tire-related crashes. Just like an oil change, tire rotation shouldn’t be seen as optional. Instead, you should plan to have your tires rotated in accordance with your maintenance schedule to keep your vehicle in tip-top shape. Routine tire rotation can help improve vehicle performance and save you money on new tires.
What is tire rotation?
Tire rotation entails routinely having your car’s tires rotated or repositioned to make sure all tires are wearing at the same rate. Getting your tires rotated also gives you the chance to have experts check for damage, tread depth, air pressure, and make adjustments to correct vibration or imbalance.
This process typically entails swapping tires to make sure that each tire receives even wear.
Why is tire rotation important?
One of the biggest reasons why tire rotation matters is that it helps spread out wear evenly on all four of your tires. When tires wear unevenly it can be dangerous. When tread wear is spread evenly, you help extend the life of your tires.
Every vehicle adds a particular amount of wear to your tires. Whether your vehicle is front-wheel drive, your braking habits, and torque can all factor in to how a tear gets worn down. If you recently got a fresh set of tires it’s even more important to follow maintenance schedules, since brand new tires are more susceptible to uneven wear.
Ideally, you should get your tires rotated 5,000 to 8,000 miles.
Even wear on all four tires can also help each tire maintain a similar tread depth. This is essential for good traction, handling, and braking.
Signs it’s time to get your tires rotated
Your first indicator for whether or not you need to get your tires rotated should be time and miles. You should ideally be getting your tires rotated every 5,000 to 8,000 miles.
Along with this, if one or more of your tires is visibility sustaining more wear than the rest, it’s time to get your tires rotated.
Getting tires balanced
In addition to tire rotation, it’s important to understand the importance of getting your tires balanced. Tire balancing ensures that all tires are supporting the same amount of weight. This process also aims to even out tire wear. The main difference between tire rotation and tire balancing is that tire balancing doesn’t move tires around. Instead, weights are installed on tire rims to ensure that each tire is carrying the same amount of weight.
If there is an issue with your tire’s balance, you’ll likely know about it, since tire with a balance issue typically start to vibrate over speeds of 50 miles per hour.
Next time you go in for routine maintenance like an oil change, keep in mind the last time you had you tires checked and rotated. If it’s time for your next tire rotation, come in to Courtesy Auto and Tire Repair of Tacoma. Not only will you enjoy quality service, when you come in you can enjoy FREE tire pressure checks, trip inspection, and flat repair service (with purchase!).
Contact us today to make an appointment.