by: Mike Najjar

 

Tire Rotation: Most of us don’t think about it nearly enough! Tire rotation should be routine maintenance on ALL vehicles and should be done regularly based on your tires and driving habits. Regular driving puts enormous strain on even the highest quality of tires. The front wheels will wear down faster than the back tires due to turning the wheel. Keep a close eye on your tread, tires will start to wear down on the outer edges with normal use, and tires should be rotated before significant wear is visible. Also, uneven wear on other parts of the tires can mean that there is a problem with the alignment or possibly other parts of the driveline. It is crucial to get this type of wear checked out because it may mean the difference of a safe drive, let alone the fact that tires would have to be replaced hundreds or thousands of miles sooner than normal.

Tire rotation is essentially moving the tires around on the vehicle to promote even wear and optimize their ability to grip the road. Tire rotation may be included in some of your mechanic’s routine maintenance, so make sure you check with them to see when the last tire rotation was performed. Many automotive shops have low prices on tire rotation, or some automotive clubs will provide free tire rotations to their members. It is typically a fast and easy procedure that can end up saving time and money in the long run over the cost of new tires.

Excellent reasons to get a tire rotation service:

• Tires will wear unevenly: Because each tire helps balance and propel the vehicle, normal driving like turning, parking, or tight 3-point turns can all affect your tires differently. Road conditions and driving habits will also cause tires to wear in different places.

• Rotating tires will extend their life: Due to the fact that the tires do wear unevenly, rotating them will help ensure a longer life and will utilize all the tread. Tires that don’t get rotated are more prone to wobbling, uneven driving, pulling, shaking, and even blowouts. If you don’t rotate your tires, you will need to replace them more often, sometimes thousands of miles sooner, which costs extra time and money.

• Better tread life means more control on the road: Your tire tread helps grip the road, especially in poor weather conditions like snow, rain, or gravel. A bald tire, or a tire with little tread left in places will have very little grip left and may cause skids and slips. Rotating tires will help keep the tread more even, with the less used tread where it can perform better, and therefore will produce a safer driving experience.

• Tire rotation will help you keep your tires, and alignment in the best shape: Your alignment is what pulls the vehicle, an alignment that is thrown off by uneven tires may pull to one side or another making the handling of your vehicle more difficult.

• Tire checks are typically performed at the time of a tire rotation: Your mechanic will usually inspect the tires for problems, punctures, leaks, they’ll check tire pressure, brakes and tread, as well as their balance to ensure the safest possible conditions for your tires.

Tires should be checked and rotated seasonally, as the heat of summer roads, and the cold, icy conditions of winter roads can adversely affect them. Your mechanic will switch sides, or in most cases, crisscross them from back to front to promote the most even wear. If it has been awhile since your last tire rotation, contact us or stop in today, we’d be more than happy to help you out!