Tire rotations are one of the most overlooked aspects of auto maintenance. After all, why rotate your tires when they rotate themselves every time you drive? Well, unfortunately, this isn’t quite what mechanics mean when they say tire rotation.
In reality, regular tire rotations play a big role in keeping you and your vehicle safe on the road, guaranteeing that your tires wear evenly and your car has all the handling it needs. Tire rotations are essential, so the question isn’t whether or not to do them; it’s how often you should rotate your tires to stay safe.
Here’s everything you need to know about tire rotations, brought to you by the pros at Welsh Automotive in West Chester, PA.
What Is a Tire Rotation?
In spite of what you might think, the term “tire rotation” doesn’t refer to the spinning of your tires as you drive.
Tire rotations are essential maintenance that involves moving each tire from one position on your car to another. For example, when you go to a maintenance garage for a tire rotation, the technician can move your tires from front to back, side to side, or diagonally, depending on your vehicle’s and tires’ specific needs.
Protecting Your Tires From Uneven Wear
The reason behind this has to do with how tires wear. The tires in different positions on your car will wear differently depending on a variety of factors, including weight distribution and whether the vehicle is FWD, RWD, or AWD, with front tires generally wearing faster due to extra friction from steering.
Uneven wear can lead to quite a few problems, especially when it comes to handling. If one tire is worn down a lot more than the others, it could prevent you from stopping or turning as quickly as you need to. This issue of uneven wear, along with the many additional benefits that regular tire rotations provide, makes them an essential part of vehicle maintenance that no one can afford to ignore.
How Often Should You Rotate Your Tires?
Now that you know what a tire rotation is and why they are so important, you’re probably wondering just how often you should rotate your tires. In most cases, the answer to this question is pretty simple: The general recommendation is that you should rotate your tires every 5000-7500 miles.
That being said, there are a variety of factors that can impact how often you should rotate your tires. For example, 4WD and AWD vehicles tend to require more frequent tire rotations than their FWD and RWD counterparts, and even less obvious variables like subpar road conditions and regular long-distance driving can increase your vehicle’s need for regular rotations.
If you aren’t sure, you can always ask a professional for their recommendation. However, if you have normal driving habits and a FWD or RWD car, then you should be completely fine following the standard recommendation.
Signs It’s Time for a Tire Rotation
Regardless of the specifics, tire rotation recommendations are always given in terms of miles driven, but this can create a problem if you haven’t been counting mileage since your last rotation.
The good news is that, even if you have no idea how far you’ve driven, your vehicle will eventually start showing signs that it’s time for a rotation. Here are some common signs to look out for:
- Uneven tread wear
- Vibration at high speeds
- Poor handling or traction
- Increased road noise
These signs could be indicative of other problems as well, so if you notice any of these symptoms, you should bring your vehicle in for a tire rotation and potential diagnostic tests as soon as possible.
What Are the Benefits of Regular Tire Rotations?
Tire rotations aren’t just about safety, traction, and handling. Performing regular tire rotations also provides your care with some additional benefits, including:
- Increased safety
- More even tread wear
- Improved fuel economy
- Extended tire lifespan
- Improved traction and handling in all weather conditions
Whether it’s more frequent and costly tire replacements or fewer stops at the gas station, getting regular tire rotations can help you save money and improve performance in addition to improving safety.
How To Rotate Tires
While it’s definitely possible to perform a DIY tire rotation, unless you have years of experience and all the right equipment, you’re always much better off going to a professional mechanic for tire rotation services.
A typical tire rotation service generally involves:
- Safely lifting the vehicle
- Removing all tires
- Inspecting wear and tire pressure
- Following the correct rotation pattern
- Reinstalling and torquing to the manufacturer’s specifications
Performing any one of these steps incorrectly can lead to imbalance, alignment issues, and a variety of safety hazards, so if you need a tire rotation, don’t do it yourself. Trust a professional instead.
How Long Does a Tire Rotation Take?
Taking time out of your busy schedule to bring your car in for a tire rotation can be a challenge. Lucky, tire rotations won’t require you to give up your car and wait around for hours. Most tire rotations only take about 30-45 minutes, so as long as you can find a bit of extra time at lunch or after work, you should have plenty of time to get your tires rotated.
Contact Welsh Automotive Today
Are you ready to schedule your next tire rotation? Give us a call at (610) 524-5437.
Our friendly team of local automotive experts is always here to answer questions and will happily help you schedule your next tire rotation whenever it’s most convenient for you. And if you need anything else, we’ll happily help you take care of any of the other maintenance or repair services you need to keep your car running like a dream.
Don’t skip your next tire rotation. Contact Welsh Automotive and give your car the expert care it deserves today!