Tires rotate all the time as they roll down the road. But that’s not what it means to “rotate” them. Rotating tires means moving them from one wheel to another and from left to right or back to front, or even diagonally.
Why rotate? Because they tend to wear unevenly. The fronts tend to wear on the outside edges because the tire leans over when you turn a corner. The rears just follow the fronts, so they usually wear more evenly. If you leave tires in place, those outside edges on the front tires will wear down much faster than the rest. You’ll have to replace them thousands of miles sooner.
A poor alignment or unbalanced tires can also cause uneven wear.
Rotating tires keeps them from wearing unevenly. That will make your ride smoother and handling safer. And it extends the life of your tires, saving you time and money in the long run.
There are 3 key things that should happen during a tire rotation:
Each wheel is removed from your car or truck, and moved to a different position.
Air pressure should be checked and adjusted as necessary
Brakes should be checked while they are off and it’s easy to see and reach them.
Rotating your vehicle’s tires – periodically changing their position on the vehicle from front to back and/or side to side – delivers benefits. Tire rotation can preserve balanced handling and help maintain traction. That’s especially important when roads are slick from rain or snow.
Haynes recommends rotating tires every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Industry standard is usually between 5,000 and 6,000 miles. “For equal wear, rotation should be performed just about every oil change,” Waits says.
How much does it cost? Anywhere from $25.00 to $50.00 depending on the shop. In general dealerships are a little higher than independent shops. Tire specialty shops will often rotate your tires for free if you bought them from them. (It’s a courtesy offered in hopes that you’ll come back to them for when you need new tires.)
AZ Import Garage recommends you inspect your tires side to side every so often to check for uneven tread wear and to get a good idea of how the fronts wear differently from the rear tires. If you would like to know more auto repair tips please reach out to AZ Import Garage at http://www.azimportgarage.com