Tire Rotation
What is a tire rotation?
Tire rotations are performed to keep the wear of the tires even. There are specific patterns (front to back, side to side, and so on) that are recommended for specific tires to prolong their service life.
How does the tire rotation work?
While driving, all four tires are subjected to different forces. Turning, braking, and powering drive wheels will wear tires differently depending on what corner of the vehicle they're on. The outside edges of the front wheels may wear quicker, and the inside edges of the rear tires may wear quicker. When tires are rotated, they "take turns" being subjected to the differing forces, ensuring even wear.
What are the symptoms related to a bad tire rotation?
Depending on the manufacturer wheel alignment specifications, vehicles will wear their tires unevenly in normal driving. Heavy vehicles, more powerful vehicles, or sportier vehicles will exacerbate this behavior. If tire rotations are skipped, the uneven wear will cause the tire to make noise, affect the vehicle handling, and even cause tire failure if the wear goes to the tire's metal cords.
Can I drive with a tire rotation problem?
Regardless of the last time the tires were rotated, it is important to keep track of the tire wear. You can drive a vehicle without having a tire rotation performed, but decreased fuel mileage, tire life, and inconsistent handling may result if the tires are too unevenly worn.
How often do tire rotations need to be performed?
Tire rotation is part of your factory scheduled maintenance. The rotation interval will be stated at some point in the service section of the owner’s manual.