San Mateo auto repair

Why Tire Rotation is So Important

Tire rotation means regularly changing each of the four vehicle tires'; this is completed following the vehicle manufacturer's recommendations or every 6,000 to 8,000 miles. It is imperative to rotate new tires every 5,000 miles, this is because deep, fresh tread is more prone to uneven wear.

Regularly rotating your tires presents an excellent opportunity to have each tire inspected for damage, air pressure issues, tread depth checks, and balancing. There are several reasons why rotating your tires is an essential part of your standard tire care methodology. These reasons include:

• The tire wear is spread evenly through regular tire rotation across all four tires, maximizing tread life. This is because each tire position on your vehicle requires a different torque/friction for each tire, leading to more or less wear on the tire.
• Even tread wear prevents the tread depth on your tires from becoming inconsistent, helping keep traction and handling stable across all four tires; this improves overall performance while maintaining vehicle safety.
• For all-wheel-drive vehicles, evenly worn tires lower the stresses on the drivetrain, reducing wear on expensive drive components.

Understanding Tire Rotation Patterns

The tire rotation sequence that best suits your vehicle will primarily depend on several important factors, including but not limited to:

• The type of tire you are using,
• The vehicle drive type – front, rear, all, or four-wheel drive,
• If the tires are directional or non-directional,
• Whether or not the tires are the same size on the front and rear of the vehicle, and
• The kind and size of the spare tire you have (full-size spares can be rotated through)

Preferably, all four tires will wear evenly, allowing all four tires to respond equally to the driver's input. When all four tires are worn out simultaneously, you can replace all four tires with an entirely new set of tires, thus ensuring you are starting with all net new treads; this maintains the original handling balance. And since tires are always being enhanced, you could experience the significant benefit of the latest in tire technology.

If you need a tire rotation, we invite you to bring your vehicle into our auto repair shop today!