Tire rotation refers to the changing of a vehicle’s tires from one position to another. The purpose is to get the maximum possible mileage from a set of tires. Keeping a routine tire rotation will help the tires last longer and also serve to enhance their efficiency.
It’s crucial to note, however, that not all drivers can rotate their car tires at will. Read on to find out more.
What Is Tire Rotation?
To begin with, what’s a tire rotation? To put it simply, tire rotation refers to the act of relocating a tire from its present location to another location on the vehicle.
While it may initially sound simple, tire rotations provide countless benefits that make them essential.
Tire rotation is an upkeep action along with realigning and balancing, where each tire’s corner is relocated to a different position on the vehicle. Rotating the tires might minimize uneven wear and tear on the tires and extend their life expectancy.
Depending on the placement of the engine and driveline of a car, tires can be rotated in a variety of patterns. To appreciate the necessity of rotating tires, it’s crucial to know the reasons behind the uneven wear of tires.
Powertrains affect the wear of the tires along with the rotation sequence followed for tire service. Tire wear on the drive wheels that are connected to the engine is usually greater than that of the non-drive wheels, due to the torque that is imposed on them.
With a front wheel drive automobile, the front tires wear out faster than the rear tires. The opposite scenario is experienced in rear wheel drive vehicles.
For vehicles operating with all wheel drive (AWD) or four wheel drive (4WD), where torque is applied to all four tyres, differential wear is still experienced. This occurs because there are other mechanisms in addition to acceleration that contribute to tire wear.
Differential wear also occurs due to the contribution each tire makes to a vehicle’s movement. The front tires usually wear out more quickly because a vehicle’s weight shifts forward when braking.
In addition, most vehicles today have the engine located in the front, where the front row is usually occupied. Therefore, these tires, which carry the weight of the vehicle,e are not only used for propulsion but steering.
Front tires also undergo a patch of wear due to their directional change of motion, hence the usable tread on the tire edges reduces in depth due to weight shift during cornering.
Why Is Tire Rotation Important?
There are many reasons for routinely rotating your tires. First, spreading wear evenly among all four tires increases the overall tread life of the tires.
This is important because each tire possesses a certain wear and give which is dependent on it’s location on the vehicle (such as front tires on a front wheel drive vehicle receiving greater torque and friction during turns, accelerations, and braking) over time, will result in more or less wear on the tire.
Especially after 5,000 miles, new tires should be rotated because the fresh and deep tread is more prone to uneven wear.
Also, striding tire wear helps maintain depth, aiding traction and handling for cornering and braking, making driving safer.
Lastly, if the vehicle is all-wheel-drive, evenly worn tires are less damaging to the drive train and expensive drive components, prolonging their life.
What Tire Rotation Pattern Should I Utilize?
The optimal tire rotation pattern for your automobile will be determined by the type of tire you use, the configuration of your automobile, and whether it is equipped with a front, rear, all, or four-wheel drive, and left or right mounted tires, which can be either directional or non-directional.
Additionally, the question of your tires being the same size on the front and back of your car, and whether you possess a full-size spare tire that can be utilized, unlike a temporary spare, becomes pertinent.
Considering all these aspects, one can examine the suggested tire rotation patterns offered by the regulating organization for the tire industry: The Tire and Rim Association, Inc.
Tire Rotation Pattern:
For Tires That Are Of Uniform Size And Non-Directional:
#1. Rearward Cross.
The rearward cross pattern is recommended for 4-wheel, all-wheel, or rear-wheel driven vehicles. In this pattern, the tires on the rear axle are placed on the front axle while remaining on the same side of the vehicle, and the front tires are switched to opposite sides on the rear axle.
#2. X-Pattern.
Best suited for lightweight trucks and sedans, all tires are moved diagonally, meaning they are switched from one axle to the opposite as well as being switched from one side to the other.
#3. Forward Cross.
This is the most common pattern for the front driving vehicles. The front tires are moved directly back while the rear tires are moved diagonally up to the opposite side of the front ones.
For Tires That Are Of Uniform Size And Non-Directional With A Full-Size Spare Tire:
To make sure the vehicle’s tires have homogenous wear patterns, the full-size spare tire must be rotated with the other four tires.
This is particularly important for 4x4s or all-wheel drives since the slightest difference in wear can create major stress on your vehicle’s drivetrain.
#1. Rearward Cross (Rear-Wheel Or 4-Wheel Drive Vehicles):
Both rear tire positions move directly forward to the front axle, while the left front tire moves diagonally to the right rear with the right front tire moving to the spare position, then the left front tire moves diagonally to the rear axle left side.
#2. Forward Cross (Front-Wheel Drive Vehicles):
Rear tires are moved diagonally to opposite sides on the front axle while the right front tire becomes the new spare tire. The spare tire is positioned on the right side of the rear axle while the left tire on the front axle is moved directly back into the left rear position.
For High Performance And Directional Tires:
Tire Rotation Pattern:
#1. Side-To-Side (For Differently-Sized Performance Tires On The Front And Rear Axles).
Each wheel has its position swapped with that of another of the same dimension without repositioning the axle on which it rests. The two rear tires rotate inboard and pair up with one another, while the two tires at the front operate similarly.
#2. Front-To-Back (For Directional Tires).
All tires are moved from one axle to the other without changing sides. For instance, the front left tire is moved to the left side of the rear axle, and the rear left tire goes over to the front left axle.
Four-Wheel Drive Rotation
The cross rotation is most applicable to vehicles with a permanent four-wheel drive system or command four-wheel drive, which are mainly operated in four-wheel drive. In this method, tires from both axles are crossed so that tires from one axle are placed on the opposing axle.
Straight Rotation
Straight rotation was invented during the early years of radial tires. Tires are rotated and switched from front to back without crossing sides. This method is for directional tread patterns.
Five-Tire Rotation
If you’re opting to utilize your spare tire for rotation, place your full-sized (non-temporary) spare tire in the rear right side. Then, take the tire intended for the rear right side and put it in the spare position.
Six-Tire Rotation (Dually trucks)
For vehicles that feature dual rear wheels, the rotation pattern will appear as two triangles, one on the front and one on the rear. For each side, the outer dual tire is moved to the inner position, the inner dual tire is moved to the steer position, and the steer tire is moved to the outer dual position.
How Often Should You Rotate Your Tires?
Most auto makers suggest rotating your tires every 5,000 miles or every six months.
FWD vehicles need tire rotation every 5,000 to 7,500 miles, and so do RWD cars. Though the rotation must be done heavily relies on the drivetrain of the vehicle.
FWD models operate with power being delivered to the front wheels of the car only. While rear wheel drive ( RWD models) send the power to the back wheels. Because of this, the way the tires wear differs for these types of models, so it is important to follow this guide.
- FWD Rotation: Rear tires need to swap sides when they come to the front. However, the opposite needs to happen for the front tires, whereby they maintain the side they are on.
- RWD Rotation: Utilize the rear tires the same way the FWD rotation does at the front, simply switch sides. For the rear tires, they need to stay on their side when taking a step forward.
- AWD Rotation: Tires on all-wheel drives wear differently for each corner. That is why for these types of vehicles, there is the recommendation of changing tires every 5,000 miles and the earliest at 3,000 miles.
Tire Rotation Cost
You should not pay more than $50 to $100 for a tire rotation, which is the same price as a routine oil change. Your total will most likely vary based on whether you go to a local auto shop or a larger dealership.
Tire rotations are inexpensive because all that is required is labor and no parts. Tire rotations do not involve anything being replaced or repaired.
If you want to maximize the value of your money, consider combining the tire rotation with other tire maintenance services like wheel alignment and balancing or general car maintenance services, such as oil changes. Many shops offer a package deal for these types of services.
Put the price into perspective. A tire rotation is so cheap compared to the cost of a new set of tires.