As the only part of your vehicle that makes contact with the road, your tires are the quintessential feature. And just like virtually every other part of your vehicle, it’s important to show your tires some love from time to time with regular tire maintenance, including tire rotations. At House Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Red Wing, MN, we offer complete automotive and tire services.
Our tire services are engineered to extend the life of your tires, improve safety, and save you money. Don’t hesitate to schedule a tire inspection and tire rotation today at House CDJR in Red Wing, MN. And in the meantime, continue reading to learn more about the tire rotation service.
What Is a Tire Rotation?
Rotating your tires is a strategic process of moving them from one position to another, such as moving your front tires to the rear. In many instances, the rotation will switch tire position from left to right or vice versa. In fact, there are multiple tire rotation patterns, and each manufacturer may suggest a different pattern for their vehicle. It’s important to follow the pattern specified by the manufacturer. Depending on the manufacturer’s suggested intervals, you should rotate your tires every 5,000 to 7,500 miles. For most vehicles, this means scheduling a tire rotation when the vehicle’s oil is changed.
3 Things That Should Happen During Tire Rotation
When you schedule a tire rotation, there are three different things that should be performed:
1. The air pressure should be checked and adjusted as needed.
2. Each wheel and tire is removed from the vehicle and meticulously put in a different position.
3. While the tires are off, the brakes should be inspected.
Why Are Tire Rotations Critical?
There a myriad of reasons why tire rotation is an essential component of tire care.
Promote More Even Wear
For starters, when you rotate your tires, you will promote more even wear across the set, which works to ensure you get the most from your tires. This is because each tire position will support a different amount of weight, which can lead to less or more wear on the tire. By rotating the tires on schedule, you will help distribute the wear and workload to promote even wear.
For instance, front wheels on vehicles that are front-wheel drive will take a more substantial fraction of the friction and torque required for braking, accelerating, and turning. The wheels upfront may also be under significantly more pressure due to the weight of the engine. And if your tires are new, it becomes even more important to rotate them by 5,000 miles because fresh, deep tire tread is much more likely to wear unevenly.
Extend the Life of Your Tires & Save Money
While it may seem counterintuitive, rotating your tires can save you money. The front tires typically wear on the outside edges due to cornering. Your rear tires will simply follow the fronts, which means they will wear more evenly. If you were to leave your tires in place without rotating, the outside edges on the front tires will wear down much quicker than the rest. This means you’ll need to replace your tires much sooner.
Improve Your Vehicle’s Safety
Even tire wear promotes better balance and handling, which could provide you with the split-second stopping power required to avert an accident. If you’re in an emergency, tires that wear unevenly can be extremely more difficult to control, especially on wet roads. On the other hand, simple tire maintenance will help deliver more predictable handling, stability, and safer maneuvering over the entire life of your set of tires.
Maintaining Your Warranty
In addition to all of the previously-mentioned reasons to rotate your tires, the manufacturer of the tire may require rotations to keep the warranty intact. Manufacturers of tires understand that regular rotations are necessary to realize the full life of the tire. And the tire mileage warranty is typically set by the manufacturer based on an assumption of tire rotations. So if you fail to rotate your tires and experience premature wear, the manufacturer will be unable to honor the warranty of the tread.
Understanding Tire Wear
Front-Wheel-Drive Cars
Vehicles that are front-wheel-drive can wear differently based on the drivetrain and the location of the tires. In either case, these vehicles will usually have front tires that wear quicker than the rear tires. This is because the front tires are responsible for most of the work — delivering power to the road and steering the vehicle.
Front-Wheel-Drive Rotation Pattern
To rotate the tires on a vehicle with front-wheel drive, the rear tires will be moved to the front, and the front tires will be relocated to the back. However, when moving the rear to the front, they should be situated on opposite sides of the vehicle:
• The tires on the rear left should be moved to the front right; and
• The rear right tire should be moved to the front left.
Rear-Wheel Drive Vehicles
Typically, the tires on rear-wheel-drive vehicles experience uneven wear because the front tires do the steering, while the back wheels send power to the pavement. These different functions produce different patterns of wear that make tire rotations essential.
Rear-Wheel Drive Rotation Pattern
When rotating tires on a rear-wheel-drive vehicle, you should essentially do the exact opposite of a vehicle with front-wheel-drive. The tires in the back should be positioned in the front and remain on the same side. The tires in front should be moved to the rear; and
• The front right tire should be moved to the rear left
• The front left tire should be moved rear right
All-Wheel Drive Vehicle
Four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive vehicles may have substantial variations in tread depth, which can place a significant strain on the drivetrain. The rotation pattern on a four-wheel-drive auto is typically the same as a rear-wheel-drive vehicle.
Schedule Your Tire Rotation at House CDJR
Regular tire rotations are a key preventative maintenance service you can perform to improve your safety and protect your wallet. Over the long term, the relatively low cost of intermittently rotating your tires will be a fraction of the money you’ll spend on purchasing a new set of tires because of premature wear.
Contact House Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram today to schedule your tire rotation.
Connect with us
