Why & When Should I Rotate My Tires?

In order to get the maximum life out of  your tires, it is important that you rotate them regularly.  Rotating tires evens out the wear and when it is properly done, it can extend the life of your tires, improve gas mileage and enables your car to handle sudden stops and turns properly.

The best indicator that it is time to rotate your tires is uneven tread wear.  When you look closely at your tires is the inside or outside of one tire showing more wear than another? Uneven tread wear is unavoidable because the weight of a car isn’t evenly distributed to all four corners.  Most engines are in the front and since the engine is the heaviest thing in the car, the front tires carry more weight.  That means that your front tires will wear out faster than the rear tires.  By rotating the tires, you are moving each tire to a different corner of the car so each tire is worn more evenly.  Also if you notice that your car begins to handle poorly when braking.  Or your tire traction is poor in slippery or wet road conditions, these are also indicators that your tires should be rotated.

A general rule of thumb for rotating tires is every 3,000 to 7,000 miles.  You can also pair tire rotation with oil changes and rotate tires every other oil change, if you change your oil every 3,000 miles.  Your car’s manufacturer manual will also have recommended times to rotate tires.  Maintaining a log or spreadsheet of when you perform tire rotations will help keep you up to date and your car running smoothly.  Store the log in your glove compartment or garage for a quick handy reference.