You probably know that rotating the tires of your car is important. But why exactly do you have to rotate your tires? In this post, we answer this question and provide you with some useful tips about how and when to rotate your tires.
Why Do I Have to Rotate My Tires?
Your tires are the components of your car that bear the full brunt of day-to-day use.
It’s not for nothing that the expression “where the rubber meets the road” is used to describe a moment that is crucial or especially trying.
However, although they work together, your tires don’t wear evenly. Factors like the type of drivetrain can affect the way each specific tire wears out.
For example, in front-wheel drive cars, the front tires bear the burden of steering and torque and their threads tend to wear out faster than those in the rear tires.
By rotating your tires you spread thread wear evenly, with benefits like:
- Improve steering, control, and handling
- Less stress on the drivetrain
- Avoid hydroplaning
How Often Do I Have to Rotate My Tires?
Tire rotation is typically done every 5,000 or 8,000 miles or as recommended in your owner’s manual.
Simply put, tire rotation pattern is the way in which tires are repositioned when you rotate them . The most common pattern for front-wheel drive vehicles is the forward cross.
In the forward cross pattern, the front tires are moved to the rear on the same side (so, for example, the front right tire becomes the rear right tire), while the rear tires are moved to the front diagonally (so the rear left tire becomes the right front tire).
Other common rotation patterns include the X-pattern, where tires are swapped diagonally, and the rearward cross, where the front tires are moved diagonally to the rear and the rear tires are moved up on the same side.
Refer to your manual to determine the best tire rotation pattern for your vehicle.
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