Why Tires Need To Be Rotated

In today's economy, the price of automobile parts are constantly increasing in heaps and bounds, and tires are one of these products. For the economically sound car owner, replacing tires on a regular basis can be an unwanted financial pressure, whereas on the other hand, having sub-par tires is one of the most hazardous automotive health factors possible. Surprisingly however, there exists a solution to both these extremes, presented by the quick and easy method called Tire Rotation. Performed at regular intervals, tire rotation substantially increases tread life and saves money over the life span of a given set of tires.

Basics

One of the most crucial vehicle maintenance procedures is regular tire rotation. Due to the mechanics of the automobile, the front set show very different tread wear patterns, as the front of the vehicle is substantially heavier than the back due to the heavy machinery under the hood. As a result, the front set wear out much quicker than the back, and since most purchase all four as a set, the maximum life of all tires are not prolonged, leading to inefficiency and wasted dollars. In addition, by driving around with the added pressure on the wearing front tires, the passengers unwillingly place avoidable risks on their health. As a general rule of thumb, the front set should be switched with the back set after every 12,000 kilometers, or about 5,500 miles.

Different tire types

The easiest alternative to personally switching the tires is to visit a service center for a cheap, quick and reliable rotation service. However, the task of rotation is relatively simple and physically undemanding. As such, it is crucial to know the types of one's tire to achieve the best rotation results and prolonged tire life.

Multi-weather tires are usually switched depending on their alternating wear patterns. Specifically, the front two are simply removed, then switched with the back tires, and vice versa. For vehicles with front wheel drive, the rear tires are first switched between themselves, then moved forward, whilst the fronts are switched between themselves, and moved backward. With directional tires, the same method as multi-weathered tires is covered.

Additional information

Some crucial factors come into play when manually changing tires. Depending on the manufacturer, it is best to check the manufacturer's manual for ideal inflation levels, and depending on the recommendation, these levels need to be checked to ensure consistency. By doing this small but extremely important task, not only are the tires lives increased substantially, but the safety factors of the tires are kept intact as well.


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