Tires are the first line of defense between you and the road, so keeping them in good condition is essential. Most drivers tend not to think about whether their tires go flat or need a repair until it’s too late. 

Properly maintained tires can improve your fuel economy and provide a smoother ride. Tire rotation is an important safety check that prolongs the life of your tires by moving them to different positions on your vehicle. Tires that are properly maintained by tire shops are much safer. But how do you know when your tires need to be rotated?

When to Rotate Your Tires

Tires wear at varying rates, depending on whether you’re driving a front-, rear-, or all-wheel-drive car. The driven wheels have more weight on them and therefore wear down the tire treads faster. For example, a front-wheel-drive car uses the front tires for steering and puts the power down to the pavement through the front wheels. The rear wheels follow along. So, the front tires wear out faster and need to be replaced more often. 

Having your tires rotated every 3000 to 5000 miles or every time you go for an oil change, whichever comes first, will help ensure even tire wear and prevent premature tread wear. You give the tires a chance to even out their wear and benefit from their tread life. If your car’s owner manual states that you don’t need an oil change frequently, get them rotated at least once every six months.

Even Out the Wear by Rotating Your Tires

Proper rotation prevents wear and extends the life of your tires. It also allows you to double-check that all four wheels are in good working order. This helps you spot potential problems early on so you can get them fixed before they cause more damage or become unsafe.

It is also an excellent opportunity to inspect the condition of your wheel rims, which severe impacts with potholes may damage—and sometimes only on the inboard side, where it isn’t easy to detect.

Two of the Most Typical Tire Problems That Might Surface During an Inspection

Tire Cupping

Older cars with worn suspension systems are frequently susceptible to this. This problem shows up as uneven tread wear patterns, which, if ignored, may severely damage a vehicle’s ride, steering, and stopping capabilities while prematurely wearing out tires.

Blistered Sidewall

A blistered sidewall means a swelling in the tire’s wall that might be caused by slamming into a huge pothole. When the tire gets pinched between the wheel and the pothole’s edge, a tear might occur on the sidewall, causing it to blister.

If left undiagnosed, a tire with a blistered sidewall might eventually burst and cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle. In Alamosa, CO, drivers often experience this type of tire damage because of the large number of unpaved roads. Get your tires inspected in the Alamosa auto repair shop if you spot any bulges or deformities in your sidewalls.

What Does a Tire Rotation Involve?

Tire rotation consists of switching the position of your tires. It is essential to perform this maintenance check because the drive tires, i.e., the ones that power your car, wear down faster than the others. Therefore, if you don’t swap them out, they will wear down entirely and need to be replaced.

Rotating will help to distribute the burden among all four tires equally. At America’s Auto & Tire – Tire store, technicians remove, swap, and remount your tires so that they all wear evenly and live longer. Take a look at the tire rotation pattern for your car.

Rotation pattern for front-drive vehicles: 

Swap the front tires with the rear position on the same side. Then, take the back tires and move them to the opposite front corner (e.g., the right rear tire goes to the left front).

Rotation pattern for rear-drive vehicles: 

Move the rear tires straight to the front and put the front tires on the back to the opposite side (e.g., the right front tire goes to the left rear).

Rotation pattern for all-wheel-drive vehicles: 

Crisscross all four tires, swapping front-to-rear and side-to-side (e.g., the right front tire goes to the left rear, the left front tire goes to the right rear).

How Do Regular Tire Rotations Help Your Car?

Regular tire rotation reduces the risk of various tire problems such as tire failure, blowouts, and irregular tread wear. When you regularly rotate your tires, you will experience less inconvenience and avoid costly repairs in the long run.

Tire rotation also helps improve your car’s gas mileage because rotating can fix or prevent specific alignment issues in your car. This increases the lifespan of your tires, and you will save money by not having to replace them as often.

Read about – How often you should change your tires in colorado.

Sum Up

Tire rotation is a vital maintenance check that helps extend the life of your tires. It is important to perform this check because the drive tires that power your car wear down faster than the others. Now that you know the importance of tire rotation, make sure to add it to your car maintenance schedule. Take your car for an auto repair service in Alamosa, CO, so you don’t have to deal with tire problems.