Basic maintenance is incredibly important when it comes to keeping the car you love in working order. And tire maintenance should be near the top of your list. After all, your tires are where your car meets the road, so it’s imperative for your safety that you keep your tires in good health.
Don’t your tires rotate every time you drive? (ba-da-boom) All jokes aside, tire rotation is important because it helps to ensure even wear on your tires. Based on how your tires are positioned, they will wear differently from the other ones. For example, front tires tend to wear faster than rear tires because they steer and brake, as well as carry the weight of the engine. If a car is rear-wheel drive the rear tires may wear faster than the front tires. Even if a car is all wheel drive the tires should be rotated to ensure even wearing.
When you rotate your tires, you typically rotate them in a criss-cross pattern.
For Front-Wheel Drive: The front tires move to the rear. The rear tires move to the front, with the left and right tires swapping in the back and the front.
Rear-Wheel Drive: The rear tires move to the front. The front tires move to the rear, swapping the left front to the right rear and the right front to the left rear.
All-Wheel Drive: The rear tires move to the front. The front tires move to the rear, swapping the left front to the right rear and the right front to the left rear.
Four-Wheel Drive: The right front tire swaps with the left rear and the left front tire swaps with the right rear tire.
Uni-Directional: These tires are an exception to the criss-cross pattern. These special tires have tread that only rolls in one direction, so they need to stay on the same side. Rotate the left front to the left rear and the right front to the right rear.
Rotating your tires will ensure that your tires last longer and drive more safely.
There is quite a lot of debate on when you should actually rotate your tires. Most car manufacturers recommend rotating your tires every 3,000 miles to ensure even wear. But some mechanics and experts say that you can go as long as 8,000 miles between rotations. So it’s a good idea to rotate our tires somewhere in the middle, say around 5,000 miles.
But you don’t need to go by a hard and fast number to know when it’s time to rotate your tires. You can (and should) instead go by how your tires are wearing. You should regularly check the tread depth of your tires, and when you notice that there is a difference in depth between the front tires and the back tires, it’s probably time to rotate.
Tread depth tools are available at most auto shops, so it’s a good idea to keep one in your glove box to check periodically. As your car approaches the 4,000 mile mark, start checking to determine if it’s time. If the difference is minimal, you can wait a little longer. But if you notice your car seems to be driving differently, don’t put off a tire rotation.
We already discussed why front and rear tires wear differently, but there are other factors that affect how tires wear. It’s important to pay attention to how each tire is wearing, as certain wear could be a sign of other problems.
Inner and Outer Tire Wear: If there is uneven wear on the inner or outer part of the tire, it is usually a sign that there is an alignment problem. This misalignment can cause issues that are far worse than tire wear, including suspension problems, steering problems, and safety issues. If you notice this type of wear you should take your car to a mechanic to have your car realigned.
Center Tire Wear: If the center of your tire is wearing more than the rest of the tire, it is most likely an indication that your tire is overinflated. Be sure to consult the owner’s manual for the correct PSI.
Perimeter Edge Tire Wear: On the other hand, if the perimeter of your tire is wearing out more than the center, it is most likely an indication that your tire is underinflated. Be sure to consult the owner’s manual for the correct PSI.
Cupping Tire Wear: Cupping tire wear is when there are dips here and there on your tire tread. This indicates that there is a problem with your car’s suspension. If you hit a pothole or have noticed a bumpy ride lately, you should get your car checked out as soon as possible.
Tire wear is inevitable to some degree, and your tires should be replaced every 40,000- 50,000 miles. Additionally, tires should be replaced every 6-10 years regardless of the wear pattern. As tires get older, they become less reliable (even if you aren’t driving on them a whole lot). Following these guidelines will help ensure the safety of your car.
Keeping an eye on the health of your tires is imperative. And while tire wear is inevitable, here are some steps you can take to be sure that you aren’t wearing your tires more than necessary.
Checking your tire pressure regularly, measuring the tread wear regularly, and giving a monthly visual inspection to your tires will help you keep in tune with their health. Taking your car in to have regular tuneups and tire rotations will also help keep your tires in good health. Driving safely is another important step to take to keep your tires from wearing out prematurely. This means avoiding excessive speeding, not slamming on the brakes, and taking turns carefully rather than cutting your tires aggressively.
Tire maintenance is an important part of car ownership. After all, we should take care of the things that we depend on. Your car needs to be well maintained in order for it to be the reliable transportation that you depend on.
You should also make sure that your car finances are maintained properly. If you are like a lot of people, you are probably overpaying on your car loan every month. But Auto Approve is here to help! Our agents can get you a free quote in seconds and help you save thousands of dollars over the life of your car loan. So don’t wait any longer, contact Auto Approve today!