Rotating your tires is a way of managing the wear on the tire’s tread. Tires wear out eventually, like how old shoes get a wear pattern, making them impossible for others to wear or for the shoe to perform correctly. Except our cars only have one set of tires and get more miles than our footwear. Still, some car owners see rotating their tires as an unnecessary trip to the mechanic. That is not the case. Rotating your tires is extremely important.
How Long Do Tires Last Without Rotating Them?
Depending on whether your vehicle is front, rear, or all wheel drive, your tires can wear down at different speeds. The wheels doing the driving often exhibit more wear due to having more stress put on them. Additionally, hard breakers may find their front tires wear out more quickly as the front tires take on more weight of the engine plus the strain of stopping the car.
If you don’t regularly rotate your tires, this uneven wear can become extreme, leading to a rough driving experience at best and a dangerous one at worst. Rotating your tires adds, on average,10,000 miles to your tires lifetime use.
Do I Really Need to Rotate My Tires?
Some car skeptics will say wear factors are impossible to account for so your tires will last as long as they’ll last (about 75,000 miles). However, there’s little evidence to support this. There’s much more evidence that rotating your tires extends the life of the tire and the amount of use you get out of it as an owner. Additionally, you might see benefits such as:
- Improved handling
- Noise reduction
- Reduction in vibration
- Protection from blow outs
Rotating your tires is in your best interest, and it often protects your tire’s warranty.
When Should I Rotate My Tires?
Now that we’ve established that rotating your tires is not to be skipped, when should you have your tires rotated? According to Metro Motor’s Ultimate Car Maintenance Checklist, you should rotate your tires every 3-5,000 miles. To make it easier to remember, though, try having them rotated each time you come in for an oil change.
Uneven wear on your tires is unavoidable. However, it’s not a service you can easily skip. You can not only extend the life of your tires, but also make your driving safer by having them rotated at your local auto shop.
Vehicle care information made available by Metro Motor is presented as helpful advice for general maintenance and should not be construed as instructions for at-home vehicle service. Be sure to consult your owner’s manual and a licensed, professional mechanic for diagnostics and repair.