Everyone loves to drive their car and go on trips, but hardly do they think about keeping it and maintaining its performance. There are many things that need to be done on time to ensure your car’s consistent performance. First, you need to focus on things that keep it moving, i,e., tires. You cannot ignore the need for maintaining your tires’ health. Every day they run through harsh road conditions that can degrade their quality and lose balance. For this, it is essential to follow the tire rotation practices. It is the most neglected tire maintenance and care practice that makes a significant difference in the tire’s life.
In this article, you will learn more about the importance of tire rotation and why you need to always prioritize it along with other care practices.
What is Tire Rotation?
Tire rotation is nothing but repositioning or changing the tire’s position to keep them in a balanced manner. It helps in preventing the problems that can arise due to tire health issues. It creates a balance between the tire position and the road angle. It not only saves you from the unexpected tire changing expenses but also ensures that your vehicle performs efficiently.
Why Should you Rotate Tires Regularly?
Tire rotation practice is also followed by the manufacturer to maintain the validity of the tire warranty. It is enough to understand the significance of tire rotation in the tire’s health. Tire rotation helps keep the tire quality consistent across all the tires and balance the handling experience. Both front and rear tires have a different relationship with the road, so the tire rotation pattern must be set according to it. The lack of tire rotation can lead to problems that can be fatal for your car’s performance. Instead of changing the tire regularly, you can adopt tire rotation practice.
The Best Patterns for Tire Rotation
The tire rotation pattern depends on the type of vehicle you have and tire condition. The following are some of the patterns of tire rotation.
Front-Wheel Drive
- X-Pattern: The front and rear tires of both the sides are switched
- Forward Cross: Rear right tire is switched to the front right tire and the same for the other side.
- Front to Rear: Interchanging of front and rear tires on the same sides.
Rear Wheel Drive
- Rearward Cross: The opposite of the forward cross, switches the front left tire to the rear right tire.
Different Sized Tires
- Side-to-Side: Rotates the right front to the left front and the same for the rear side.
Just follow the rule of thumb of rotating the tires every 3000-8000 miles without fail. Just keep a reminder to rotate tires when you go for an oil change. Check your owner’s manual to find the right tire rotation pattern for your vehicle. You can also consult the mechanic to learn more about the tire pattern.
