Why do you need to rotate your car tires?

What is car tire rotation?

Tire rotation is the practice of changing the position of your car's tires to ensure even wear between the different tires on your vehicle. A set of tires that wear evenly will last longer than a set of tires that wear "off-center."

Tires that are too worn will need to be replaced, while tires that are not too worn will have a difference in wear compared to a newly installed tire.

Benefits of tire rotation

The main cause of uneven tire wear is the different weights of the axles. Except for some special cases (racing cars, high-performance sports cars) where the weight distribution is 50/50 between the front and rear axles, most cars have front-mounted engines. Therefore, the front axle is usually subjected to heavier loads than the rear axle.

In front-wheel drive vehicles, the two front wheels both drive and steer the vehicle. As a result, the two front wheels will often wear out faster than the two rear wheels.

Another reason is that in countries with right-hand traffic networks like Vietnam, right-hand turns are often more severe than left-hand turns. At the same time, when they turn right, the left wheel will go through a longer journey than the right wheel, so the left wheel often wears out faster than the right wheel.

With the right wheel, additional wear often occurs on the sidewall of the tire due to impact with the pavement when parking, while the left tire sidewall has almost no such wear.

Typically, car manufacturers recommend tire rotation every 5,000 - 10,000 km depending on the tire type. To make it simpler, you can take an average of 7,500 km or rotate tires every time you change the engine oil or according to the manufacturer's instructions. Failure to rotate tires regularly will lead to wear and tear on some tires, which can cause some tire explosions at high speeds or loss of control in slippery road conditions.

Proper tire rotation improves safety, extends tire life and can save about 3% on fuel.

Tire rotation steps

Step 1: Check tire surface, pressure, wear

When rotating tires, you should also visually inspect the tire surface and sidewalls, and check for blisters. If the tire surface shows the fabric layer, you should replace the tire with a new set.

Step 2: Dynamic balancing of tires

Tires and rims when manufactured will have errors, causing the weight to be unevenly distributed over the entire surface, some spots will be lighter than others by only a few grams. This causes the tire to rotate unevenly around the axle, causing the vehicle to vibrate. Therefore, it is necessary to dynamically balance and attach lead pieces to the lighter spots on the rim to balance the tire.

Step 3: Rotate the tires according to the plan for front-wheel drive vehicles. The two front wheels move straight down to the rear wheels. The two rear wheels rotate diagonally forward.

Special note for radial tires, with one-way tread pattern, only rotate between front and rear tires. Do not rotate left tire to right tire or vice versa. Do not use temporary spare tire to rotate tires.

After performing tire rotation, make sure the front and rear tires are inflated to the correct standard value and tighten the lug nuts.

Step 4: Adjust wheel alignment.