How Often to Rotate Your Tires

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The roadways can be a dangerous place, especially if your tires are in an unsafe condition. Bad tires can be caused by the mileage accrued over time, weather conditions, terrain conditions, style of driving and maintenance provided by the vehicle owner. One way to increase the life of your tires and keep them safe is by performing a routine tire rotation.

At Norm Reeves Toyota San Diego, we’re here to help drivers near San Diego, Chula Vista, and El Cajon learn more about when to have their tires rotated, AWD vs. FWD tire rotations, and more! Keep reading to get important details on this crucial automotive service and how you can benefit!

Why Your Tires are Rotated

The pressure your tires face is different on all four wheels due to their placement. For example, your front tires take on a heavier load than the back tires because of the weight of the engine, the fact that they control the steering and direction of your vehicle, and when you apply the brakes, the weight of the vehicle shifts to the front. This is going to cause a great deal of wear and tear on your front tires, which is why you will want to alternate tire locations to all corners to balance out pressure and duties to ensure longevity and safety.

It’s recommended that you consult your owner’s manual for suggested times to get a tire rotation. A general rule of thumb is to get a tire rotation whenever an oil change is performed. The recommended timeframe to rotate your tires is every 3,000 to 6,000 miles, depending on driving conditions. For someone who drives in a city with many starts and stops, you’ll want to have your tires rotated closer to the 3,000-mile mark. For drivers who face less traffic, a tire rotation every 6,000 miles is recommended.

The Benefits of Having Your Tires Rotated Include:

  • Avoid wear and tear
  • Better performance
  • Better gas mileage
  • Maximizes traction
  • Smoother ride

How Often to Rotate Tires Depends on the Following Signs:

  • Uneven tire wear: You’ll want to gauge the depth in the treads of each tire in different locations of the tire. If the treads have different depths around the tire, your tires are wearing down unevenly. Also, check for “feathering,” which is when one side of the tread is round and the other side is still holding an edge. Again, this is another sign of uneven wear.
  • Tire noise and vibration: There should be no road noise when you drive. Drive your vehicle on a flat, smooth road surface and listen for loud noise.
  • Uneven front to rear tread wear: Because front tires can wear down twice as quickly as back tires, uneven front to back tread wear is a sign that it’s time to rotate the front tires to the back.

How Are My Tires Rotated with AWD vs FWD?

It’s important to keep up with your tire rotations to ensure that you’re getting the most miles out of your tires. However, the tire rotation process varies depending on whether your vehicle is AWD or FWD. Given that there are different weights and forces applied to the wheels, it’s crucial that your tires are rotated properly based on the drive system.

FWD tire rotations are relatively simple. The tires in front are moved directly to the back while the tires in the rear are placed in the front on the opposite sides of their current location.

Back right to front left/back left to right front/front left to back left/front right to back right

When it comes to the AWD tire rotation, it’s very similar to the FWD rotation, but in reverse. The tires in the rear are rotated to the front adjacent to their original position. However, the front tires are moved back to the rear but on the opposite sides of their original position.

Front right to back left/front left to back right/back left to front left/back right to front right

Why You Should Keep Up with Tire Rotations

There are many dangers to not performing regular tire rotations. In the conditions of weather and traffic, a worn down and bald tire is going to have no traction or grip, which could send you off course or prevent you from stopping in time. Be sure to pay attention to the condition of your tires and keep up with regular maintenance for safety and longevity.

Service Specials for Your Tires

It’s always good to keep an eye out for service specials when it comes to your tire rotations and automotive service. Our specials vary throughout the year, so be sure to keep checking back to see what kind of service specials and discounts you could get on your next tire rotation or automotive service.

Scheduling Your Tire Rotations

Tire Alignment

By regularly rotating your tires, not only are you ensuring that your tires are in great condition, but you can also make them last longer.

Of course, knowing when to have your tires rotated is important, so a good benchmark is your oil change. When you come in for this service, you can have your tires rotated, too, so you’ll benefit from having two important services performed in one convenient visit.

When it’s time to have your tires rotated, you can always schedule your service with us at Norm Reeves Toyota San Diego so your vehicle and tires perform perfectly around the streets of San Diego, Chula Vista, and El Cajon!

Schedule your next tire rotation with us!