What Is Tire Rotation?

Tire rotation is a common service offered at auto repair shops. Most experts recommend getting your vehicle's tires rotated at least once every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Failure to do so could result in premature wear and tear that shortens the lifespan of your vehicle's tires. What is a tire rotation service exactly, and how does it work?

Overview of Tire Rotation

Tire rotation involves moving some or all of your vehicle's tires to different areas. It's not the same as a tire replacement. Your vehicle will still have the same tires. The tires will simply be "rotated" to different areas.

With most tire rotation services, the front tires and rear tires are swapped. In other words, the front driver-side and passenger-side tires are moved to the rear, and the rear driver-side and passenger-side tires are moved to the front. Tire rotation services simply involve moving the same tires to different areas.

Why Tire Rotation Is Important

By getting your vehicle's tires rotated, you'll promote a more even wearing of the tread. All tires have tread. It's the patterned grooves that allow tires to create traction with the road. As you drive, the tread will wear down. Eventually, it may wear down so much that your tires become smooth, thus making them susceptible to puncture. With a tire rotation service, though, the tread will wear more evenly across all of your vehicle's tires.

Tread wear often varies between a vehicle's front and rear tires. Your vehicle's front tires, for instance, will typically experience faster and more pronounced tread wear than your vehicle's rear tires. A tire rotation service allows you to swap these tires so that they experience a similar degree of tread wear.

Because it promotes even tread wear, tire rotation can improve your vehicle's fuel economy. Your vehicle will burn more fuel if some of the tires have little or no tread remaining. The lack of tread means the tires won't create strong traction with the road. And without traction, your vehicle's engine will have to work harder.

You'll save money by getting your vehicle's tires rotated. New tires can be expensive. When a tire has little or no tread remaining, you'll need to replace it with a new tire. Rotating your vehicle's tires, however, will make them last longer so that you aren't forced to constantly buy replacements. They won't last forever, but you'll get more use of your vehicle's tires if they are rotated regularly.