It’s essential to rotate your tires regularly. Our
detailed step-by-step guide and video
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show you how. Also learn about the
supplies and tools you’ll need to rotate your tires
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.
When you move the position of each tire on a set schedule, it evens the rate of wear between front and rear tires. The front tires of your vehicle wear out faster than the ones in back. This is due to the forces of steering and braking.
The simple task of rotating your tires keeps you safe and extends tire life, which saves money.
How Often You Should Rotate Your Tires
Do a visual inspection to confirm if your tires need rotating. Regardless, it should happen every 6,000 to 8,000 miles.
A good rule of thumb is to rotate them every 6,000 to 8,000 miles. Vehicles with AWD or 4WD, which experience faster wear, may need more frequent tire rotation.
If you aren’t sure whether or not your tires need a rotation, do a visual inspection. Tread depth is the vertical distance between the highest point on the tread’s pattern to the lowest point in the pattern’s grooves. Tread also channels water out from under tires to prevent hydroplaning. Safe braking, accelerating, and steering all require traction between the tires and the road surface. With use, tread wears down, compromising these essential functions.
See our blog post about
measuring tire tread
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. It describes the three common methods for measuring tire tread depth.
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Checking each tire’s tread wear indicator bars
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Measuring with a tire tread depth gauge
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Using the penny test
What Happens If You Don’t Rotate Tires
Not rotating your tires on schedule can compromise driving in rain and snow.
Failing to rotate your tires can affect their wear. That could have big implications on how your vehicle handles.
If your front tires have less tread than the rear tires, driving in rainy or snowy conditions can get slippery. Even on dry surfaces, uneven tires can also cause problems with steering and braking. For example, your vehicle may pull to one side when coming to a stop.
In 4WD and AWD cars, skipping tire rotation can be even more problematic. Uneven wear puts more strain on the powertrain. The engine has to work harder to spin one set of wheels than it does to spin the other set. This can cause transmission problems or issues with the differential, which can lead to expensive repairs. Staying on schedule with tire rotations avoid bigger issues down the road.
Signs You Need a Tire Rotation
Don’t risk uneven tire wear. Rotating your tires is an easy DIY project.
One of the most common signs of needing a tire rotation is a specific
type of tire wear called cupping
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. Cupping looks like wavy patterns on the vehicle’s tread, usually with high and low spots resembling a cup.
This type of wear is easy to spot and is a sure sign that you need to rotate your tires more often. You may also notice that your car makes excess noise or vibrates more than it should. This happens when the tread becomes uneven—a sure sign that you need to rotate your tires.
Tire Rotation Is a Great DIY Job
It is critical to rotate tires using the correct swap pattern.
Rotating your tires shouldn’t take more than an hour. See our
detailed step-by-step guide and video
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.
You need a jack, jack stands, and a lug wrench, but that’s it for tools. To get started, park the car on a flat surface and engage the parking brake. Then, loosen all the lugnuts slightly to make it easier to get the wheels off once the vehicle is on the jack stands. Using the appropriate jacking point, lift the vehicle up with the jack and secure the stands underneath.
After you have the car on jack stands, you can rotate the tires. Here’s the standard rotational pattern. Take the front tires and put them on the rear while taking the rear tires and putting them on the front. When you do this, reverse the sides that the tires are on, creating a criss-cross pattern. This ensures that no one area of the tire is getting the same amount of use. Then, reinstall and tighten the lug nuts. You can then take the car off the jack stands, and it’s ready to go until the next scheduled tire rotation.
If you have directional tires, use the front-to-back method. With this straight rotation pattern, the tires stay on their side of the vehicle.
For front-wheel drive cars, consider using a forward cross pattern. The front tire goes directly onto the rear position without swapping sides. So the right rear moves to the left front position while the right rear tire goes to the left front spot.
Vehicles with four-wheel and rear-wheel drive could use a rearward cross. In this rotation pattern, the rear tires go up to the front but stay on the same side. When swapping to the rear position, the front tires cross over, so the right front tire is on the left rear, and the left front tire is now on the right rear.
What does it cost to rotate your tires?
If you do the rotation yourself, it’s free.
Check Your Brakes and Pressure
While the tires are removed, check the thickness of your brake pads.
While you have the wheels off of your car for the tire rotation, there are a few other maintenance procedures you can do.
One of the most important things is to check the condition of your brakes. Check the thickness of your brake pads to see if it is time to replace them. Most manufacturers recommend replacing brake pads if they are between three and four millimeters thick.
You should also check the pressure of all your tires before you put them back on the car. Your owner’s manual is the most reliable source of information on tire pressure. Also, the tire placard, typically located on the driver’s side door jamb, inside the glove box, or inside the fuel filler door, provides valuable information about tire pressure.
If your pressure is below the recommended psi, inflate the tires before you get back on the road.
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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.
