| Car Parts home
> Car Parts Info Center >
Tire rotation
Tire rotation
 ·
In what direction should I you rotate your tires?
Some people rotate from front to back, some people rotate their
tires from back to front, I have also heard of making sure that
in tire rotation you crisscross front to rear and rear to front.
The best way to know which
tire rotation method to use can be found in your owners
manual.
- Yes, some mechanics believe that they have it all figured out,
always in a certain direction—always back to front or always
front to back. However every automobile is different and thus,
if your manual says rotate front to back—that is the best
way to rotate your tires. If you do not have an auto manual for
your vehicle, many auto manuals for almost every make and model
car are sold to replace misplaced manuals
- Tire rotation is vital to extending the life of your tires.
Think about it—you automobile has two tires that run in
only one direction all the time. The other two tires have to turn
back and forth.
- The tires going side to side while rolling will wear down more
quickly than the other two. Rotating tires will allow all four
tires to wear more evenly, and is essential to keep your vehicle
in good running condition.
- The alignment of the vehicle, which can be assessed by the direction
in which your automobile has a tendency to pull if you let go
of the steering wheel while driving (slowly and safely, of course)
also plays a key role in how rapidly the tires will wear.
- If your car pulls significantly in one direction or the other,
your alignment needs to be adjusted right away and you need to
check the condition of your tires. Consult your owners manual
for more detailed information.
- The weight on both the front and rear axles of your vehicle
differs. This difference in weight will obviously cause uneven
wear on your tires.
- Because the vehicles engine is in the front, the front axle
will typically have more of the pressure on it.
* For rear wheel drive tire rotation:
The weight distribution between front and back tires in a rear wheel
drive vehicle is about fifty-fifty. So your tires have a good chance
of wearing out at exactly the same rate.
* For front wheel drive tire rotation:
There is also a differential in front in your front wheel drive
vehicles adding to the weight on the front tires. In such a case
the usual weight distribution is no better than sixty-forty.
· This means that the front tires on a front wheel drive
vehicle will wear out at almost twice the rate of the rear wheels—especially
when you take into account the additional stress that is put onto
the front tires every time you brake.
· Thus, with a front wheel drive vehicle, tire rotation
needs to occur more frequently.
*Tire wear due to mechanical problems:
· Mechanical problem in the vehicle may also be the advocate
of uneven tire wear.
· If there is a wheel that is out of alignment it will will
tend to be dragged along by the other wheels.
· If the vehicle tends to turn in one direction or thew
other, the driver will correct this problem by steering against
the tendency—he or she would have to in order to drive sanely.
In this case, because the vehicle is constantly turning, uneven
tire wear occurs.
It is most essential to the automobile owner that your tires be
checked and rotated when necessary, and that you refer to your owners
manual often to keep your car in good condition.
· Lastly, if one of your tires is under-inflated or over-inflated,
it will wear down at a different rate than the others that are inflated
to the correct level of air pressure. Tire rotation will not help
in the instance that a tire is over or under inflated. But once
the inflation problem is corrected, the uneven wearing of that tire
should stop.
|
