What is a Tire Rotation

What Is a Tire Rotation?

A Tire Rotation is one of the key services you should regularly schedule for your vehicle. Your technician knows exactly how it works and why it’s important, but do you? When you come in for a tire rotation, each of your tires is moved to a different position on your vehicle. This matters because tires wear differently depending on their placement, so by rotating them, everything wears at an even pace. Keeping up with your manufacturer's recommended rotation intervals for your vehicle will keep you safe on the road.

Why Is a Tire Rotation Important?

A Tire Rotation is one of the most important auto maintenance services to keep on schedule. The reason? Driving too long with uneven tire wear can eventually put you at risk for accidents. When you go too long without a tire rotation and your tread gets too low or wears unevenly, you could experience problems like:

• Less control in tough weather. Is it rainy? Your vehicle is more likely to hydroplane. Plus, your traction will be compromised during or icy and snowy drives.
• Tire blowouts. The lower your tread depth, the less protection you have against hazards like rocks and rough pavement that can rupture your tires.

Most Common Tire Rotation Patterns

When you come in for a tire rotation at Tires Plus, we make sure to choose a rotation pattern that suits your vehicle’s driving capabilities. Here are the most common tire rotation patterns: 

Forward Cross

• What is it? Swaps front and rear axle tires and the sides of the newly placed front tires (i.e., rear left becomes front right, and rear right becomes front left).
• Tire type: Uniform size, non-directional tires
• Drive type: Most common choice for vehicles with front-wheel drive

Rearward Cross

• What is it? Swaps front and rear axle tires and the sides of the newly placed rear tires (i.e., front left becomes rear right, and front right becomes rear left).
• Tire type: Uniform size, non-directional tires
• Drive type: Vehicles with rear-wheel or four-wheel drive

While these are the most common types of tire rotations, they are not the only patterns. There are tire rotation patterns that account for full-size spare tires as part of the rotation, or if your vehicle uses special high performance or directional tires that have explicit axle placement specifications. You can always consult with a tire expert at Tires Plus before you get your tire rotation to figure out the best rotation pattern for you and your vehicle. 

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