By Patrcia Williams Tyre rotation is commonly suggested after driving 10,000 to 12,000 miles. It is an occasional maintenance process that requires swapping the tyres in particular patterns such as front with back or side to side. Tyre rotation is important to ensure the longevity of the tyre and improve safety plus performance when driving.
The rotation pattern used depends upon your vehicle’s drive type including front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. Each drive type has different rotation patterns to guarantee even wear along with a balanced and stable drive.
Tyre rotation is necessary because the continuous friction and pressure faced by the tyres when driven on roads will have a different impact on the front tyres Handsworth compared to the back tyres. Not rotating tyres fitted on your vehicle will decrease overall performance, cause an unnecessary pull to one side, lead to weight disturbance, reduce traction and develop irritating vibration or noises.
What should a car owner keep in mind when rotating car tyres?
Ensure you perform the following steps before rotating tyres:
Carefully check each tyre fitted in your car for possible sidewall, trad or surface damage. The advised tread wear limit is 1.6 mm, and anything lower than that, the tyre will need a replacement.
Examine the tyre age and perform a thorough dimension check. Tyres are receptive to on-road damage and will deliver unsafe drive after some years. Examine DOT code or the last four digits of a tyre marking to know its age.
Always maintain and adjust the level of air pressure inside your car tyre. They should be according to the established criteria provided by a car manufacturer.
Different Patterns For Tyre Rotation
To know the most suitable rotation pattern for your vehicle, you need to first examine the drive type.
Patterns for Tyre Rotation for a Four, Rear or All Wheel Drive
Before attempting to rotate your car tyres, check and ensure that all the tyres are identical in size and also are non-directional. For these drive types, X pattern rotation and the rearward cross patterns are most suitable. In X pattern rotation, both front and back tyres get switched. But the front right is swapped with the rear left, and the front left with the rear right. On the other hand, in the rearward cross, the rear left tyre is switched with the front left and the rear right with the front right.
Patterns for Tyre Rotation for a Front Wheel Drive
For this category of drive type, the forward cross pattern and X rotation pattern is fit. In the forward cross pattern, the front wheel gets shifted to the rear, and the rear wheels get sent to the front, with switched sides.
Patterns for Tyre Rotation for staggered wheels
Tyre rotation becomes complicated for cars with staggered wheels or if they have directional tyres. If you have staggered wheels and non-directional tyres, then a side to side rotation pattern will be the most suitable option. In this pattern, the front left tyre is switched with the front right and the back left gets replaced with the back right.
What if the tyre rotation is not compatible?
Contact a tyre specialist if your vehicle is your car has directional tyres, and there are no viable options to switch or exchange tyres without reversing the direction. Reversing the direction of the tyres is not advised because it will make the tyre rotate in the opposite direction and cause early damage.
Brands With Tyres That Offer Excellent Rotation Compatibility
You can opt to buy new tyres for your vehicle that can be rotated after some time. Moreover, new tyres will also improve performance, safety and provide you with a comfortable and hassle-free drive for an initial couple of years.
- Goodyear Tyres Handsworth
- Bridgestone
- Pirelli
- Michelin
- Continental
Contact a tyre service provider today if you want more information about Tyres, or want to clear any additional doubts.
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