How Often You Should Rotate Your Tires
Rotating your tires is the best way to ensure even wear and maximize the life of your tires, but sometimes it’s not entirely clear what it does or why it’s important. That’s why Germain Cars has put together this guide to tire rotation, so you get get the most life out of your tires with this frequently overlooked preventative maintenance.
What Is a Tire Rotation?
Essentially, a tire rotation is just swapping the wheels around on your vehicle. No two tires on your vehicle wear in the same pattern, and swapping them around keeps any one area of the tire from wearing too far down before the rest. There are many factors that go into this, but a big one is whether your vehicle is front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive. This will also make a difference in how your tires are rotated. For example, if your vehicle is FWD, the front wheels will go on the back, on opposite sides of the vehicle from the one they came from, while the rear wheels simply move to the front on the same side. On an RWD vehicle, it is the inverse. High-performance vehicles can be exceptions. Sometimes the front wheels and rear wheels are different sizes, and all you can do is swap sides. And sometimes the tires are also directional, and you can’t rotate them at all.
When Should I Rotate My Tires?
The best way to know exactly how often you should be rotating your tires is to check your owner’s manual. But in general, FWD and RWD vehicles should have their tires rotated about every 5,000 to 8,000 miles. With AWD vehicles, it’s about every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Of course, no matter how vigilant you are with your tire rotations, they will eventually wear out. For a more in-depth look at tread wear and when your tires will need to be replaced, you’ll want to check out our tire buying guide