Finally, you can slow down uneven tread wear by rotating your tires—which simply
means moving them around so that they “trade places” on your vehicle in a systematic way. Rotation is important
because each tire on a car carries a different amount of weight, making them wear at different rates. By rotating
them, you basically even out those differences. Your owner’s manual will tell you how often to rotate your tires, but as a
rule of thumb, it should be done every 6,000 to 8,000 miles. You might want to rotate them sooner if you see signs of
uneven wear. Misalignment and other mechanical problems can also cause such wear, so check with your mechanic to
determine the cause.
There are various patterns for rotating tires. A common one
for front-wheel drive vehicles involves moving the tires in a criss-cross fashion, with the left front tire trading places with
the right rear, and right front trading with the left rear.
If you have a full-size spare, you can include it in your rotation pattern—but
don’t do so with a small “temporary use” spare, because those are meant only for low-speed, short-distance emergency use.
The proper rotation pattern depends on the type of vehicle and tires, so be sure to look at your owner’s manual. After
rotation, adjust the air pressure of each tire for its new location, using the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations.
| |
