The tires on your car will wear out from use over time, requiring a replacement when they lose their tread. What you’ll need to do much more often to avoid ruining your tires (and thus requiring a replacement sooner) is get your tires rotated. A tire rotation at regular intervals helps promote even tire wear, giving you better traction while driving on the road. Ignoring a tire rotation schedule can result in uneven tire wear and your car to have less handling. Using apps like CarAdvise can help make following your tire rotation schedule easy.
You may be asking “how often should you rotate your tires?” or might be wondering what goes on during a tire rotation. Today, we are going to answer those questions and take a deeper look at tire rotation services.
How often should you rotate your tires?
For most vehicles, it is recommended that you get a tire rotation every 7,500 miles or 6 months. Note that this may vary for some specific vehicles, so be sure to refer to your owner’s manual and double-check the manufacturer’s recommendation for your vehicle model. If you cannot locate the physical owner’s manual that came with your vehicle when you purchased it, you can always view a digital copy online.
Your driving habits also may play a role in how often you should get your tires rotated. Things like how often you drive, how much, and on what types of roads can all have an impact on the rate of your tire wear. To keep things simple for you, it is a good idea to get a tire rotation every time you get your oil changed.
What happens during a tire rotation?
When you take your car in for a tire rotation service, your mechanic will swap the positions of each of your four tires. This is important because your drive tires, which are the front tires in front wheel drive systems, do more work than the rear tires. As a result of the added work, your drive tires will wear out more than the rear tires. Swapping the tires to the other position helps distribute this added wear evenly to all of your tires, since each tire will subsequently receive more tire wear up front and less wear in the rear for roughly the same amount of time and miles. Your tires are rotated and remounted in a specific rotation to optimize and even out the wear on all tires. In four-wheel drive cars, the drive tires are located in the back, which affects how the tires are specifically rotated relative to their starting positions.
Getting this done regularly with your car tires is crucial for a number of reasons. For starters, the even tire wear that results means that your tires will last longer and you will be able to drive on them more before having to replace them. Secondly, rotating your tires helps improve fuel efficiency and provides you with more traction on the road. Lastly, tire rotations lower your risk of experiencing major tire problems such as tire failure or a blowout. Both of these issues can be inconvenient, costly, and in some instances dangerous. Following a regular tire rotation schedule is the best and easiest way to ensure optimal performance for your car’s tires.
How long does a tire rotation take?
A tire rotation is a relatively quick service. If you are just getting a tire rotation, you can expect it to take between 15 and 30 minutes. Sometimes you may need additional services on your vehicle along with your tire rotation, such as an oil change, wheel balance, or other type of maintenance. This will extend your time at the shop to an hour or longer depending on the additional services you are getting.
Schedule your next tire rotation with CarAdvise
When it is time to get your tires rotated, schedule your tire rotation with CarAdvise. CarAdvise makes finding a shop and booking an appointment simple – get your tire rotation scheduled at a quality shop in under 5 minutes! Plus, by booking with CarAdvise you’ll pay 10-40% less than the shop price for every service. We show you our discounted prices upfront, so you’ll know exactly what you will pay before you confirm your appointment. Book your car maintenance with CarAdvise today.
CarAdvise also makes sticking to that tire rotation schedule very easy. Set up maintenance reminders on the web or through our app and get reminded when your car is due for maintenance. Book your services right through CarAdvise and get everything handled stress-free.
Additionally, our mobile app adds even more convenience in assisting you with your car care. Look up shops and services, compare prices, book appointments, and get maintenance reminders on the go through your smartphone.
Download the CarAdvise mobile app today on the App Store or Google Play.
