Chances are you’ve heard that rotating your car’s tires is an important action to take in order to help extend their life. But has anyone ever stopped to wonder why exactly? Think about it, it’s not as if your front tires are being used more than your back tires, or vise versa. All four tires take the same journey with you wherever you go, yet rotating them is a key maintenance duty that not only extends their life, but can also make sure your car is safe.
Why Rotate?
It’s a fair question that should be addressed, why do we need to have our tires rotated? But, there is a simple answer that makes perfect sense. While it may seem like each of your four tires are doing 25% of the work, it is only the front ones that turn with every movement of your steering wheel. The back tires do not need to concern themselves with turning back and forth; they simply roll along with wherever the front ones take them.
Not only do the front wheels lead the way for the back ones, but also in front wheel drive cars they are responsible for supplying the main motive power for the vehicle. All of this adds up to significantly more wear and tear on the front tires.
When to Rotate?
As with any other part of your car that gets maintenance regularly, time between tire rotations depend on a number of things. Most car manufactures will recommend having your tires rotated every 5,000 to 10,000 miles. This will vary depending on the amount of city or highway miles. If your traveling within a city or town more frequently, chances are you’re turning a lot more. If this is the case, having them rotated on the lower end of the range is ideal.
So when it’s time to give those front tires a break and send them to the back, stop by the Quality Lube Plus shop on Highway 33 in Manalapan and we’ll be happy to quickly rotate them and get you back on your way!