What Does Rotating Tires Mean?

You might have recently gotten an oil change or other type of maintenance at our service center and told that you had a tire rotation done as well. If you’re like many of our Carroll customers, you might be wondering, “What is a tire rotation,” and, “What does a tire rotation do?” Tire rotations are performed to prevent one tire from wearing down too fast due to use, which can extend the life of the entire set of tires over time. This process is important for maintaining traction, preventing blowouts, and even improving your vehicle’s fuel economy while you’re driving around Fort Dodge. Learn more what a tire rotation is with Macke Motors, Inc., and then contact us if you have any questions, or want some car care tips. 

So, What Does Rotating Tires Mean?

Tire rotations are easy enough to understand when you take a step back: tires are moved from one position on a vehicle to another position. In most cases, the front tires will be swapped to the back, and the back will be moved forward. The back tires will also change sides, meaning your back right becomes the forward left and so on. These are what is called the tire rotation pattern. 

• Most cars carry more weight at the front, so front tires will typically wear out faster, but the type of drivetrain your vehicle has will also affect the rate at which each tire wears down. 
• For example, in front-wheel drive vehicles, power is sent to the front axle and wheels to produce forward motion. Therefore, the front tires will wear down faster than they would in rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, or four-wheel drive models.
• This also means that your vehicle’s drivetrain will also affect the tire rotation pattern, to ensure that no tire wears down too fast compared to the whole set of tires.

What Does Tire Rotation Do?

The short answer to, “What does tire rotations do,” is actually a surprising amount for your vehicle. For a more detailed breakdown, they can help: 

• Maintains Traction: When tires wear down, they lose tire tread depth. A loss of tread depth means traction is reduced, which can interfere with your ability to control the vehicle in certain situations. Preventing uneven tire wear helps ensure that all tires have the same amount of tread.
• Prevents Blowouts: Tires become more likely to fail as they get worn down. If you’ve ever had one blow out as you drive around Lake View, you’ll know how unpleasant and potentially dangerous it can be.
• Improves Performance: Tires working together that have uneven wear often produce vibration, which you’ll eventually feel through the steering wheel.
• Maximizes Efficiency: Worn tires create drag, strain the engine, and increase your fuel consumption.

Come into Macke Motors, Inc. Today for Your Maintenance Needs

Most maintenance schedules recommend a tire rotation every 5,000 to 7,500 miles, which falls in line with every scheduled service interval. The exact timeframe however is in your owner’s manual, but you can also rely on the experts in our service center to get you back on the road in no time.