Tire & Wheel rotation
Tire & Wheel rotation is required to compensate for the uneven tire wear across a set of tires due to differing weight and load from the front and rear axles. Even tire wear is desirable to extend the useful life of a set of tires and provide a more viable economical option.
Tire rotation is moving the wheels and tires of an automobile from one position to another, to allow for even tire wear across the set.
Most vehicles have the engine in front, the front tires carry more weight than the rear tires. Front-wheel drive vehicles have not only the engine but also the transmission / trans axle in front putting more weight on the front tires. An additional load is placed on the front tires by braking, about 70% of braking is accomplished with the front axle. Front wheel drive vehicles need to have tire rotation addressed more frequently.
Other factors in uneven tire wear are turning, balancing, wheel alignment etc… In turning the vehicle the outside of the front tires are worn much faster than the inside of the tire, rotating reduces this effect. Unaddressed mechanical problems related to poor maintenance with your vehicle may cause uneven tire wear. Wheels in need of alignment (castor, camber) with the vehicle’s axis will cause a dragging effect in relation with the other wheels and tires, this also causes wear in that tire. If misalignment is so far out of specification your vehicle pull to the side needing alignment.
Vehicle manufacturers recommend tire & wheel rotation frequency and the pattern to rotate based on the type and configuration of the tire. Typical tire rotation may be every 5,000 mi (8,000 km). Rotation patterns very, typically moving the back wheels to the front, and the front to the back. With tires that are unidirectional rotation can only be made rotated from the front to back on the same side. Other rotation patterns are required if the vehicle has a full-size spare tire that is part of the rotation or if snow tires or off road conditions are encountered.
