The Wisdom of Rotating Your Tires

Let’s face it – forgetting about vehicle maintenance is an easy thing to do. Sure, you can remember to keep up with your oil changes, and you may even come in on time for your service visits at designated mileage markers. But do you manage to keep track of everything that needs to be done to your vehicle? Maybe, maybe not. One of the tasks that tends to slip through the cracks is tire rotation. This might not seem like a particularly important task, but it would be in your best interest to keep up with it – as well as all the other work your vehicle needs.
In this article, we are going to talk about why it is important to have your tires rotated on a periodic basis. Of course, when it is time to have this task completed, please contact Taylor & Sons Chevrolet for assistance. We will be happy to help!

Uneven Wear

The concept of rotating your tires comes down to the goal of evening out the wear on your tires as they age. If you were to leave your four tires in their original positions for the entire time that they are in place on your vehicle, you would almost certainly see uneven wear patterns. Tires which are installed on the front wheels are going to deal with different stresses than tires on the back wheels, and tires on the right side of the vehicle will deal with different stresses than tires on the left. If you tend to turn right more often than you turn left, for instance, the wear pattern will reflect that tendency.

So, to even out the pattern of wear that shows up on your tires, one of the best things you can do is simply move them from place to place on a periodic basis. When your tires are rotated onto different wheels, they will take on a new pattern of use and the rubber of the tire should wear in a different manner. This doesn’t mean your tires will last forever, of course, but it should help to extend the useful life of the tires. For something that is so quick and easy, rotating tires can make a meaningful difference in both the performance of your vehicle and the cost of maintenance moving forward.

Warranty Considerations

If you have purchased a new set of tires for your vehicle recently, you already know that tires are not cheap. A new set of tires can easily set you back several hundred dollars or more. Fortunately, most tires come with some form of warranty protection to cover your purchase. However, if you are going to keep that warranty in good standing, you may need to rotate your tires according to a specific schedule. Failing to rotate your tires may wind up voiding the warranty, leaving you on the hook for any issues that may pop up down the line. When you purchase your new tires, check the warranty carefully so you know what is expected in terms of tire rotation.

Keep Your Grip

Not only do you want to even out the wear on your tires in order to extend their life, but you also want to make sure you have the best possible grip on the road as you drive around the Ponderay area. Having tires with plenty of grip is one of the biggest steps you can take to stay safe on the road and promoting even wear is a big part of that equation. Even if you do have your tires rotated regularly, you should still check in on the status of your tread from time to time just to make sure there is still enough to grab onto the road surface. When your tread starts to wear thin, it is time to think about picking up a new set.

Buy All Four

You really want to buy four new tires when the time comes to replace the tires on your vehicle. This will allow the tires to be in the same condition right from the start, which should improve the way they perform. With that said, you may struggle to do this if you aren’t rotating your tires on a consistent schedule. Without the proper tire rotations, your wear will be uneven, and you’ll probably have a couple of your tires with a lot more tread left than the other two. So, what do you do? Either you buy a couple new tires and have a mismatched set, or you buy four new tires and essentially ‘waste’ some of the tread of the tires that had not worn as much.

It’s best to simply stay away from this scenario by having your tires rotated on a regular basis. This is an easy maintenance task to have completed, so you aren’t looking at a significant amount of time to have the job done. And, while you are bringing your vehicle in for tire rotation, you may be able to have other work done or at least have an inspection completed. Providing consistent care to your vehicle is one of the best ways to get great performance over the long run, and tire rotations are a key piece of that larger puzzle. 

At Taylor & Sons Chevrolet, we offer a full complement of auto care services. Need new tires, no problem – we have a great selection for you to consider. Need basic maintenance like an oil change or a brake job? Again, not a problem. We will make sure the job is done right, and we will get you in and out as quickly and efficiently as possible. We love serving our loyal customers here in Ponderay, and we are confident that you will be happy with the service you receive. Whether you need to come see us for a tire rotation or any other maintenance task, our team will be ready to get the job done. Thanks for reading and we look forward to seeing you soon!

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