Why Are Tire Rotations Important?

Your vehicle’s tires significantly influence your driving experience. They’re essential to how well your car steers, handles, accelerates, and brakes. However, they can wear out and become misaligned over time, leading to inferior ride quality and potential safety issues. Then again, if you maintain your Ford vehicle’s tires regularly, you can keep them in good working order. Find out how tire rotations and alignments work and why you should include them in your auto maintenance routine.

What Is a Tire Rotation?

A tire rotation is a process of switching the position of each individual tire on your vehicle. Generally, rotating your tires should happen every 5,000 miles or according to your vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations. It’s a good idea to get this service while going in for an oil change. A tire rotation presents a great opportunity to visually examine your tires for signs of damage, measure their tread depth, look at their air pressure, and rebalance them if you notice any vibrations.

Why Are Tire Rotations Important?

Regularly rotating your wheels helps distribute wear evenly across each tire, increasing their tread life. This is because different positions on your car may need a different give from each tire. For instance, the front tires of a front-wheel-drive car will take a greater proportion of the friction and torque needed for accelerating, turning, and braking. This can result in unpredictable wear on the tires.

It’s especially vital for new tires to be rotated before 5,000 miles, as tire tread that’s deep and fresh is more vulnerable to uneven wear. Preventing uneven tread wear helps keep your tires’ tread depth uniform, which leads to more consistent traction and handling across all four tires. This will enhance your vehicle’s braking and cornering performance, making it safer to drive. If you own an all-wheel-drive vehicle, evenly worn tires can reduce strain and wear and tear on your drivetrain and help you avoid costly repairs.

What Happens If You Drive With Misaligned Tires?

Failure to rotate your tires regularly can cause them to be misaligned. Misaligned tires may lead to uneven wear patterns that lower the life span of your tires. Taking your vehicle to a service center for routine tire alignments is an excellent preventive maintenance solution that can make your tires last longer, regardless of whether you have premium or discount ones.

You may find your steering wheel leaning to one side or jerking out of your hands when you have alignment issues. If you’re struggling to drive in a straight line or holding your steering wheel in one direction to keep your vehicle moving forward, it’s a sign that it may be time to get your tires rotated. Even a small steering problem can escalate dramatically when your tires are misaligned. For example, hitting an unexpected pothole can cause you to lose control of your car.

Over time, driving on misaligned tires may damage your suspension. As a result of alignment issues, your suspension system is likely to experience excessive stress on one side, causing it to wear out faster than on the other side. Getting a tire rotation or realignment is much more affordable than replacing your suspension.

What Tire Rotation Pattern Should You Use?

The best tire rotation pattern for your vehicle depends on what type of tires you have, what kind of drivetrain your car is equipped with, whether you’re using directional or non-directional tires, and whether or not the size of your front and rear tires are the same. The following are the recommended tire rotation patterns for different types of tires and vehicles:

For Non-Directional Tires of Uniform Size

• Rearward cross: The rearward cross pattern may be suitable for your vehicle if it’s rear-wheel, four-wheel, or all-wheel drive. The front tires are moved to the rear axle on the opposite sides, while the rear tires are brought forward and remain on the same side.
• X-pattern: The X-pattern is recommended if you own a front-wheel-drive vehicle, such as a sedan or lightweight truck. All tires are swapped diagonally, meaning they’re repositioned from one axle to the opposite and switched from one side to the other.
• Forward cross: The forward cross pattern is commonly used on front-wheel-drive cars. The rear tires are diagonally repositioned so that they’re on the opposite sides of the front axle, and the front tires are moved back directly.

For Non-Directional Tires of Uniform Size and With a Full-Size Spare

• Rearward cross (four-wheel or rear-wheel-drive cars): The spare tire goes to the right side of the rear axle, while the rear tires are moved up directly to the front. The left front tire is now your new spare, and the right front tire is switched diagonally to the opposite side of the rear axle.
• Forward cross (front-wheel-drive vehicles): The rear tires are repositioned to the front on the opposite sides, while the right side of the front axle becomes the new spare tire. The front left tire is moved directly back, while the spare occupies the right side of the rear axle.

For Directional and High-Performance Tires

• Side-to-side: The side-to-side pattern is ideal if your vehicle has high-performance tires of different sizes on the front and rear axles. The tires stay on the same axle and swap sides with their same-sized partner.
• Front-to-back: This tire rotation pattern is used for vehicles with directional tires. The tires are switched to a different axle but stay on the same side of the car.

If you’re looking for top-quality tire rotation or alignment services in Brewster, New York, consider taking your vehicle to Brewster Ford. Serving Brewster, Peach Lake, Lake Carmel, Croton Falls, Mahopac, Patterson, and Katonah, our dealership has a Ford-certified service center that provides the full range of tire services, including tire rotations and tire replacements. No matter which Ford model you own, you can count on our factory-trained technicians to help you keep your tires performing at their best. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Photo Credit: 2015 Ford Mustang 5.0 GT by Michel Curi is licensed with CC BY 2.0

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