Ben Parker
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Why You Should Get Your Tires Rotated

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tire tread close up

If you’re fairly new to cars or car maintenance, hearing that you should get your tires “rotated” can be confusing. Rotating is something that tires are meant to do, after all. How will rotating them further more be conducive to better vehicle ownership?


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In the maintenance sense of the term, rotating your tires means moving them from one wheel to another, e.g. from left to right or back to front — not rotating the wheel on its axis. If that just made you slap your forehead in sudden realization, don’t worry: You can just blame it on the pesky English language.

But why do they need to move?

As to why you should get your tires rotated — well, that’s simple. If you’ve ever driven the same vehicle for several months or years, you’ve likely noticed that the tire tread gets slowly worn down over time; but it doesn’t get worn down the same on all of the tires.

Generally, the rear tires wear down less quickly than the front tires, because the latter also have to undergo steering forces. Rotating your front tires to the rear and vice versa allows you to balance the deterioration and save you trips to your local tire shop for a new set.


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Not only does rotating your car’s tires save you money, but it also keeps you safe while driving. When the tread is evenly worn, the tires are better at gripping the road and keeping the car steady. Now that you know why the tires should be rotated, you may want to check your owner’s manual to see when that service is due for your car.