How Often Should Tires Be Rotated?

When you hit the road for a great new adventure, you'll want your car to be performing at its peak. There's lots of excitement to get out and experience around Marion, Herrin, and Carbondale, Illinois, so you'll want to be prepared. Proper maintenance is essential for your car's well-being, and that includes your tires.

Tire rotations help keep your car running smoothly and with plenty of grip well into the future. Our service experts are here to teach you all about how often tires should be rotated. The team at Watermark Ford of Marion is dedicated to keeping your drives optimal and fun. Read on to learn about how to keep your ride cruising smoothly!

What is Tire Rotation?

Tires play an important role in your car's performance and safety. They're what grips you to the ground and gets you moving. As your tires rotate and travel over the ground, they'll experience wear and start to degrade. This is a natural process, though, there are some differences between vehicles.

Depending on what type of drivetrain you have, your tires will wear down at different rates. For example, a front-wheel drive car will apply more energy and force to the front wheels, leading to them degrading more quickly. A tire rotation moves your tires to different wheels so they all wear down at an even rate.

The Purpose Behind Tire Rotations

Since your tires likely wear down at different rates, they will degrade and outlive their use at different times. This would result in needing two new tires frequently rather than four new ones every once in a while. Rotating your tires between your wheels will have all four tires sharing a wear-down rate, extending the life of your full set of tires. This is not only convenient for you, but it also ensures you have a solid grip of the road from each tire. By rotating your tires, you ensure your car is ready to keep driving well into the future.

Tire Rotation Frequency

When it comes to how often you should rotate your tires, the manufacturer's information should be your first stop. Check out your car's owner's manual for recommended information. It should include maintenance schedules for all parts of your ride, including upkeep for your wheels and tires.

Outside of that, you can stay on top of tire wear by having them rotated with every oil change. Since oil changes are a frequent part of upkeep, combining them with a tire rotation helps ensure a long-term even wear of your tires.

If you're looking for a firm number to keep in mind, then rotating your tires every six months is a good metric. If you drive frequently and rack up lots of miles, then you may want to consider more frequent tire rotations.

Schedule Your Next Tire Rotation!

As you get ready for your next epic journey around Marion, Herrin, and Carbondale, IL, you'll thank yourself for keeping your tires in good standing. Now that you can answer the question how often should tires be rotated?, schedule your next service visit with us at Watermark Ford of Marion!