What is a Tire Rotation?

When it comes to your vehicle, it never hurts to know as much as possible. Many people have heard of tire rotations throughout their life, but many don’t know what it is or why it should be done. Tire rotation is the process of moving the position of the tires on your vehicle to ensure more even wear and therefore a longer lifespan for your tires in Nashua. Though each car has a different necessity, the standard rule is to get your tires rotated every 5000 to 7500 miles. Here is a breakdown of tire rotation so you can know what’s going on with your car.

Front-Wheel Drive

Cars that operate on front-wheel-drive by using the front tires to steer. The front tires are putting the power into the road. Because of this, front-wheel-drive can lead the front tires to wear at a faster rate than the rear tires. To rotate tires on a front-wheel-drive vehicle, you should move  the back left tire should move to the front right position with the back right tire moving to the front left position. Then the front left tire to the back left position and the front right tire to the back right position.

Rear-Wheel Drive

There is one significant difference between front-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive vehicles. For rear-wheel-drive, the front tires still control the steering of the car while the rear tires transfer the power from the car to the road. This distribution of work leads to more even wear on the front and rear tires. This means that to rotate your tires in Nashua, you should move the front left tire to the back left position. The front right tire should be transferred to the back right position. When bringing the back tires to the front, you should place the back left tire on the front right side and the back right tire on the front left side.

Four-Wheel Drive

For four-wheel-drive, or all-wheel-drive, vehicles, the wear is even more evenly spread. Four-wheel-drive tire rotation will follow the same pattern as rear-wheel-drive vehicles. The two tires in the front will remain on the same side as they move to the back. The back tires will move to the front, swapping sides as they do.

While tire rotation can be done at home, it’s safer to have it taken care of by professionals. Let the mechanics at RK Auto Repair take care of your tires in Nashua. Contact them at 603-595-7575 or visit them online.