How Routine Tyre Rotation Saves You Money
Your tyres are the thing that takes the biggest hit when driving on our sometimes less than ideal New Zealand roads. Plus, they represent one of the most significant ongoing maintenance costs you’ll face as a vehicle owner. While you can’t stop everyday wear and tear on your tyres, you can absolutely have some input into how they wear.
The secret to achieving the maximum lifespan and ensuring uniform performance from your set of four tyres is simple – routine tyre rotation. It’s a quick, inexpensive process that pays off over the long run.
Why Tyres Wear Unevenly
In general, tyres will wear unevenly because the pressure applied to the road surface is not uniform across the tyre’s tread area. To understand why this occurs, you first need to understand the forces continuously at play on your car when you’re driving. This unequal pressure is primarily caused by:
- Steering And Braking. The front tyres handle the vast majority of steering manoeuvres and bear the brunt of the vehicle’s weight shift during braking. This can mean faster wear patterns on the front tyres.
- FWD. In most modern cars, Front-Wheel Drive is the primary driving force, this means the front wheels are responsible for both steering and delivering power from the engine. This functional combination dramatically accelerates the wear rate of the front set of tyres compared to the rear.
- Weight Distribution. Even when driving straight, most vehicles have a slightly higher weight distribution over the front axle, leading to higher friction and faster degradation on the front tyres.
- Existing Wheel Alignment Issues. If your tyres are out of alignment (not perpendicular to the ground, parallel to each other or pointing straight ahead).
If you leave your tyres in their original position, it is likely that the two front tyres will wear out completely while the two rear tyres still have plenty of tread depth left. Or tread wear may occur unevenly, forcing you to replace the entire set earlier than necessary.
Top 5 Benefits Of Rotating Your Tyres
The good news is there is a simple way to improve the lifespan of your tyres and ensure you get greater value for money – rotating your tyres regularly. Tyre rotation involves moving each tyre to a different wheel position on the vehicle (front-left to rear-right, etc.). This simple act offers some significant advantages including:
1. Maximum Tyre Lifespan
By ensuring all four tyres wear down at roughly the same rate, you help to ensure they reach their minimum tread depth in a similar time frame. This means when it comes time to replace them, you can replace all four tyres together at their true end-of-life, ensuring you’ve extracted every possible mile from your initial purchase costs.
2. Improved Handling And Braking
When tread depth is uneven, or your wheels are out of alignment, it absolutely compromises your car’s handling abilities. It is a fact that a tyre with well-worn tread won’t grip as well in wet conditions or when breaking suddenly. Tyre rotation keeps your traction more consistent across all four corners, offering a safety boost, which translates directly to more predictable steering and shorter braking distances.
3. Better Fuel Efficiency
Unevenly worn tyres can increase rolling resistance (meaning the vehicle has to work harder to power itself along the road). While the effect is very subtle, maintaining uniform tread depths helps keep your vehicle operating as efficiently as possible, potentially contributing to slightly better fuel efficiency overall.
4. Quieter Smoother Ride Quality
Uneven tyre wear can lead to increased road noise when travelling and a rougher ride. Rotating the tyres before significant uneven wear sets in helps the treads smooth out, leading to a quieter, more comfortable driving experience.
When And How To Get A Tyre Rotation Done
Rotating tyres is a job that some people may feel comfortable carrying out themselves, but if you aren’t confident, the best course of action is to take your car into your local tyre and service centre. They will be able to rotate your tyres and check them over for any signs of wear and tear that may indicate more serious issues, such as suspension problems.
How Often Should You Get Your Tyres Rotated?
The generally accepted best practice for tyre rotation is every 8,000 to 13,000 km (5,000 to 8,000 miles). A great way to remember this is to simply have your tyres rotated every time you get an oil change or service. Since most modern cars require oil changes in this same mileage range, combining the services ensures you never miss a rotation.
Does It Matter Which Tyre Goes Where?
Yes it does! Your vehicle’s owner’s manual will specify the correct rotation pattern. This pattern depends on the car’s drivetrain (FWD, RWD, AWD) and whether the tyres are “directional” (designed to roll only one way). The most common patterns are:
- X-Pattern: All tyres are crossed when moved.
- Forward Cross: Front tyres move straight to the rear, and rear tyres cross when moved to the front. (Common for FWD vehicles).
Always consult your manual or let your trusted tyre service centre choose the correct pattern to avoid damaging performance or directional treads.
*Important Note On Directional Tyres – Tyres with a directional tread pattern must only be moved from front to rear on the same side of the car, regardless of the drivetrain.
Don’t Forget The Spare!
If your vehicle is equipped with a full-sized spare tyre that matches the four tyres currently mounted, you should include it in your rotation sequence. This ensures all five tyres wear evenly. When included, the spare typically moves into a position on the vehicle, and the tyre coming off the vehicle becomes the new spare. This is the ultimate way to maximise longevity, allowing all five tyres to retire simultaneously. (Note: This does not apply to temporary minimalistic “doughnut” spares.)
Essential Tyre Follow-Up Checks
Rotating your tyres is just one step in your tyre maintenance routine, it is also the perfect time to perform two important related tasks.
- Wheel Balancing. While rotation moves the tyres, balancing ensures the weight is distributed evenly around the wheel’s circumference. Your wheels are realigned when you get new tyres, but if you’ve hit a pothole or curb recently, it’s wise to have the balance checked to prevent annoying vibrations and uneven wear.
- Tyre Pressure. For optimal tyre wear patterns, always ensure that you check the tyre pressure in all four rotated tyres to match the manufacturer’s recommended settings for the new axle position.
See here for more tips on tyre maintenance and how it can improve driving safety.
Don’t wait until you can see the wear, by then, it’s often too late! Make tyre rotation a part of your regular vehicle maintenance and servicing routine to ensure safety, performance, and the best return on your investment. Want to get your tyres rotated? Book in with your local Mag & Turbo Tyre and Service Centre for friendly, professional service and support.
