It is important to rotate your tires regularly to maintain safety and tire upkeep. Rotating your tires is also required in order to maintain your warranty. For a visual overview of tire rotation , check out our Tread Life episode on tire rotation. Continue reading to learn more about tire rotation, the importance of tire rotation patterns, and which pattern is best for your vehicle.

WHAT IS TIRE ROTATION?

Rotating your tires means changing the positions of all the tires on your car. Your vehicle manufacturer recommends that you rotate your tires every 5,000 miles or as often as possible. This will be for many people what it means when your vehicle gets its oil changed.

Rotating your tires regularly gives you the opportunity to inspect them visually for damage, check their pressure, balance them if they’re vibrating, and check their tread depth.

WHY IS TIRE ROTATION IMPORTANT?

Tire rotation is an essential part of regular tire care. The first is that your tires will wear evenly over all four tires. This maximizes their life expectancy. Because each position on your vehicle requires different give from each tire, (for example, the tires at the front of a front wheel-drive vehicle will require a greater amount of torque and friction for turning, acceleration, and braking), this can cause more or less wear to the tire. Because deep, new tire tread is more susceptible of uneven wear, it is important to rotate your tires every 5,000 miles.

Second, even tread wear helps to keep the tread depth of your tires consistent, which can improve traction and handling across all four tires. This will increase cornering and brake performance, and make your car safer to drive overall.

If your vehicle is all-wheel-drive then evenly worn tires reduce the stress on the drivetrain and can help to reduce wear on costly components.

WHAT TIRE ROTATION PATTERN SHOULD I UTILIZE?

You can choose the best tire rotation pattern for your vehicle based on what type of tire you use, how many wheels you have, and whether your tires are directional.

FOR TIRES THAT ARE OF UNIFORM SIZE AND NON-DIRECTIONAL:

1. REARWARD CROOSS

The rearward cross pattern is recommended for vehicles with 4-wheel, all-wheel or rear-wheel drive. The rear tires are moved to one side and the forward axle is kept on the other. Front tires are moved onto opposite sides of each axle.

2. X-PATTERN

All tires can be moved diagonally to front-wheel-drive vehicles, such as sedans and light-weight trucks. This allows tires to be switched between the axles.

3. FORWARD CROSS

This is the most popular front-wheel drive vehicle configuration. The rear tires of the front axle are moved backwards, while the front tires are moved diagonally to the other side.

FOR TIRES THAT ARE OF UNIFORM SIZE AND NON-DIRECTIONAL WITH A FULL-SIZE SPARE TIRE:

To ensure that your tires have the same tread wear, rotate the full-size spare tire with the rest. This is particularly important for 4-wheel-drive vehicles, as even slight differences in tire size can cause strain to the drivetrain.

1. REARWARD CROSS (REAR-WHEEL OR 4-WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES):

The rear tires of both rear axles move forward towards the front axle, while the spare tire moves to its right. Your spare tire is the left-hand front tire. The right front tire moves diagonally backwards to the left side.

2. FORWARD CROSS (FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES):

The rear tires are moved diagonally on the front axle to the opposite ends, while the right front tire is used as the spare tire. The spare tire will be positioned on the right side, while the left front tire will be moved back to the left rear.

FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE AND DIRECTIONAL TIRES:

1. SIDE-TO-SIDE (FOR DIFFERENTLY-SIZED PERFORMANCE TIRES ON THE FRONT AND REAR AXLES)

All tires can be switched with the same-sized tire partner, and all remain on the same axle. The rear tires are switched to the opposite side, while the front tires do the exact same.

2. FRONT-TO-BACK (FOR DIRECTIONAL TIRES)

All tires can be moved from one axle or the other, but they remain on the same side. The rear left tire on the front is moved to the left of the rear axle, while the front left tire moves to the left of the front axle.