Rotating The Tyres on Your Vehicle – How Do You Do IT and How Often?

The tyres on your vehicle do a lot of hard work. They suffer wear and tear every time you take to the road. If you rotate the tyres from time to time it helps to keep the wear even and can make the tyres last longer.

This is important if you have just invested in a set of Toyo Open Country A/T II tyres, or any other set of high quality tyres that has cost you a significant amount of money. You want to make sure you get the best possible value from the product.


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1. The benefits of rotating tyres

The front tyres of the car bear most of the weight, so they tend to wear out more quickly than the rear tyres. Once you have driven the car for thousands of miles this usually means that there is uneven tread on the tyres. Rotating the tyres evens out the wear and helps to prolong the life of the tyres.

Rotating The Tyres on Your Vehicle - How Do You Do IT and How Often?

2. Why is wear on tyres so important?

You may be wondering why it's so important to pay attention to the wear on the tyres of your vehicle. The truth is that worn tyres can make it more difficult for you to handle the car when you drive. This is because the wear affects the way the tyres come into contact with the road surface. The less tread there is one the tyre, the less grip it has on the road.

You need to pay a lot of attention to the amount of wear on tyres, because once there is a significant amount of wear driving on the tyres could actually be dangerous. It's also worth remembering that it's illegal to to drive on tyres which have a tread depth of 1.5mm or less. You should check the tyres of your vehicle for wear on a regular basis and replace the tyres once the tread reaches 1.6mm. Rotating the tyres should mean that replacement is required less often. 

3. How often should you rotate the tyres on your vehicle?

You should check the owner's manual for your vehicle, to see if there are any specific recommendations regarding the rotation of tyres. On the whole, it's a good idea to carry out a tyre rotation every six months, or every 6,000 miles, depending on which one happens first.

It's often a good idea to have the tyres rotated by professional mechanics. If you decide to do the job yourself it's important to remember that there are different ways in which to rotate tyres, depending on how the vehicle drives and whether the tyres are directional or non-directional. 

- Rotating non-directional tyres on a front wheel drive vehicle

Move the front tyres to the rear on the same side and move the rear tyres to the front, on the opposite side.

- Rotating non-directional tyres on a rear wheel drive vehicle

Move the front tyres to the rear on the opposite side and move the rear tyres to the front on the same side.

- Rotating non-directional tyres on a four-wheel drive vehicle

Move the front tyres to the rear on the opposite side and move the rear tyres to the front on the opposite side.

- Rotating directional tyres

Move the front tyres to the rear on the same side and move the rear tyres to the front on the same side. In the case of directional tyres, it's important not to move them to the other side of the vehicle as to do so could be dangerous.

4. How the way you drive can also protect tyres

It may surprise you to hear that the way you drive your vehicle can also have an effect on how long the tyres last before they are so worn or damaged that they need to be replaced. There are certain habits which many drivers have that cause tyres to wear out more quickly, or which can cause damage to tyres.

  • Driving at high speed – the higher the speed you drive at, the more heat is produced. This heat causes tyres to wear out more quickly. Of, course you should also avoid very high speeds to help prevent accidents and to remain within legal speed limits.
  • Braking often and suddenly – There will be times when it's necessary for you to brake suddenly, but on the whole you should avoid doing so. Sudden braking can cause damage to tyres and can result in brake pads having to be replaced more often.
  • Driving over potholes and kerbs – this can cause a considerable amount of damage to tyres, meaning that you have to get them replaced. This is the last thing you want to happen, especially if the tyres you are replacing are only relatively new. Driving over obstacles causes damage to the sidewall of a tyre; especially if you do so at high speed. This is why you should slow down when driving in areas where there are several holes in the road, or around corners where you are more likely to hit the kerb.

Final Words

If you avoid these issues with driving, you should be able to prolong the life of the tyres on your vehicle. You should make these driving changes in conjunction with rotating the tyres on your vehicle as suggested. These actions should mean that you are able to make tyres last for as long as possible.

However, no tyres last forever and once the tread becomes too worn the tyres should be replaced altogether. As we mentioned earlier, this should usually be done when the tread depth reaches 1.6mm. You should also replace tyres that have a damaged sidewall. If you spot a crack or bulge in the sidewall, this means that the tyre should be replaced. If you have bumped the sidewall hard against an obstacle, get it checked, Even if there is no external sign of damage, the tyre may still need to be replaced.

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