Should you rotate your tyres?

What is tyre rotation? 

Tyre rotation is when you change the position of the tyres on your vehicle, with the aim to extend the life of your tyres and to gain the best performance out of them. Switching your tyres periodically means they will be less likely to require changing one at a time as they will wear evenly.  

Why should you rotate your tyres? 

Tyre rotation is important and is recommended by most manufacturers. This is because front and rear tyres have different jobs and will wear differently depending on whether the vehicle is a front-wheel drive, a rear-wheel drive or an all-wheel drive. This is due to traction when braking and accelerating. There are many reasons why you should rotate your tyres, such as: 

• Switching your tyres can allow them to wear evenly across all tyres for an improved lifespan 
• It can reduce the need for more frequent replacements  
• It allows you to thoroughly check your tyres over so that your get better performance by avoiding accidentally using them when the tread depth wears below the legal minimum of 1.6mm 

How often should you rotate your tyres? 

There are many factors that may affect when you should rotate your tyres, these include: 

• Depending on what car you drive, we recommend rotating your tyres every 6,000 miles so that you can evenly spread the wear across all four of your tyres 
• If you regularly drive at high speeds, longer distances or carry heavier loads, this may cause extra strain which will require more frequent rotation 
• If you notice any unusual noises coming from your tyres as you drive on a smooth surface or any signs of uneven tyre wear 

How to rotate your tyres? 

Rotating your tyres depends on what car your drive. We recommend consulting your vehicles manual for the best way to rotate your car tyres, but as a general rule, the guideline is as follows: 

Front wheel drive – these tyres are rotated with a rearward cross rotation 

Rear wheel drive – these tyres are rotated with a forward cross rotation  

Four wheel drive – these tyres are rotated with a cross rotation on all four tyres 

If your car is due new tyres, here at Merityre Specialists, we supply a wide range of tyres from leading tyre manufacturers to suit all budgets. All of our car tyres are fitted by trained experts at your local branch. For more information, contact our helpful team today.