Our mechanics in our Sunnyvale location of A1 Performance Auto Repair are asked a lot if rotating the tires is something that really has to be done or is it just a way to get more people back to the mechanic for another maintenance charge. At A1 Performance we advise you to come in when its necessary and rotating tires is necessary. Here is why.
The Skinny of Rotating Tires
For most cars, tire rotation should be done every 5,000 to 10,000 miles. Your car’s manual will let you know exactly when to rotate them. People usually rotate the tires when they come in for another maintenance service, such as an oil change or other scheduled maintenance. But why do they need to be rotated?
A new set of tires is perfect and you’d think they’d just sort of wear down in tandem, so what’s the deal here? Well, just like your shoes, things cause uneven wear. If you look at the bottom of your shoe there’s probably more wear along one side of the heal than the rest of the sole. Your tires suffer a similar fate.
Many factors affect the condition of your tires and how they wear. Front wheel drive cars are hard on the front tires, but rear wheel drive wears pretty much evenly. Unfortunately, if a tire is out of balance it’ll shimmy when you drive and quickly wear down your tread on that tire. Alignment problems also create odd wear patterns on your tires, wearing them out much faster than a well-aligned car.
There are a lot of problems cars have that cause uneven wear on your tires. Rotating tires allows an evening out of the damage, giving your tires a much longer and useful life. Of course, you should always stay on top of any tire balance or wheel alignment problems. Always make sure everything is running right. We’re here to help at A1 Performance Auto Repair in Sunnyvale.
