The Proper Way to Rotate Automobile Tires

Without proper maintenance, your car's tires can cost you a lot of money. Routinely rotating your tires will not only save money in the long run, but will ensure that your car runs smoothly.

Why Rotate Your Tires?

• The front tires wear quicker because of weight and friction: 60 percent of your car's weight is in the front, more if you have a front-wheel-drive vehicle. Further decay is caused from turning in one direction too much. All of this creates uneven wear of your tires and a bad ride in general. Rotation evens out wear among tires.

What Tires Should be Changed?

• Rotating your tires depends on which type of tires you have. If you have directional tires, simply rotate the front-left tire to the back-left and front-right tires to back-right. There should be little arrows on the tires to show you which direction they go. If you have non-directional tires, criss-cross your rotation, front-left to rear-right and so on.

Time Required

• The process should take around 30 minutes if you do it yourself. Don't forget to put on your parking brake for safety and loosen the lug nuts before jacking up your vehicle. It is also best to block wheels while lifting the car.