Grand Prix Performance - Costa Mesa, CA

It is an extremely important maintenance duty that extends the life of your tires and ensures safe driving and it is quite important to know the importance of rotating your tires.

Front And Rear Tires Wear Differently

All that parallel parking. All those three-point turns. With each turn of the steering wheel, pressure is brought to bear on the front tires. (This is even more accentuated in front-wheel-drive cars, where the front wheels also supply the main motive power for the vehicle.) Resistance causes friction, which in turn produces heat. The result? The front tires wear quicker than the rears. Because of this, it's necessary to rotate the tires front-to-rear several times during their life cycle to 1) equalize tread wear and 2) maximize the life of the tires. This is what we refer to when we say "rotate the tires." Rotating generally does not refer to either of the following actions:

• Exchanging tires on the same axle — for example, swapping the rear tires left to right
• Criss-crossing tires — moving a tire from the passenger's side rear to the driver's side front. There's a good reason for this. Tires develop wear patterns as they age. Some of these patterns are tied to the suspension system and the alignment. That's why we keep the tires on the same side of the car.

Remember, this quick and simple procedure will extend the tread life of your tires. It will also provide maximum gripping power to the vehicle. It should be done roughly every 5,000 to 10,000 miles.

Folks, its about time to finally check 'Tire Rotation' off your 2012 to-do list. No one does it faster and more efficiently than Grand Prix.

Even with four identical tires on your car, various factors will cause each of them to wear differently. Tire rotation helps equalize wear by allowing each tire to serve in as many wheel positions as possible. Evenly worn treads keep tires performing the same on all four corners and:

• Increase dry road performance with more balanced handling and traction.

• Make for quicker tire response times when braking.

• Allow you to replace tires in sets rather than individually or in pairs. (That means all your tires will include the latest technology and performance advancements that manufacturers are continually bringing to market: You won’t be forced to match yesterday’s product or performance.)

  A general rule of thumb is to rotate your tires every 5,000 to 8,000 miles—even if there are no visible signs of wear. If you own a front-wheel drive vehicle or do mostly city driving, more frequent rotation is advisable.

  What’s the correct rotation pattern of your tires? For rear and four-wheel-drive vehicles, a rearward cross pattern—or, alternatively, an X-pattern—is used. Front wheel drive vehicles use a forward cross or X-pattern. It’s always best to consult your owner’s manual for the manufacturer’s recommendations.

  After a rotation, be sure your mechanic has checked:

  • Individual tire pressure. The tire’s new location may affect how much pressure it now requires.

  • Vehicle alignment. This is important if irregular tire wear was evident. 

    Regular tire rotations are an important step in getting the maximum mileage out of your tire investment—so keep those wheels moving!