Some tyre places recommend you rotate tyres every 5,000km, but is this merely a way to get a bit more money out of you?
The benefit of rotating your tyres is any uneven tyre wear will become, well, more even. This can significantly extend the tyre life as a whole, saving you a bit of money over the long term.
But how often should you rotate car tyres?
Related: An expert guide to buying quality tyres for an affordable price.
Why Rotate Car Tyres?
Just say the wheel alignment is slightly out on one corner. This tyre will wear out much more quickly than the other three.
Depending on your vehicle, this may mean prematurely having to change all four tyres.
Front tyres tend to wear more quickly than rear tyres. The reason for this is simple – front tyres take more wear from turning.
Did you know a front tyre blow out can be more serious than a rear tyre blow out as you’re more likely to loose control of the vehicle.
Therefore rotating the front and rear tyres can more evenly distribute this tyre wear, extending the life of your four tyres.
What Are The Benefits of Rotating Tyres?
Distributing wear isn’t the only benefit of rotating tyres, although this is the main reason it’s done – to extend longevity.
Periodically rotating tyres also gives you a reason to check tyre wear, tyre pressure, or spot issues such as nails.
Tyre maintenance is very important for your safety, so spotting a problem before and issue occurs is a very good thing.
How Do You Rotate Tyres?
The two simplest methods of rotating car tyres are swapping the front and rears, either on the same side or a cross pattern.
For front-wheel drive cars you may also move the front tyres directly back to the rear, then move the two rear tyres to the opposite front corner.
For rear-wheel drive cars and 4WD the above will be the opposite, so move the two rear directly forward, then move the two front to the opposite rear corner.
If in doubt, stick to one of the first two – these are suitable tyre rotation patterns for any vehicle.
How Often Should You Really Rotate Your Car Tyres?
Most people never rotate their tyres, so don’t panic if this is something you’ve never done before. For most people the only downside of not rotating tyres is they’ll need to be changed slightly sooner.
If you get a tyre shop to rotate your tyres you’ll need to pay them for the work, which may cost you more than replacing your tyres sooner. That said, you do benefit from an expert checking the condition of your tyres.
If you’re able to rotate your tyres at home, every 5,000km can be beneficial. Rotating tyres can be done at home within the space of an hour, fairly easily.
10,000km is still a good period. The lifespan of a tyre can be between 25,000km to 50,000km for normal city driving, or up to 75,000km for more laid-back or freeway driving.
So the question is, how often would you want to rotate your tyres over their average lifespan?
If you expect a tyre to last 25,000km to 50,000km, you could give them one interim rotation between 12,500km and 25,000km at a minimum. This can more evenly balance front versus rear tyre wear.
