Tyre rotation is something many car owners know of, but don’t do enough of.
Modern tyres have become so trouble-free that it becomes the last thing on the owner’s mind to maintain.
Most drivers ignore their tyres, skipping them in favour of an oil change or other maintenance procedures.
However, tyre rotation and balancing are crucial to a safer drive, and to prolong the life of your set of tyres.
What is tyre rotation?
Tyre rotation involves swapping around a set of tyres to even out wear.
Typically, rotating your tyres involves moving the fronts to the rear, and the rears to the front.
When that’s done, the left and right sides are then swapped.
There is no hard and fast rule to which rotation pattern you should adopt, hence do consult the owner’s manual for definitive advice.
Tyre rotation: Its importance and why front tyres wear out faster
Why should I rotate my tyres?
Contrary to popular belief, you should rotate your tyres to ensure even wear on all of them.
That extends their lifespan and saves you money.
Handling is also improved when you rotate your tyres.
For example, on a front-wheel-drive car, the front tyres could end up wearing out faster than the rears, and that can contribute to a drop in handling efficiency.
In an emergency situation, this makes the vehicle harder to handle especially if road conditions are damp.
Irregular suspension or wheel alignment could also cause uneven wear on the tyres, especially if you go up a multi-storey carpark every day.
That causes one side to wear out faster than the other.
When should I perform tyre rotation?
Rotate your tyres to ensure even wear.
It depends mostly on your driving style, the surfaces you drive on, and the weight of your car.
Some manufacturers recommend you rotate your rubber every 8,000km or 10,000km.
If you change your tyres every six months or 10,000km, that should be sufficient to cover the majority of Singapore drivers as our roads are generally well-paved.
However, some drivers insist that rotating them earlier is better.
Again, there is no hard and fast rule so don’t worry about sticking to any figure, as long as you do it regularly.
Pay extra attention to the tyres doing the driving duties on your car.
Even if your car is all-wheel-drive, variations in suspension geometry and weight means you should also rotate your tyres.
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