What is tyre rotation?
Front tyres bear more pressure as compared to the rear ones. The car wheel rotation involves a systematic relocation of rear and front tyres to maintain uniform tread damage over time. You simply switch tyres in the front and rear axles to ensure even tread wear.
Is tyre rotation necessary?
The tyres at the front of your vehicle have to carry greater weight than the rear tyres. Moreover, you put more pressure on the front tyres while accelerating, steering, braking and other driving activities. On the other hand, rear tyres undergo wear and tear only due to braking and traction.
Suppose you don’t relocate your tyres, then the front tyres will wear faster. This uneven wear and tear further damages the tyres in the front axle, reducing their lifespan and your vehicle’s performance.
Thus, experts recommend car wheel rotation after every 10,000 kilometres or 6 months, whichever comes first. This is only an approximate duration; you can even align the car tyre rotation cycle with the cycle of the engine oil change.
Tyre rotation pattern
Tyre rotation is one of the simplest ways to maintain your vehicle’s performance. When done correctly, this process can increase fuel efficiency and extend the tyre life.
The car tyre rotation direction depends on the type of tyres and vehicle you have.
There are three ways to rotate tyres for a vehicle with uniform and non-directional tyres.
1. X-pattern
An X-pattern rotation would be suitable if you own a front-wheel-drive vehicle such as a hatchback, sedan, etc. It allows the tyres to move diagonally, switching from one axle to another. This rotation type repositions the tyres to a different axle from left to right and vice versa. Thus, the front left tyre takes the right-side position on the rear axle and so on.
2. Rearward-cross pattern
In the rearward-cross pattern, you are supposed to move the rear tyres to the front axle without changing their sides. On the other hand, the front tyres are transferred to the rear axle diagonally to change their sides. The pattern is suitable for all-wheel, rear-wheel or 4-wheel drive cars.
3. Forward-cross pattern
Forward cross is probably the most common car wheel rotation pattern for front-wheel-drive vehicles. While following this pattern, you need to relocate the front tyres directly to the back without changing their sides. The rear tyres come to the front axle, installed diagonally to take the opposite sides.
To maintain even tyre wear, you can incorporate a full-size spare tyre along with the four tyres on your vehicle. This approach works effectively for vehicles that are 4-wheel or all-wheel drive.
A 4-wheel or all-wheel-drive car is usually sensitive to even minor tyre differences. Hence, adding a new tyre into the equation further reduces the speed of tread wear.
1. Rearward-cross pattern
You can follow this pattern for a 4-wheel or rear-wheel-drive vehicle. In this pattern, you are supposed to move the rear tyres to the front directly and install the spare tyre to the rear axle’s right side.
Then, the right tyre on the front axle shifts to the rear axle’s left side diagonally. You can keep the front left tyre as the new spare tyre.
2. Forward-cross pattern
The forward-cross pattern is suitable for all front-wheel-drive cars. You need to move rear tyres diagonally to the front axle to place them on opposite sides.
The front left tyre switches to the rear left position. The spare tyre takes the right side position on the rear axle. Thus, the front right tyre becomes your new spare tyre.
Also, read: AWD vs 4WD: What is all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive? Check differences
Below are the two standard car wheel rotation patterns you can follow for high performance, directional tyres.
1. Side-to-side pattern
This pattern is useful when you have differently-sized high-performance tyres on your vehicle. You need to switch the sides of the tyres without changing their axle.
Thus, the front left tyre goes to the front right position and vice versa. Similarly, the rear left tyre goes to the rear right position and vice versa.
2. Front-to-rear pattern
For same-sized, directional tyres, you can follow the front-to-rear pattern. This pattern requires you to change the axle of the tyres without changing their sides.
Hence, the front left tyre is supposed to take the rear left position, and the front right tyre takes the rear right position. Similarly, you need to move the rear left tyre to the front left position and the rear right tyre to the front right position.
When to rotate your vehicle tyres?
Generally, it is recommended to rotate vehicle tyres after every 10,000 kilometres. However, there can be other reasons why you would want to rotate wheels more frequently.
Long distances, heavy loads: If you drive long distances with heavy loads frequently, your car might need more than usual rotations.
High speeds, uneven wear: If you frequently drive at high speeds and notice uneven tread wear, it makes sense to rotate tyres sooner.
Humming sound: If your tyres make a noticeable humming noise even on smooth roads, check them for toe and heel wear. You should get the alignment fixed along with tyre rotation to fix the problem.
Things to remember when rotating car tyres
It is usually recommended to get car wheel rotation done by a professional. However, if you decide to do it yourself, there are a couple of things you should remember.
Frequently asked questions
Let’s clarify more questions about car tyre rotation.
