How to Rotate Tires at Home
Do you know when your tires were last rotated? If you’re a first-time car owner, maybe you don’t even know what a tire rotation is or how to do a tire rotation. Hendrick Cadillac Monroe is here to help and happy to be of service! Whether you are wondering about how to rotate tires at home or would rather have our service department do it for you, when you think of tires, think of Hendrick Cadillac Monroe. We are the place to go for tire rotation, new tires, or wheel alignment in the Charlotte area. Regularly rotating the tires on your vehicle will provide better traction on those drives to Ballantyne and keep you safer, in addition to other benefits you can read more about below.
Why Rotate Your Tires?
Tires typically wear out unevenly. Usually, the outside edges of your front tires will show greater wear while the rear tires wear out more evenly. That’s why if you don’t regularly rotate your tires, they will wear at different rates and you’ll have no choice but to replace all of your tires sooner. So, rotating your tires saves you money and helps keep you safe on Weddington roads!
How Often Should You Rotate Your Tires?
Do you know how often you should rotate your tires? Front and rear-wheel drive vehicles should generally have their tires rotated about every 5,000 to 7,500 miles. All-wheel drive vehicles need tire rotation every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. The reason AWD vehicles tend to need their tires rotated more often is that all tires are actively engaged at the same time, which causes them to wear out more quickly. Of course, Hendrick Cadillac Monroe suggests that you check your owner’s manual for specific recommendations for your particular Cadillac vehicle.
Tire Positions
- FWD Tires: When working with FWD vehicles, move the front tires to the back of the vehicle in the same left/right positions. But, when it comes to moving the rear tires up to the front, you should switch the right and left tires.
- RWD Tires: When working with RWD tires, do the opposite as above. The rear tires should be moved to the front of the auto in the same positions. But when you move the front tires to the rear, switch the left and right tire positions.
How to Do a Tire Rotation
If you want to rotate tires at home, you’ll need a car jack and lug nut wrench. Then, when you have the tools you need, follow the five steps below and you’ll know how to do a tire rotation:
- Set the parking brake as an extra safety precaution.
- Loosen all of the lug nuts on all four wheels, but don’t take them all the way off just yet.
- Using the car jack, lift up one wheel and place the jack stand beneath it.
- Remove all of the tires on your vehicle and make sure they’re filled to the optimal tire pressure (written on the outside of the tire). Once correctly filled, rotate your tires according to the appropriate pattern as directed above for your type of tires. Then, screw on the lug nuts by hand as far as you can.
- Finally, lower the vehicle from the jack stand and use the lug wrench to tighten and secure all of the nuts on each tire. It’s best to work the lug nuts diagonally from one to another in a star-like pattern to make sure they are evenly tightened.
Hendrick Cadillac Monroe is Here for All of Your Tire Needs!
Now that you know how to rotate your tires at home, if you don’t want to do it yourself, make a service appointment at Hendrick Cadillac Monroe. Our service department will take fantastic care of you and your car. That’s why our customers keep coming back year after year – that, and our stellar service prices! Check out our service specials or contact us for more information.