Why should you get your tires rotated? Because it’s one of the easiest ways to extend the life of your tires and get the most miles out of them. And you only need to do it a couple of times a year.
Already know you need a tire rotation? Come visit us at one of our local stores or schedule an appointment.
Rotating the tires on your vehicle means moving them to different positions on your car or truck. This helps promote even tread wear on all four tires.
No matter how you drive, front and rear tires can wear at different rates. Tires that are mounted on the drive axle (the front two wheels on a front-wheel drive or back two on a rear-wheel drive) wear more quickly than the “free rolling” tires on the other axle.
Properly rotated tires can make for a smoother ride. It can also extend the life of your tires, saving you both time and money. By rotating your tires, you even out the wear to get the most tread life from every tire. Regular rotations are equally important, even if you have an all-wheel drive vehicle.
A good rule of thumb is every 5,000 miles. Depending on your vehicle, driving style, and tire type, you may need to rotate your tires more or less often. If you’re not sure, stop by Les Schwab. We’ll help you come up with a rotation schedule.
Regular tire rotations can help spot uneven tire wear early. Going too long between rotations may result in a wear pattern that can’t be fixed, no matter where the tire is moved on the vehicle. These wear patterns could result in the need for new tires sooner than expected.
Here are some ways to remember your next rotation.
Getting your tires rotated every 5,000 miles is generally a pretty quick process. The professionals at Les Schwab will take the time to do a thorough tire rotation by also balancing your Les Schwab tires, checking your air pressure, doing a visual check of important safety systems, and documenting anything you should be aware of during the process. Once your vehicle is in our service bays, you can expect this procedure to be completed in about half an hour. Taking the time to make tire rotations a part of your normal vehicle maintenance regimen can add significant life to your tires, promote even tire wear for a smoother and more comfortable ride, and save you money in the long run.
The standard tire rotation is front-to-rear, but there are multiple patterns that could also help promote long tire life.
Here’s what Les Schwab tire pros consider to properly rotate and position the tires on your vehicle.
As always, check your owner’s manual for specific recommendations from the manufacturer.
If you have Les Schwab tires on your vehicle, rotations are free for the life of those tires. Plus we balance your wheels as part of the service. Don’t have Les Schwab tires? Our pros can still help maximize the life of your tires. Stop by your local Les Schwab for a quick estimate.
Don’t put tire rotations off. This simple task can maximize the life of your tires. When you buy tires from Les Schwab, we rotate them for free on most vehicles. Plus, we provide free rotation reminders by email.
Just ask at your local store.
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Tires
You care about your car and know it’s important to have your tires rotated at regular intervals. You also know that getting this done evens out tire wear, which means better handling and traction for you. But what exactly are “regular intervals”? Learn how often you should get a tire rotation, what's typically involved in the service, and how it can save you from having to buy new tires down the road. That's more money in your pocket for the things you care about!
Most vehicle manufacturers recommend that you get your tires rotated approximately every 7,500 miles or six months.
However, some vehicles are exceptions and it’s always best to refer to your owner’s manual. This number can change depending on how, where, and what you drive. Simplify things by making it a habit to get your tires rotated every time you get your oil changed.
Tire rotation consists of switching the front and rear tires. It’s crucial to do this because the drive tires (i.e. front tires in front wheel drive vehicles) work harder than the others. If you don’t swap them out, these tires will wear down faster. By rotating your tires, you distribute the burden among all four tires and ensure they wear down evenly. Take a look at the tire rotation pattern below and you'll see! At Firestone Complete Auto Care, our expert technicians remove, swap, and remount your tires so they live longer and drive safer.
Regular tire rotations reduce your risk of various tire problems—most obviously, a tire failure or blowout. By regularly rotating your tires, you’ll be less likely to experience those, reducing your risk for an inconvenient and even potentially dangerous situation. Tire rotations also help improve traction and fuel efficiency by ensuring your vehicle's tires wear down evenly. This increases the lifespan of your tires, meaning you’ll save money in the long run.
Getting your tires rotated is key to getting the best performance from both your tires and your vehicle. If you can't remember the last time you had your tires rotated, there's a pretty good chance they're overdue for this important service. Make an appointment for a tire rotation at your local Firestone Complete Auto Care today! We’ll get you rotated and rolling in no time.
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Tires
Aug 22, 2016
Tread wear, your tires exposure to the elements, and tire age may all be contributing factors to your needing new tires.
Read on to learn how to tell.
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Firestone tires create a whole new driving experience. Learn about the technology of our tires that improves driving on straightaways and handling ability.
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Nov 20, 2017
Winter tires are your key to safe driving in the cold, but why? Stay informed to stay safe, with these 6 essential facts from Firestone Complete Auto Care.
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Here's what you need to know about changing out your tires for winter! Stay safe on the road and ahead of the winter rush with Firestone Complete Auto Care.
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Yes, there is a right way to store tires! Help your tires live their longest life by following these easy storage steps, from Firestone Complete Auto Care.
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How do you know when tires are completely worn out and it's time to change them? Everything is simple. For summer tires, the limit is 1.6 mm of residual tread depth, and for winter (or all-season tires used in winter) - 4 mm. Modern summer tires can travel from 40,000 to 70,000 km, depending on driving style and vehicle characteristics. An average motorist rolls such a mileage on summer tires in 2-3 seasons. Moreover, wear implies not only a decrease in tread depth. For millions of cycles of deformation, the strength of the carcass and its adhesion to the layers of the rubber compound are violated.
In short, every 2-3 years you should buy a new set of tires.
In case of irreparable damage to one of the tires and a relatively high total mileage of the kit, it is also worth considering replacing it. Well, or about buying at least a pair of new tires, which, for any type of drive, should be installed on the front axle. We put two tires back - the most decent of the remaining ones.
Many motorists drive only a few thousand kilometers a year. This does not mean that the tires will serve you for several decades. According to Russian requirements (GOST 4754-97), the service life of passenger car tires is 5 years from the date of manufacture. And for example, Continental recommends that all car tires (including the spare tire) older than 10 years old should be replaced with new ones. Therefore, with small runs, you can navigate for ten years. The date of manufacture of the tire is indicated on the sidewall. Usually it is an oval with four numbers.
The first two are the ordinal number of the week in the year, the last two indicate the year.
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Tires should be rotated periodically in accordance with the vehicle manufacturer's recommendations - information on this can be found in the owner's manual.
We can advise you to carefully use the tires and, most importantly, to store them correctly in the off-season. First of all, during storage, it is important to exclude direct sunlight from hitting the tires, which greatly age the rubber. Tires without rims should be placed vertically, and stacked on rims.
And before installing tires on a car at the beginning of the season, evaluate their condition. There should be no cracks in the tread and sidewalls. The tire should not be dry, it should remain rubbery and not look like baked plastic.
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Winter tires have a much shorter life span. They almost always fail due to the wear of the treadmill, because the tread of a new tire is 7–8 mm, and only 3–4 mm remain working height. If the tires are studded, then with such wear there are very few metal elements left, and the tire will not provide adequate safety when driving on a winter road. However, not only spikes, but also Velcro, with such a degree of wear, also lose most of their capabilities.
The real life of winter tires rarely exceeds 30,000 km. "Bald" winter tires without studs can be re-rolled in summer, but their grip on hot road surfaces will be very poor. This must be taken into account, especially when braking.
***
So: tires that have not yet worn out along the tread (that is, up to 1.
6 mm tread depth for summer tires, 4 mm for winter tires) are changed either ten years after the date of issue, or when the rubber layer cracks tires or damage.
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Driving comfort, handling and safety level depend on the technical condition of tires. Car tires provide traction to the car in various climatic and road conditions. blog.ship-ship.ru
Driving comfort, handling and safety level depend on the technical condition of tires.
Car tires provide traction to the car in various climatic and road conditions.
The tread is the outer layer of the tire. It comes into contact with the road, creates a contact patch and provides traction. The tread pattern differs in volume, consists of blocks, grooves, lamellas of a certain depth.
The tread is responsible for the grip of the wheels on dry, wet, snowy and icy roads. It removes water, dirt and snow from the contact patch. The system of blocks and grooves prevents the effect of hydroplaning, when a water cushion forms between the wheel and the road during rain.
The degree of wear of the tire tread affects the handling, maneuverability, stability of the car, and the length of the braking distance. There are requirements for the depth of the tread pattern. If the outer layer of the tire is worn out, then it is changed.
It is important to understand that worn tires are not able to cope with the tasks:
Tread wear is the main cause of deterioration in braking quality, poor handling and directional stability. At the same time, worn tires show equally unstable behavior on any type of road surface in rain, snow or dry weather.
Winter and summer tires differ in thickness, composition of the rubber compound, the number, shape and size of blocks and grooves. The selection of tires depends on the make and model of the car, body type and class, climatic and road conditions (city, highway, country roads, off-road), speed limit and driving style.
The new tires have deep grooves and numerous sipes that provide excellent traction. Manufacturers produce winter tires with three types of tread:
Spikes are used for driving on roads and ice that have not been cleared of snow. The spikes bite into the ice crust and split it, providing excellent traction. But when driving on dry asphalt, the spike loses its working properties.
Velcro friction tires are suitable for driving on a dry clean road, melted and shallow snow, mud. The main difference between Velcro is the presence of lugs, special grip edges that increase the stability of the wheels on wet road surfaces.
Scandinavian tires are used in the conditions of the northern regions, which are characterized by extreme sub-zero temperatures and snowfalls. The main difference between the Scandinavian tread is wide sipes, massive numerous blocks cut by grooves.
In modern tire models, the tread height is 9-12 mm. The permissible wear level here will be from 4 to 6 mm. If the wear 'threshold' passes, the tire is changed regardless of how long it lasts.
Important: The tread of a winter tire is always 3-4 mm higher than the summer model. The depth of the Scandinavian tire pattern should also be sufficient - at least 8-9 mm.
The need for replacement will also be indicated by special indicators located at the base of the tire.
The tread depth of summer tires is 6-8 mm. The minimum tread wear must be at least 1.6 mm.
The tread pattern must be clearly legible. Otherwise, the traction and grip properties of the wheels deteriorate, the tires cannot effectively remove water and dirt from the contact patch, and the effect of aquaplaning is possible.
For sports cars, the tread height is 12 mm. For SUVs, the height indicator increases by another 5 mm.
According to the rules of the road, the maximum allowable tread wear is:
The residual wear of the tread for minibuses and buses designed to carry more than 8 passengers is 2 mm.
In order not to get into an emergency on the road, the car owner should periodically check the wear of the tread pattern. This can be done in the following ways:
Take a measuring tool with a depth gauge - a caliper. Pull out the depth gauge, rest its nose against the base of the drawing. The caliper should rest against the top of the rubber.
You will see readings on a mechanical or electronic scale. If the value for summer tires is less than 1.6 mm, such tires need to be replaced urgently. For winter, this figure will be below 4 mm.
To make the reading as accurate as possible, measurements are taken from the base of the figure. It should be smooth, without protrusions.
Take a coin with a face value of two rubles. Put it in the groove. If the ‘meter’ deepened to the word ‘ruble’, the residual depth is 4 mm. If the word 'ruble' has disappeared - the depth is 6 mm. But if the protector hid only the beginning of the 'wreath', then 2 mm of the pattern remained. In this case, play it safe and replace the tires.
The ‘coin’ method is inaccurate and allows you to find out the approximate depth. It is used before passing the inspection or when buying tires with mileage.
Manufacturers today offer tires with special wear indicators. This is a special part of the drawing: it differs in color, shape, size.
On the surface of tires you can find the following indicators:
When the largest number disappears, take care of replacing the rubber. Tires don't always wear evenly. Car owners often face such a problem, and here are its main reasons:
When inflating wheels, follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Neglect of this rule will lead to excessive pressure in the tires.
Increased pressure increases noise, increases damage, reduces handling.
If the wheels are poorly inflated, there is a deflection in the central part. Decreased acceleration, increased fuel consumption, increased turning radius.
Under normal pressure, the rubber wears evenly.
When a wheel hits a hole, the wheel alignment is knocked off the pothole. Car owners are not always able to determine this malfunction on their own and in a timely manner. The indicator is - different wear of the tread.
Excessive camber angle (positive or negative) leads to abrasion of the rubber in the shoulder areas. The cover is bevelled. A car with such wheels cannot move in a straight line, and the driver has to constantly tighten the steering rack.
Excessive toe angle (positive or negative) results in a 'knocked down' tread. The drawing is assembled into an accordion, forming a bumpy, rib-like surface.
Due to defects in tires or rims, it is impossible to properly balance the wheels. Such a ‘malfunction’ leads to uneven wear, poor handling and vehicle stability.
The first sign of defective rubber is the appearance of shocks, the beating of the steering column.
