How to rotate tires on awd car

When should you rotate AWD tires?

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With Canada’s unpredictable winter weather conditions, drivers have come to appreciate the added traction and safety of All-wheel drive (AWD) vehicles. To get the best performance, do you know when to rotate AWD tires?

There’s a common misconception that tire rotation isn’t necessary for AWD vehicles. Some think that since AWD systems constantly deliver power to all four tires, the tires are all wearing at the same rate.

However regular tire maintenance, including tire rotations, is important for all-wheel drive vehicles—in part because different auto manufacturers have developed several variations of AWD systems.

AWD SYSTEMS: Why you still need to rotate AWD tires

Part-time: In normal driving conditions, one axle receives power. In slippery conditions, the driver can engage the other axle with the press of a button (or lever).

Full-time: All wheels are powered at all times.

On-demand: Vehicle sensors detect slippery road conditions, and automatically deliver power to the other axle until normal road conditions resume.

No matter which AWD system your vehicle has, each wheel position will experience a different degree of steering, weight dispersion and traction. When tires are allowed to run on every wheel position, they wear out more uniformly, decreasing the chance of irregular wear.

Benefits of rotating tires on AWD vehicles

Next to checking tire pressure, proper rotation is the second-most important maintenance item for any vehicle, including AWD’s. That’s because tire rotations:

Prevent uneven wear
Maximize tire life
Improve traction, handling and road noise

When your tires are in peak condition, you enjoy smooth, safe driving as well as savings with long-lasting tires.

Ensuring that all four tires are as uniform as possible puts less stress on the components of your AWD system. If the difference in diameter between two tires on the same axle is off by even 1/16 of an inch, it’ll mean one tire is spinning at a substantially different rate than its partner. This can cause the AWD system extra stress, and possibly result in failure.

How should AWD tires be rotated?

Best practice is to rotate your tires every 8,000-10,000 kilometres, or every other oil change. For rear-wheel drive or AWD/4WD, the rotation pattern goes as follows:

Left rear goes to right front
Right rear goes to the left front
Right front goes to left rear
Left front goes to the right rear

If you have a full-size spare tire, it should be added to your regular rotations. Keeping the spare tire’s tread equal with the others in an AWD or 4WD will prevent damage to the driveline (the mechanism that sends power from the engine to your wheels).

Are you noticing uneven tread wear on your all-wheel drive vehicle’s tires

or think you might be due for a tire rotation?

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How and Why to Rotate Your Tires

Tire rotation, that is routinely repositioning your vehicle’s tires in specific patterns from front to back or side to side, is an important element of tire upkeep and safety. Additionally, rotating your tires may also be required to keep your tires covered under warranty. For a quick visual summary of tire rotation, check out our Tread Life episode about tire rotation. Read on for more information about what tire rotation is, why tire rotation patterns matter, and the correct pattern for your vehicle’s needs.

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WHAT IS TIRE ROTATION?

Tire rotation means periodically changing the position of each of the tires on your vehicle. You should rotate your tires as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer, or every 5,000 miles. For many of you, that will mean when you get your vehicle’s oil changed.

Regularly rotating your tires also gives you a good opportunity to visually inspect them for damage, check their air pressure, have them rebalanced if you’re noticing any vibration, and check their tread depth.

WHY IS TIRE ROTATION IMPORTANT?

There are several reasons why tire rotation is an important element of your standard tire care. First, by routinely rotating your tires, wear is spread evenly across all four tires, and their tread life is maximized. That’s because each specific position on your vehicle requires a different give from each tire—(for example, tires on the front of a front-wheel drive vehicle will take a larger proportion of the torque and friction that’s needed for turning, accelerating and braking)—and can lead to more, or less, wear on the tire. It is especially important to rotate new tires by 5,000 miles because deep, fresh tire tread is more susceptible to uneven wear.

Secondly, even tread wear keeps the tread depth on your tires uniform, which can help keep traction and handling consistent across all four tires. This will improve cornering and braking performance and keep your vehicle safer for driving overall.

Finally, if your vehicle has all-wheel-drive, evenly worn tires lower the stresses on the drivetrain, reducing wear on expensive drive components.