How to Rotate Tires

As you drive around Normal, your tires may begin to wear unevenly. This is because power is sent to different tires and wheels as you drive. Additionally, road conditions can also make each tire wear differently over time. Because of this, it’s a good idea to perform tire rotations every 5,000 to 7,000 miles or so if you’ve got a front-wheel-drive (FWD) or a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) vehicle. All-wheel drive (AWD) vehicles will require more frequent tire rotations at around every 3,000 to 5,000 miles.

Of course, you’ll want to schedule a service appointment with our team so that we’ll regularly inspect your tires and let you know when it’s time for a tire rotation. If we notice it’s time to rotate your tires, we’ll let you know and perform the service with your approval. With that being said, you may want to perform a tire rotation in your own Champaign garage. But, what if you don’t know how to do a tire rotation? We can still help! Today, the service experts at Sam Leman Chrysler Jeep Dodge Bloomington will go over how to rotate your tires!

How to do a Tire Rotation Based on Your Drivetrain

Before we go over the actual process on how to do a tire rotation, you’ll want to understand the tire rotation pattern you’ll need to perform depending on your vehicle’s drivetrain. When we say FWD, RWD, or AWD, we’re referring to which wheels are powered by the engine.

In a front-wheel-drive vehicle, power is sent to the front wheels so naturally, they’ll wear quicker. The same concept applies to rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the tire rotation pattern you should follow for each drivetrain:

• FWD: In a FWD vehicle, you’ll want to move the front tires to the rear of the vehicle. While you’re moving those front tires back, they’ll stay on the same side that they were on. However, when you’re moving the rear tires to the front, you’ll want to switch the side that the tires are on. So the rear right tire so go to the front left side and vice versa.
• RWD: The tire rotation pattern for a RWD vehicle is the same as a FWD vehicle except when the rear tires are going to the front, they’ll stay on the same side and when the front rears are going to the rear, you switch the sides that they’re on.
• AWD: AWD vehicles can follow the same tire rotation pattern as FWD or RWD vehicles. However, it’s best to cross each tire when you’re moving it. So the front right wheel would go to the rear left side or the rear left wheel would go to the front right side. This criss-cross pattern should be performed on each wheel.

How to Rotate Your Tires – DIY Tire Rotations

It’s possible to rotate tires on your vehicle without making the short trip from Decatur to our dealership. However, it can be a bit more involved and you may need the necessary tools so it may be worth it to visit our service center. If you must rotate your tires on your own, here’s how to do it:

1. Have your parking brake on for added safety.
2. Begin loosening up the lug nuts on all of your wheels without completely removing them.
3. Carefully lift your vehicle up and remove each wheel one by one.
4. While your tires are off, it may be a good time to inspect them for excessive wear and ensure they have the correct air pressure.
5. Rotate your wheels and tires according to the recommended tire rotation pattern.
6. Ensure each lug nut is secured properly and torqued to the correct pressure. We suggest tightening your lug nuts in a star pattern to ensure they’re all on evenly.
7. Your tires should now be rotated!

Tire Services Available Today at Sam Leman Chrysler Jeep Dodge Bloomington!

If you don’t think you’re ready to perform a tire rotation on your own, that’s no problem! Just give us a visit in Bloomington and our team will be more than happy to assist. Get in touch with us today for any and all of your automotive service needs.