Best Way To Rotate Car Tires

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), tire failures lead to about 11,000 auto accidents each year in the United States. Of the car crashes that happen in the US each year due to problems with tires, nearly half are fatal. However, having your tires rotated at recommended intervals can save you a lot of money when buying new tires but also potentially saving lives.

Most automakers as well as OEM and Aftermarket tires agree that a tire should be rotated every 8,000 to 10,000 kilometers (or any other oil change). Adequate rotation intervals can reduce the potential of the leading causes of a tire accident, including tire separation, tire explosion, tire wear and tire swelling. In addition, just by taking the action to rotate and check your tires, you can also diagnose problems with your suspension and steering and also improve fuel economy.

What is Tire Rotation?

For many people who may not know, a tire rotation is the act of moving the position of your wheel and tire to a different location on the vehicle. Different vehicles are designed with different weight, handlebars and axle configurations. This means that all tires do not wear on all four wheels. Each vehicle has a different tire rotation or rotation pattern recommended.

Different vehicles have different tire rotation styles. For example, if you have a car with front-wheel drive, all four tires will be installed on each wheel drive for the first 20,000 miles. In this example, if we follow the initial position in front of the left tire and assume all the tires are new and the car has 50,000 miles on the odometer, the rotation would be as follows:

• The left front tire will be rotated to the left rear at 55,000 miles.
• The same original left tire is now the left rear which will be rotated diagonally up front right at 60,000 miles
• The same original tire is on the right front, which will be rotated straight down the right rear at 65,000 miles
• Eventually, this original tire on the right rear will be rotated back to its original position (front left side) at 70,000 miles.

This process is continued until all the worn tires have passed their tire wear index and need to be replaced. The only exception to a tire rotation is when a car has two tires of different sizes or is called "oriented" tires on a car, truck or SUV. An example of this would be a BMW 128-I whose tires are smaller on the front wheels than on the rear. In addition, the tires are tailored to the right or the left.

Proper rotation can extend a tire's life by up to 30 percent, especially on front-wheel drive vehicles, as the tires wear faster in the front than in the rear. Tire rotation can be done by dealers, service stations or specialty tire shops. However, even a new mechanic can rotate tires, check their wear and check for tire bulges as long as they have the right tools and knowledge. In this article, we will tackle the proper steps you need to take to turn your tires yourself and keep your car in full swing by testing them for potential problems that build up on Your Car.

Part 1: Learn about your car's tires

If you're looking to do the majority of the maintenance yourself, starting with maintaining tire wear and bulge is a good place to start. OEM tires are typically made from a very soft rubber compound and only last about 50,000 miles (if they are rotated correctly every 5,000 miles, always bulge properly and no suspension alignment problems. tends to be made from stiffer rubber compounds and can last up to 80,000 miles under perfect situations.

Before you start thinking about tire rotation, it's important to understand what your tires are, their sizes, the right air pressure and when the tire is identified as “worn” and need replacement.

Step 1: Determine the size of your tires: Most tires manufactured today belong to the “P” metric for tire sizing. They are factory-installed and designed to enhance or match the vehicle's suspension design for maximum efficiency.

Some are built for high performance, while others are designed for extreme road conditions or all season use. Regardless of the exact purpose, the first thing you need to know about what numbers your tires mean:

In the picture above we read the number P225 / 70R16 91S

The first letter - Vehicle Type: The first letter tells us the type of vehicle that can use this tire. P "Passenger": tires for vehicles that can carry "passengers". There are also some other types such as LT "Light Truck": light truck, pickup; T "Temporary": tire replacement temporarily.
The first number (following the first letter) - Tire surface width: is the width of the tire's contact surface with the road surface. Tire surface width is measured from wall to wall, in mm.
The second number - Shape ratio: The ratio between the height of the tire wall (from the rim of the tire to the top of the tire) to the width of the tire surface, in%. In the picture above, the tire height is 70% of the tire width (225).

The next letter - The structure of the tire: on the market there are 2 types: R - Radial and D - Diagonal or Bias Ply. Radial tires are the most common tires. In the picture is shown the letter R.
Next number follows - Wheel diameter (la-zang): For each tire, only one size of wheel can be used. Number 16 corresponds to a mount diameter of 16 inches.

Load Index - Shows the amount of weight the tire can withstand under proper inflection, in pounds: 91 pounds in the picture.

Speed ​​Index - The S in the picture: Shows the tire speed range.

Step 2: Know the recommended inflating pressure for your tires: This is often a trap and can be very confusing for some general automotive mechanics. Some people will tell you that the bulge of the tire is found on the tire (which they will properly rotate in).

The tire pressure noted on the tire is the maximum inflation; This means that the tires should not be inflated above the recommended tire pressure in cold weather (because the tire pressure will increase when it is hot). This number is however NOT the recommended tire pressure for the vehicle.

To find the recommended tire pressure for your vehicle, look inside your vehicle's drive door and look for the date code sticker, which will list the vehicle's VIN, also shows the recommended tire pressure for Your Car. One thing that people tend to forget is that tire manufacturers make tires for different types of vehicles, however, automobile manufacturers choose a tire that is suitable for their individual parts, So while the tire manufacturer may recommend the maximum pump pressure, the automaker still gives a final figure on what recommended handling is appropriate, safe and effective.

Step 3. Be aware of tire wear

Taking the time to rotate the tires is useless unless you know how to "read" the tire wear.

Tires that show excessive wear on the outer edges of the tires are typical when the tire pressure is frequently below the recommended level, i.e. bloating. When a tire is deflated, it tends to roll more on the sides of the tire surface than it should be. This is why both sides are worn out.

Over-stretched tires are the direct opposite of too-pumped tires: tires that are excessively inflated (exceeding the car's recommended tire pressure) tend to be worn out more at the center of the tire surface. . This is due to the fact that when the tire is too tight, it will roll more contact in the center than it is designed.

Bad suspension alignment is when the front suspension components are damaged, or are not aligned correctly. In this case, it's an example of what's called a “positive precision” or the tire is tilted into the inside of the car rather than on the outside. If the wear is on the outside of the tire, it is “negative precision”. In either case, this is a warning sign that you should check your suspension components; because there is a possibility that the CV joint or tie rod is damaged, worn or possibly broken.

Cupping, or uneven tire wear caused by a worn Shock dampers or Strut strut, is a signal that other problems exist and should be corrected before too long.

When tires are worn this wide, they should not be rotated. You should fix what is causing the problem and buy new tires.

Part 2: How to rotate a tire

The actual process of rotating the tires is quite simple. First you will need to know which type of swivel pattern is best for your tire, vehicle and tire wear.

The necessary tools:

• A flat surface
• Forklift jacks
• Screwdrivers
• Vertical lifting post
• Chalk
• Hand wrench
• Air compressor & tire pump hose
• Air pressure gauge
• Force wrench

Step 1: Find a flat surface to work with on your car: You should not lift your car on any inclined surface as this will increase the chance of the vehicle tipping over or the wheel rolling.

Take your car, tools and jacks to a flat area with plenty of space to work on your car. Put the parking brake and make sure it is in “Park - Parking” for automatic transmission or in mo with manual transmission. This will ensure your wheels are "locked" so you can easily remove nuts.

Step 2: Lift the car on four independent brackets: To rotate all four tires at the same time, you will have to lift the car onto four independent brackets. Check with your vehicle service manual to determine the best spot to place the lift for proper safety and support.

Step 3: Mark your tire's destination with chalk: Experts do this - why not you? Before you start spinning, mark the position where the tire is being turned with chalk on the top or inside of the tire. This will reduce confusion as you take your tires to balance and turn them back on to put them back on the car. See your rotation guide for reference. Marking the tires with letters for the position is the best way to avoid confusion:

• LF for left front tire
• LR for Left Rear Tire
• RF for Right Front Tire
• RR for Right Rear Tire

Step 4: Remove the hub or hub cap: Some vehicles have the hub cover or the hub cover covering and protecting the nuts from being removed.

If your car has a trailer cover or center cap, remove it before you remove the nut. The best way to remove the hub cover is to use a flat screwdriver. Locate the lid release slot and gently open the cover from the trailer.

Step 5: Loosen the nuts: Use a spanner or the gate to remove the nuts on one wheel at the same time.

Remove the wheel from the motor: once the nuts are removed, remove the wheel and tire from the shaft.

Step 6: Check for tire bulges: Before moving the tires to their new position, check the tire pressure and set the tire pressure to the recommended setting. You will find this information in the user guide or next to the driver's door.

Step 7 (OPTIONAL): Bring the tire to the tire shop for balance: Normally when the tire can go unbalanced when the tire / wheel goes, crashing into rough surfaces, ... balance the tires before rotating the tires.

In this step, you can also check the tire wear. Refer to the section above for a description of common wear indicators. If your tire wears more than usual, you should install and balance the new tire.

Step 8: Take the tires to their new destination and place them in the trailer: Once you've leveled the tires and checked the air pressure, it's time to rotate the tires to the new position. Hopefully you have written down the position of where you should rotate the tire in step 3 above. Follow the instructions to easily rotate your tires.

Start with the left front tire and bring it to a new position.

Place the tire on the tire cart where it was brought to
Bring the tire on that trailer to the new location and so on
Once you've done this with all four tires, you'll be ready to reassemble the wheels on their new trailer.

Step 9: Install nuts on each wheel: This is the place where the most accidents happen. When you install the nuts on each wheel, the goal is to make sure the wheel is correctly installed in the wheel recess. In all serious cases, most wheel-related accidents are caused by improperly fitted wheels, screwed nuts or improperly screwed nuts.

The above picture shows the exact method and model of how to install nuts based on the number of car nuts on the trailer. This is called the "star model" and must be used when the wheel is mounted on any vehicle. To install the nuts correctly, please follow the following method:

Turn the nut by hand until you turn the nut at least five revolutions, when you feel no more manual rotation, this avoids damaging the thread.
Using your spanner or tube, start tightening the nuts in the sample suggested above. DO NOT MAKE OVER SET RESULTS AT THIS POINT. Simply tighten to keep the wheel from slipping off the wheel motor.
Complete this process on all nuts until all nuts are tightened.
Step 10: Tighten the nuts with recommended force: Again, this is an important step that many people forget to complete and can lead to danger. Use a force-calibrate your torque wrench using the star model above with recommended torque as indicated in your car service manual. Complete this step on all four wheels before landing.

Step 11: Lower the car.

Part 3: Driving safely on the road

Once you've turned the tire, you'll be ready to take it for a test drive. If you took our advice in Step 7 and balanced your tires professionally, you will have a very smooth ride. If not, however, you should look for the following signs that the tire needs to be balanced.

The steering wheel vibrates as you accelerate

The front vibrates as you approach highway speed
If this happens on your road test, take your car to a professional tire shop and balance the front wheels and tires. Tire rotation can add thousands of miles to your tire life, prevent uneven tire wear, and protect you from tire bursts. By maintaining your tires, you will save both time and money in the long run and ensure your safety on the road. Take the time to take care of your tires by turning them on your own, or have a professional mechanic rotate them for you.

Source: https://blebees.com

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