How Often Should I Rotate My Tires?

How often should I rotate my tires, you ask? The best way to find the answer is to consult your vehicle's owner's manual, but most experts recommend rotating your tires every 5,000 to 10,000 miles.

A vehicle's tires play an integral part in how well it runs, but are often forgotten until a problem arises. There are a few things you can do to extend the life of your tires and with any luck, keep any major problems from coming up. Checking the air pressure and rotating your tires will help make sure each tire experiences the same amount of wear and tear and keep any one tire from going bald. Having a tire go bald can be a huge safety hazard.

Discount tires and tires you purchase from a tire discounter may have to be rotated more frequently because they may not be high quality tires. If you find that one of your tires is much more worn than the others it might be a good idea to swing by your local tire shop or tire discounter to replace it. There are many quality American tires to use such as Goodyear, Firestone, Bridgestone and Michelin. It is a good idea to check the depth of your tire treads every 3,000 miles or so to ensure you are not driving on a bald tire. To measure the tire tread you merely need a penny. Place the penny into the tire tread's grove with Lincoln's head facing down and toward you. If you can see all of his head, it's time to change your tires.

If it looks like one tire is wearing down more than another, it may be a good idea to rotate them. You want your tires to wear evenly because it can be dangerous to ride on tires that are unevenly worn.