Is It Time For A Tire Rotation? Here’s How To Tell
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The Strut Supports
While the first job of the strut resembles that of a shock absorber, the strut takes it a bit farther and provides support.
Here’s how:
- Struts support your spring
- Struts support your vehicle suspension system
- Struts hold your tires in the properly aligned position
At the same time, struts are responsible for bearing most of the side load placed on your suspension system.
Your struts are critical because they impact your vehicle’s overall handling and comfort. At the same time, struts affect your ability to stop and brake, vehicle control, wheel alignment, and wear on other parts of your vehicle.
Despite making preventative maintenance a top priority, it’s rather easy to overlook the need for a tire rotation. Unlike oil changes and similar services, it doesn’t have a strict mileage or time indicator to go by. Instead, you need to check the tread to see if it’s time to rotate tires on your vehicle. To help you do that, here’s everything you need to know about checking if it’s time for a tire rotation.
What is a Tire Rotation?
If you want your tires to last, you need to have them rotated on a regular basis. During a tire rotation, your tech moves each tire to a new corner on your car to help even out their wear. The rotation pattern differs depending on whether your car is front-, rear-, or all-wheel drive.
Tire Tread Depth Gauge Tells All
With a tread depth gauge in hand, you can easily tell if your car needs the tires rotated. As the name implies, this little tool lets you know just how much tread is left on the surface of your tires. You just have to zero it out, place it over the circumferential groove in your tire, and press the plunger down. Then, read the gauge to see how much tread is left, write it down, and repeat for each tire.
Front and Back Tires Should Match
To get the most value out of each set of tires, you want them to wear as evenly as possible. Unfortunately, if you just leave them in their original positions, they will all wear at different rates. If your car has any suspension problems, or you just like to burn out on occasion, then the affected tires will wear even faster than the others.
Thankfully, tire rotations can help even out the wear when done properly and on a regular basis. With that smart move, you keep the tread depth similar across all of your tires, getting more miles out of each set.
Hit the Legal Limit? You Need New Tires
If your tread depth reads anything less than 2/32nds of an inch, the Department of Transportation requires that you replace your tires. If you let your tires wear past this minimum, they will not be able to keep a firm grip on the road. Worse yet, if you drive over any standing water, your car is likely to hydroplane, which could cause a serious accident. So, plan to replace them at that point to stay safe on all your travels.
Zima Automotive Techs Check Tread Depth at Every Oil Change
If you’d rather leave the tread depth checks to the professionals, make Zima Automotive your shop of choice for Springfield, Oh auto repair. We will check if it’s time to rotate tires each time you come in for an oil change. If a tire rotation is in order at that time, our auto techs in Springfield OH can handle that task for you, helping extend the life of your tires.
Ready to get your car maintenance done and see if it’s time for a tire rotation? Just give us a call at 844-442-2632 or fill out our online contact form, to find a convenient time to come in. We look forward to helping you keep your car in fantastic condition.
Max Zima founded Zima Automotive with a mission to raise the standard for automotive repair through education, transparency, and trust. After years of hands-on training and experience working on a wide range of domestic and European vehicles, Max developed a customer-first approach centered around helping drivers understand their vehicles and make informed repair decisions. His commitment to honest communication and quality workmanship continues to shape every experience at the shop.
Max and his team provide high-quality care for both domestic and European vehicles, including BMW, Audi, Mercedes, and more. Whether it’s check engine diagnostics, brake repair, or preventative maintenance, Max is passionate about delivering repairs customers can trust. Learn more about the shop or read Max’s full author bio.
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