How to Rotate Tires

When you need professional tire services in Cartersville, Welborn GMC Of Cartersville is the place to go! Tire rotations are an important part of vehicle maintenance and something you don’t want to ignore. Knowing how to do a tire rotation can provide you with better traction on Acworth roadways and extend the life of your tires.

Below, our service center technicians explore how often you should rotate tires and more. If you have any more questions, call us at (678) 792-4501 or reach out online.

Why Are Tire Rotations Important For Your Vehicle?

Because of your driving habits and changing road conditions, not all tires wear out evenly. Thanks to the impact tires experience while turning, the outside edges of your front tires show greater wear over time, while your rear tires tend to wear more evenly. This means leaving your tires in place will result in them wearing down at different rates and you will have to replace them sooner. 

How Often Should You Rotate Your Tires?

At Welborn GMC Of Cartersville, we have been providing professional tire services in Cartersville for many years. When customers ask us, “How often should you rotate your tires,” we say, “It depends on your drivetrain.”

Front and rear-wheel drive vehicles should have their tires rotated every 5,000-7,000 miles. All-wheel drive vehicles require more frequent tire rotations at 3,000-5,000 miles. This is because all tires are actively engaged, resulting in faster wear. As with any vehicle service, we always recommend checking your owner’s manual for more specific recommendations related to your GMC vehicle. 

Learn More About the Importance of Tire Position

• FWD Tires: Move the front tires to the back of the vehicle in the same left/right positions. When it comes time to move the rear tires to the front, you have to switch the right and left tires.
• RWD Tires: The opposite is true with RWD vehicles. The rear tires can be moved to the front of the car in the same left/right positions, but when you move the front tires to the rear, you need to switch the left and right tires. 

How to Rotate Your Tires at Home

Some Canton customers ask us about how to do a tire rotation at home. If you want to try rotating your tires, you will need a car jack, lug nut wrench, and a set of car jacks. Once you have acquired all the right tools, follow these six easy steps: 

1. Engage your parking brake as a safety precaution.
2. Loosen your lug nuts on all four wheels, yet don’t take them all the way off. This step makes unscrewing them when your tire is elevated a lot easier. 
3. Lift one wheel with a car jack and place the jack stand underneath it.
4. Remove the tires one by one.
5. Take a moment to make sure your tires are filled to the appropriate tire pressure. Once filled, you can rotate them according to the appropriate pattern for the type of tire you have. Place the tire back on the wheel mount and screw the lug nuts on by hand as far as you can.
6. Lower the car from the jack stands and use the lug wrench to finish tightening the nuts. It’s best to work the lug nuts diagonally from one to another in a star pattern to ensure even tightening. If the lug nuts aren’t tightened evenly, it can use your brake rotor to warp.

Get Your Tires Rotated at Welborn GMC Of Cartersville 

How often should you rotate your tires? That depends on your vehicle’s drivetrain. Now that you know how to do a tire rotation, you can have done professionally at Welborn GMC Of Cartersville. We’ve been offering tire services in Cartersville for many years. 

Check out our service specials to see how much you can save on your next trip from Rome. Keep your vehicle running at peak performance on Canton roads with Welborn GMC Of Cartersville!