Tyre rotation should be part of a regular maintenance schedule as it can return several benefits.

Tyres are the first mode of interaction between the vehicle and the road, playing a key role in the safety and ride quality. They are perishable products that eventually need replacement, but periodic tyre rotation can extend the life and return enhanced performance. Let's get to know all about tyre rotation below.

What is Tyre Rotation?

Tyre rotation is a technique of repositioning tyres on your vehicle in specific patterns. It is a vital part of tyre maintenance and is generally done by swapping the front and rear tyres. However, tyre rotation is only recommended for vehicles with the same sized tyres, and those come with a non-directional tread pattern.

If you want to put a new tyre set, fit the new ones at the rear.

What is the right time to rotate the tyres?

Ideally, tyre rotation should be conducted every 6000-8000 kilometres. Simultaneously, the wheel alignment and the wheel balancing can further optimize the performance. Apart from these, there are other reasons why you should rotate tyres regularly:

• If you regularly carry heavy loads or drive at high speeds on highways
• If you notice any uneven tread wear.
• When your tyres start creating a humming sound on smooth roads, it might be due to poor wheel alignment that may also need a tyre rotation.

How does tyre rotation improve performance?

Tyre rotation is crucial because the front tyres of the vehicle wear out faster than the rear ones. By changing or swapping them regularly, you are helping all your tyres wear evenly and making full use of their tread life. However, if the tyres are incorrectly inflated or if the wheels are misaligned, rotating tyres will not return any benefit.

But if you are repositioning your vehicle tyres frequently, you will get the following benefits.

Enhanced lifespan

Tyres will eventually wear over time, but what’s important is the protection against irregular wear, which will call for early replacement. There could be other factors of uneven wear, such as driving on rough terrains and rash driving style. But as a general rule or assuming you are an everyday casual driver, switching the front and rear tyres regularly can help distribute the wear uniformly, extending the tyre life, in due course of time.

Better fuel economy

As the wear is evenly distributed among the four tyres, there will be less burden on the engine, and it helps the car maintain road grip much easier. Less strain on the engine and reduced friction between the tyre and the road means less fuel consumption. And you will notice your fuel tank lasting longer.

Improved vehicle performance

As front tyres wear more quickly, by swapping the tyres, you are exposing the good part of the different tyre treads to the road. It means your vehicle will return better performance, as rotated tyres will respond more swiftly to your input and maintain an effective grip on the surface, returning better cornering, handling and braking.

Frequently buying a new set of tyres can be an added burden on the pocket, so we should prioritize maintenance and tyre rotation is an important step in this direction.