Chicago area drivers are wondering about tire rotation best-practices. Whether you're looking to rotate tires from the comfort of your own garage or you prefer to have your tires professionally rotated by the trained staff at our tire center, Napleton's Countryside Mazda has you covered. Tire rotation is a critical maintenance step, so you don't want to miss it. The benefits of rotating your tires on a regular basis include better traction on Chicago area roads plus extended tire life.

When you follow our handy guide to tire rotation, you'll be sure to keep your new Mazda model's tires rolling for as long as possible while you drive around Cicero to Berwyn.

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Why is Tire Rotation Necessary?

Why is tire rotation important? Depending on your personal driving habits and your vehicle's drivetrain characteristics, not all tires wear evenly. Additionally, when your vehicle makes turns, the outside edges of the front tires experience greater wear, while the rear wheels wear more evenly. For this reason, tire rotation is necessary to take into account the uneven wear rate of each tire. By properly rotating your tires, you extend tire life and avoid shelling out money for a replacement sooner than necessary.

How Often to Rotate Your Tires

Before considering how to do a tire rotation, you should calculate how often you need to rotate your tires. Front and rear-wheel drive vehicles typically need their tires rotated every 5,000-7,500 miles. On the other hand, all-wheel drive vehicles require more frequent changes at every 3,000-5,000 miles. 

This is due to the fact that all of the vehicle's tires are actively engaged, resulting in faster wear. Just like any vehicle maintenance service, we recommend checking your owner's manual for more specific recommendations for your particular model.

How to Rotate Tires at Home: Tire Position

• FWD Tires: Simply move the front tires to the back of the car in the same left/right positions. However, when moving the rear tires to the front, you must switch the right and left tire.

• RWD Tires: The opposite is true with RWD vehicles. The rear tires should be moved to the front of the car in the same left/right positions, however, when you move the front tires to the rear, you must switch the left and right tire.

How to Rotate Tires at Home: Tools and Process

Once you are aware of how to rotate tires at home, you will need the correct tools for the job. This includes a car jack, lug nut wrench and a set of jack stands. Beyond that, simply follow these five easy steps:

1. Put on the parking brake as an added safety precaution.
2. Loosen the lug nuts on all four wheels without taking them all the way off. By doing this, you'll have an easier time unscrewing them when the tire is elevated.
3. Lift up one of the wheels with a car jack and place the jack stand underneath it.
4. Remove the tires and check to make sure they are filled to the optimal tire pressure. Recommended tire pressure is easy to find as it is imprinted on the tire itself. Once filled, you can rotate the tires according to the tire position guide outlined above. Then, place the tire back onto the wheel mount and screw the lug nuts on by hand as far as possible.
5. Finally, lower the car from the jack stands and use the lug wrench to finish tightening the nuts. It is recommended to work the lug nuts diagonally from one to another in a star pattern to ensure even tightening all around. If the lug nuts are not tightened evenly it can cause the brake rotor to warp.

Get Assistance With Tire Rotation at Napleton's Countryside Mazda

It is good for Berwin area drivers to know how to rotate tires at home, but you don't have to go it alone. The skilled technicians at Napleton's Countryside Mazda can take care of this important vehicle maintenance step for you today! We offer a variety of exclusive service specials at our Chicago area service center for you to take advantage of, so schedule your service today. Also take a minute to learn more about Mazda CX-30 interior features!