Whether you are using your vehicle for private use or rideshare purposes, it is especially important to prioritise regular Tyre Rotation. Below, we’ll take a look at everything you need to know about Tyre Rotation to stay roadworthy and ensure that you and your passengers remain safe.
As a first-time car owner, you might not yet know much about Tyre Rotation or as a Rideshare driver, you might be so busy, the importance of it has not yet crossed your mind.
There are a number of reasons why Tyre Rotation is important. Here are a few reasons why:
Because the weight on the front and rear axles differ, rotating your tyres ensures even tyre wear across all four of your tyres, maximizing their tread life and ensuring longevity.
Regular rotation of tyres also gives you the opportunity to regularly inspect the condition of your tyres (inspect things like tyre damage, air pressure & tread depth)
Even tread wear maintains a uniform tread depth on your tyres, which can assist with keeping traction and handling consistent across all four of your tyres. This improves cornering and braking performance as well as overall driving safety.
Evenly worn tyres on an All-Drive vehicle lowers the stresses on the drivetrain, resulting in reduced wear on expensive drive components.
What are the different Tyre Rotation patterns?
Rearward CrossX-Pattern
Forward Cross
Front-to-back (For Directional Tyres)
Side-to-side (For differently-sized performance tyres on the front and rear axles)
Front-to-back (For Directional Tyres)
Rearward Cross:
The Rearward Cross pattern is recommended for vehicles that are 4-wheel, all-wheel or rear-wheel drive. The rear tyres are repositioned to the forward axle (kept on the same side of the vehicle) & the front tyres are moved to the opposite sides of the rear axle.
X-Pattern:
The X-Pattern is recommended for front-wheel drive vehicles (e.g. light-weight trucks and sedans). All tyres are moved diagonally (front tyres are repositioned to the opposite rear positions & the rear tyres are moved to the opposite front positions).
Forward Cross:
The Forward Cross pattern is the most common pattern for front-wheel drive vehicles. The front tyres are taken to the rear, and the rear tyres are repositioned to the opposite sides of the front axle.
In addition to the above Tyre Rotation patterns, the Front-to-back & Side-to-side patterns can be used for high-performance tyre and wheels:
Front-to-back (For Directional Tyres):
Directional tyres should only be rotated from front-to-back (or vice-versa) on the same side of the vehicle. The front tyres are repositioned to the rear on the same side & the rear tyres are moved to the front axle on the same side of the vehicle.
Side-to-side (For differently-sized performance tyres on the front and rear axles):
Differently-sized, non-directional tyres will use the side-to-side Tyre Rotation pattern. The front tyres are repositioned to the opposite side of the front axle & the rear tyres to the opposite rear side.
How do you know which Tyre Rotation pattern is best for your vehicle?
Your recommended Tyre Rotation pattern for your vehicle will be completely reliant on the following:
The type of tyre you are using
Is your vehicle front, rear, all or four-wheel drive?
Are your tyres directional or non-directional
Whether or not your tyres are the same size on the front and rear of your vehicle
Do you have a full-size spare that can be rotated through (unlike a temporary spare)
As a rideshare or normal driver, we strongly advise that you prioritise Tyre Rotation on your vehicle so that you get the most out of your tyres for a smoother, safer drive.
Safe travels!
