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.