Tire Rotation Services
Rotating your tires is an essential part of regular vehicle maintenance. Learn all you need to know about quality tire rotation services near you today.
Rotating your tires is an essential part of regular vehicle maintenance. Tire rotation services are available as individual services as well as part of oil change and other automobile maintenance packages, sometimes at customer-friendly discounts. While some local garages and nationwide automobile maintenance centers do not provide this service, most do. Therefore, finding a tire rotation service provider near you involves an overall simple process. What requires more research is finding the best deals from the most reliable service providers in your area. Continue reading to learn all you need to know about quality tire rotation services near you today. 
Tire Rotation 101
Tire rotation involves the movement, or relocation, of your tires from one position on your vehicle to another. The concept of tire rotation is simple, but do not let its conceptual simplicity undermine the importance of the service. Your tires constantly bear the weight of your entire vehicle and everything in it, including you and your family. You need your tires to always function properly and safely, and to do that they need rotation services on a regular basis. Sometimes the tires change positions from front to back. Other times they change positions from side to side. Front-to-back tire rotations are the most common, however.
Tire Rotation - Why It’s Important
As mentioned above, your tires literally carry the weight of your vehicle and everything inside it. Tire rotation is important for multiple additional reasons as well, however. If tire rotation simply involves moving your tires from front-to-back or one side to another on your vehicle, why is it so important? Your tires are made of rubber, which consist of tread. Tread is responsible for providing traction, which helps keep your vehicle:
-
In its lane.
-
In control during inclement weather.
-
Capable of experiencing its best fuel efficiency.
-
Utilizing oil and other fluid reserves more efficiency.
Tread wears down over time. Even the best-made tires experience typical wear-and-tear, albeit perhaps over longer periods of time. Sometimes a vehicle needs an alignment. A vehicle alignment is required when your automobile pulls to the left or right when in operation on the road, despite the driver holding the wheel in a centered position.
Tread Life Explained
Tires technically have expiration dates. These might be both indefinite and unexpected by consumers. The general recommendation is to have your tires inspected frequently and replaced every six to ten years (at most). This is the recommendation regardless of how well your tire tread is holding up. Each tire has a code impressed upon its sidewall, which indicates its age.
Reduction in tread height and quality is collectively different, however. This is not dependent on age or expiration dates, but rather on performance and (often) obvious visual indications. In general, tire manufacturers state the tread on a tire has reached the end of its safe, operational usefulness when it is reduced to a height of 0.0625 inches. Assessing the tread depth on your tires is completed by inserting a probe into the shallowest tread groove located on the tire. For an accurate result, the shoulders of the probe must press flat against the tire tread. Gauges need to measure 0.0313 inches in both U.S.-standard measurements and millimeters alike. Different readings mean different things. For example:
-
0.1875 inches (6/32") means your tire tread depth is adequate.
-
0.15625 inches (5/32") means your tire tread depth is inadequate to handle snow-covered roads.
-
0.125 inches (4/32") means your tire tread depth is inadequate to handle wet weather.
-
0.09375 inches (3/32") means replacing your tires is imminently necessary.
-
0.0625 inches (2/32") means your tire tread depth is considered “legally bald,” and in immediate need of replacement.
Common Tire Rotation Patterns
Different tire rotation patterns are applicable for different types of vehicles and different tread depth situations. Front-wheel drive vehicles typically rotate tires in a forward-cross pattern. This means the back passenger-side tire is moved to the front driver’s-side position. The back driver’s-side tire is moved to the front passenger-side position. The front driver’s-side tire is moved to the rear driver’s-side position. The spare tire is then attached to the rear passenger-side position. As if this is not confusing enough, numerous other rotation patterns are used. Thankfully, some are simpler to picture. For example, differently sized, non-directional tires are moved from side to side (left tires move right; right tires move left). Same sized directional tires are moved from front to back (and back to front). Rearward cross and x-pattern tire rotations are also common.
How Much Do Tire Rotation Services Cost?
Tire rotation services cost between $10 and $20 per wheel on average. The entire cost of this price consists of labor, so the per-hour or flat-rate labor charges of your chosen service provider have an impact on this price as well. Essentially, full tire rotation services cost between $40 and $80, with the national average falling close to $50 total.
Additional expenses might also apply, depending on the state of your tires and operational driving systems. For example, many times tire rotation appointments allow mechanics to discover alignment issues with a vehicle. Sometimes wheels also need to be balanced. Balancing your wheels helps ensure your vehicle’s tires do not vibrate while on the road, and consistently spin correctly. The balancing process includes inspecting your vehicle’s tires for heavy spots putting pressure on the wheels or compensating via inserting weights into specific spots on each applicable wheel.
Tire servicing might also be needed. This involves checking for leaks and inflating tires to proper pressure amounts and patching as needed. Tire replacement might also be necessary if your tires are in bad enough shape.
Coupons, Deals and Best Places to Get Tire Rotation Services
Tire rotation service coupons are available from various nationwide service providers. National Tire and Battery (NTB), Meineke, Pep Boys, Midas, Jiffy Lube and Firestone all perform tire rotation services today. Each of these providers also runs seasonal and randomly timed specials, during which their tire rotation services are included for free as part of larger vehicle maintenance packages, or otherwise significantly discounted. Coupons, discounts, and deals are also available through third-party companies and websites such as Valpak, Honey, Capital One Shopping and Retail Me Not. Additional locations to find top nationwide tire rotation providers and great deals on services include:
