Tire Rotation

Tire rotation is the practice of moving your tires from one position on the vehicle to another so that tires wear more evenly over the course of their lives.Many tire manufacturers agree that it is no longer good practice to rotate your tires in order to extend their legal life. The reasons for this are:

• Partly worn tires are more likely to experience punctures – particularly in wet weather conditions.
• Front tire deflation will create an understeer effect which is easier to control than oversteer (the effect produced by a rear tire deflation)
• In the unlikely event that a tire deflates suddenly, then it is easier to control the vehicle if this occurs at the front of the vehicle. For improved handling and stability it is now recommended that the ‘best’ tires should always be fitted at the rear of the vehicle. This is irrespective of whether the car is front or rear wheel drive.

Because of this, at Kwik Fit we do not recommend tire rotation and we do recommend fitting your best tires at the rear of the vehicle. If you are replacing a single tire then this should be paired at the rear with the tire having the most tread depth. There are some circumstances when this advice does not apply, such as;

• Where front and rear tire sizes are designed to be different
• Where a vehicle is designed to have directional tires at the front and asymmetric at the rear

If you are not sure about the tire fitment on your vehicle, contact your local Brake Stop Center for advice.