How Much Does a Tire Rotation Cost?
One of the most commonly overlooked maintenance services is the humble tire rotation, which is simply a missed opportunity to get more life and performance from an already expensive set of tires under your vehicle.
Tire rotations are one of the easiest services you can do to improve the efficiency and performance of your vehicle while saving money on replacement tires down the line. In this article, we’ll explain what a tire rotation is, why it’s needed, and how much you could expect to pay when bringing in your vehicle for this service.
What is a Tire Rotation?
No, we’re not talking about that kind of rotation. Your tires do plenty of that on their own.
Tire rotations instead consist of moving each tire to a different corner of the vehicle to even out the tread wear and allow your tires to go further without a replacement.
See, not all tires wear evenly among the four wheels of a vehicle. In a front-wheel drive vehicle (which makes up over 40% of new cars sold), the front tires will experience an increased rate of wear compared to the rear. The inverse is also true, as rear-wheel drive cars will wear out their rear tires first. This is mainly due to those tires being on the “drive wheels”, meaning they’re the ones receiving the power from the engine.
In an all-wheel drive car, each tire receives power from the engine. However, the front pair will still wear at a slightly faster rate due to those tires handling the majority of wear from steering and braking.
The order in which your tires will be rotated depends on this along with a few other factors.
Why Do I Need a Tire Rotation?
As stated above, tire rotations are critical for getting the most tread life out of your tires. While that’s great for your wallet, it’s also great for the whole vehicle. By maximizing the performance of your tires, your vehicle will see improved handling, braking, acceleration, and efficiency.
By not getting routine tire rotations, you’re placing an increased workload on two of your tires while the other two wear much slower. After an extended period of driving like this, you’ll have a significant difference in tread life between your front and rear.
Not only will this difference in tread affect the efficiency and driving experience of your vehicle, it can make certain situations more dangerous for you and your passengers. For instance, driving in rain with unevenly worn tires will increase your likelihood of losing traction or hydroplaning.
What Does a Tire Rotation Cost?
Fortunately, tire rotations are quite affordable for their level of importance when caring for your vehicle. Not to mention the money you save on tire replacements will offset a good deal of that initial cost.
The cost of a tire rotation is highly dependent on the vehicle itself, as some types of cars require a different procedure for a proper rotation.
In many cases, you may find yourself with a coupon or promotion for a free or discounted rotation during other maintenance items like wheel alignments or tire balancing. Combining your rotation service with others is a great way to kill two birds with one stone while also saving yourself some cash.
As a standalone service, you can expect to pay anywhere between $30-$75. For more basic commuter vehicles, rotations are as easy as can be and will lean toward the lower end of that range. However, on sports cars, luxury cars, or larger vehicles, the technician performing your rotation may need to take some extra steps.
Certain types of off-road or winter tires, center-lock wheels, and careful hand-tightening of premium or vintage wheels will all take extra time or specialty equipment, leading to increased labor costs. Vehicles with staggered (larger wheels in the back or front) may also increase the cost of a tire rotation.
How Often Should I Have My Tires Rotated?
A good rule of thumb for tire rotation is to have yours done around every 5,000-7,500 miles. However, the exact interval really depends on the vehicle and its driver.
Heavier vehicles or performance cars may eat through tread faster, leading to a shorter interval between rotations. This rapid wear can also be caused by certain driving habits, as aggressive acceleration, braking, and cornering will result in increased and uneven wear.
Tire Services in Peoria, Illinois
If you suspect you need a tire rotation, trust the expert technicians at Beachlers Service Care & Repair in Peoria. Our team has extensive experience performing tire services on all makes and models!
Don’t let your tires wear faster than they should, call or schedule a rotation online today!