What is Tire Rotation?

Tire rotation is a lot like flipping a mattress. You know how one side of the bed can sag more than the other over time? Tires are vulnerable to the same issue based on your vehicle’s braking, torque, and weight distribution, which can lead to you replacing them sooner than you’d like if left alone. By repositioning your tires regularly, you ensure any weight and wear is evenly spread across all four tires, preserving their endurance and tread for as long as possible.  An added benefit of this service is the opportunity to check on the health of your tires, such as air pressure, tread wear, blistering, or any damage they’ve taken from potholes and other rough terrain. 

Tire Rotation Comes With Some Hidden Benefits

Quality tires don’t come cheap, but with the proper care, they can stay with you for years. You probably already know the importance of outfitting your Kia with the right tires for the season, but did you know that rotating them regularly can save you from:

• Tire health problems like blowouts, air pressure loss, and tread wear
• Accidents caused by poor traction, such as skidding off the road or into a collision
• Less responsive braking from increased brake pad wear
• Reduced performance, balance, and maneuverability
• Raised fuel consumption (and subsequent costs) from your engine working harder to combat friction on road surfaces.

It’s also worth remembering that many leading tire brands require regular tire rotations for their warranties to remain valid, so forgetting to keep up with your maintenance can leave you vulnerable to increased costs down the road. Why risk it? Make a quick appointment with the experts at Lally Kia today and drive with peace of mind.

The Right Way to Rotate Tires

Truthfully, there’s no definitive “right way” when it comes to tire rotation–only what’s right for your vehicle. Depending on whether your transmission is all-wheel drive, front-wheel drive, or rear-wheel drive, and whether your tires are the same or varying sizes from front to back, the correct tire rotation pattern may vary:

• Front Wheel Drive: Front tires should switch to the same position in the rear. Rear tires should swap to the opposite front corners.
• Rear Wheel Drive: Rear tires should switch to the same position in the front. Front tires should swap to the opposite back corners.
• All Wheel Drive: An easy trap to fall into is believing that all-wheel drive/four-wheel drive vehicles move all four tires equally, as transfer cases and electronically controlled differentials can actually impact which wheels are moving and when. To rotate tires on an all-wheel drive vehicle, all four tires should be swapped in an ‘x’ formation. 
• Vehicles with Varying Wheel Sizes: Drivers of vehicles with staggered tires should be wary that sometimes, proper tire rotation requires dismounting the tires completely and then remounting them on the opposite side.

The experts at Lally Kia know Kia models inside and out, so choosing the perfect pattern for your tire rotation is second nature to us. Why not give us a call or fill out our webform today and save yourself the headache?

How Often Should You Rotate Your Tires?

Generally speaking, many drivers choose to get their tires rotated whenever they book their vehicle in for an oil change. For more specific numbers though, we recommend you check your owner’s guide or maintenance schedule. Kia vehicles should get their tires rotated every 5,000 miles.

Book a Tire Rotation at Lally Kia in Chatham, ON

Tire rotation might sound simple enough, but as you can see, it’s actually a pretty precise process when you get into the varied requirements of different vehicles. What’s worse is doing it incorrectly can still pose a risk to your vehicle risk, operation, and general safety, so we don’t recommend you try it at home. Don’t worry–the Kia-certified technicians at Lally Kia have all the tools and experience needed to sort it out for you without affecting your warranty. Best of all, we also run regular service specials to keep those pesky maintenance costs down, so don’t miss out!

To learn more about servicing your Kia, visit Kia.ca.