Tire Maintenance - Rotation

Rotation

Front tires, especially on front wheel drive vehicles, have a tendency to wear out more quickly than rear tires. Routine maintenance including tire rotation (exchanging the front and rear tires with each other) is often done periodically to facilitate uniform tire wear. There are simple hand-held tire-pressure gauges which can be temporarily attached to the valve stem to check a tire's interior air pressure. This measurement of tire inflation pressure should be made at least once a month. The proper inflation pressure is located in the owner's manual and on the Tire Placard. Because of slow leaks or changes in weather or other conditions tire pressure may occasionally have to be corrected, usually via the valve stem with compressed air which is often available at service stations.

Under-inflation of tires can also cause premature tire wear. Many modern vehicles have tire pressure monitoring systems; older cars typically equipped with indirect monitoring systems while later cars are typically equipped with direct tire pressure monitoring systems.