Tyre rotation: Extend your tread life

Regular rotation of your tyres on a car will have a meaningful effect on tread life, as well as the vehicle's positive directional stability. This will also assist in maintaining lower steering effort, and generally improve roadholding.

Due to the different service conditions on the front and rear axles, tyres can wear unevenly and at different rates. By changing tyre positions at correct intervals it is possible to retain a well-shaped contact patch or tread profile on each tyre.

Tyre rotation is one of the key factors to extending the tread life of a tyre and, in doing so, saving you some cash.  This assists in even wear all round

Dunlop recommends that tyres should be rotated every 10 000km to prevent the development of abnormal wear patterns. Once an abnormal pattern of wear develops, it is very difficult to prevent it from increasing even further and severely shortening the lifespan of the tyre.

Tyre tread wear differs on front and rear wheel drive cars. The wear rate of the front tyres fitted to front wheel drive cars is a great deal higher than the rear tyres. Not only do the front tyres have to contend with steering forces, but they also have to bear the brunt of engine torque and braking. This means that your front tyres do most of the work!

The only work that the rear tyres are doing is trailing along behind, but although the free-rolling, non-driven rear tyres do little 'work', they still wear and may, nonetheless, develop irregular or uneven wear patterns. Remember incorrect inflation of the tyre may have a huge impact on irregular wear.                               

This wear pattern is usually first noticed by the driver when a drumming noise (similar to a faulty wheel bearing) is heard coming from the rear axle, or an odd vibration is felt coming from the back of the vehicle. When this condition is experienced there are three choices.

1.    Check the rear wheel bearings for damage
2.    Have the vehicle's alignment re-set using alignment equipment at your closest Dunlop Zone
3.    If the irregular wear is minimal, a simple re-balancing of the tyre may be required

Different irregular wear patterns are caused by different factors and accordingly there are different “treatment strategies” required. These can be fairly technical so it’s best to get to your nearest Dunlop Zone for expert advice and assistance.  

- Dunlop, Advertorial