Your vehicle’s four tires don’t wear evenly.

This happens because the front of your vehicle typically weighs more than the rear, and because your front tires turn while your rear tires don’t, and because (in the United States) we typically make left turns at higher speeds than we make right turns, causing the right-front tire to wear faster than the left-front.

Those are just some of the reasons.

One of the most effective ways to extend tire life, save money, and stay safe is to rotate them at regular intervals (every 5,000 miles; or every oil change is commonly recommended) in a pattern which promotes even tire wear.

With the right tools, a four-tire rotation can be done in 20 minutes or so. But what is the most effective way to rotate them to achieve maximum tire life?

Here’s a handy visual aide to help you rotate your tires effectively:

tire rotation pattern infographic
(Image/OnAllCylinders)
Author: Matt Griswold

After a 10-year newspaper journalism career, Matt Griswold spent another decade writing about the automotive aftermarket and motorsports. He was part of the original OnAllCylinders editorial team when it launched in 2012.