A brand new set of tires can last from 80,000 kilometers or more, however, this applies to ideal working and road conditions. But some of these conditions we can create ourselves. Just a couple of simple rules, and the life of tires can be easily extended by 30-40 thousand kilometers.
Tire wear
Of course, many factors affect the life of a car tire. This is the driving style, and the class of the car, its technical condition, the type of tires themselves. And, of course, the tire life of a neat summer resident who drives a car a couple of times a year, and that of an aggressive street racer who constantly blows smoke at the start, will be completely different. An important factor affecting the lifespan of rubber is the degree of wear of its elements, whether it be ball bearings, bushings, etc. It is also necessary to set the correct camber, maintain optimal tire pressure.
Why you need to change tires
Another way to prolong the life of tires is to rearrange the wheels in some places. Previously, experienced drivers often used this technique, for many it was the rule, but today it is almost forgotten about it. How does changing tires help? Quite simply, different wheels in a car are subjected to different loads, which, in turn, leads to clear differences in the structure and degree of tire wear. For example, the front tires carry most of the mass of the car, since in the vast majority of cars the heavy engine is located in front. The load increases even more at, up to 80 percent of the weight falls on them during heavy braking. Then, the front wheels are constantly turning, which cannot but affect their accelerated wear.
Rotation period
The wear pattern of the front and rear tires is different, the edges of the tread are worn off on the front tires, while the rear tires lose the middle part. Timely rotation of the wheels will make it possible to make this wear more uniform: the rear tires will begin to wear out on the sidewalls, while the front tires will wear out flat. Of course, you can just change to new front tires if you have enough money to spare, but it's easier to just swap tires, extending their life by a factor of one and a half. Moreover, tire manufacturers themselves advise rearranging tires every six months or every ten thousand kilometers. And in order to do this, you don’t have to take separate additional actions, because every six months we change our cars from summer to winter tires and back. You just need to swap them.
Permutation order
The rearrangement scheme may be different, but it is correct to do this as follows: we put the rear tires forward in the same order as they were, that is, left to left, and right to right. The front tires should be placed crosswise on the rear axle, that is, we put the left front on the right rear side, we do the same with the right front.
But there is one significant nuance here - an asymmetric tread pattern. If you have such tires, then the rearrangement is done without changing the sides. On powerful cars or on sporty ones, wheels of different sizes are often installed, in this case the tires are transferred only along the sides, from right to left. And before each shift, carefully study the markings of your tires.
Tire swap pattern
All tires are divided into several types and types. During manufacture, tires are marked with a marking that indicates its main parameters and characteristics. We will not delve into the markings, but we will consider the main differences. Tires are divided into two large groups according to the way the cord is laid inside the tire during its manufacture.
These are radial tires and bias tires. Tires of these two types can be winter, summer and all-weather. Each of these three tires can have a regular or directional tread pattern.
A tire with a regular pattern can be installed on either side of the car, a tire with a directional pattern is installed strictly in the direction of rotation. Regular and directional tread patterns can be symmetrical or asymmetrical. A tire with such a pattern is placed according to the rule of a tire with a regular or directional pattern.
It is possible to buy 4 identical tires and assemble them with rims according to the right and left sides of the car. You will get two left wheels and two right ones. Very rarely come across directional tires with an asymmetrical pattern and with an indication of the inside and outside. These tires need to buy two on each side. Two right and two left, but it is better to refuse such tires altogether. They are not convenient to use.
Which tires are better
According to the construction of the cord, radial tires are preferable. Such tires are more reliable, they withstand heavy loads during movement, and are more stable during deformation. Radial tires wear longer than diagonal tires. Therefore, tires with a diagonal ply are currently practically not produced. Almost all car owners have two sets of tires. For the operation of a car in the winter - these are winter tires, for the summer period - summer.
All season tires can be used in both summer and winter. may be studded. Such tires are allowed only in a few countries where snow often and abundantly falls in winter, frost forms on the road surface. This list also includes Russia. All-season, summer and winter tires have their own pattern characteristics that increase the car's handling.
Front wheel drive or rear wheel drive vehicles can be fitted with different tire patterns. Such tires are installed in pairs on one axle, for example, tires with one pattern are in front, and with another in the back. It is forbidden to install diagonal tires on one axle and radial tires on the other. The dimension must be the same. On all-wheel drive vehicles, the same tires must be installed.
It is strictly forbidden to install tires with different tread and with different dimensions. This is due to the design of the transmission. If you operate a car with different tires, then the car's transmission will quickly fail. In addition, driving on different tires becomes dangerous, a car on a slippery road will behave unpredictably.
Tire rotation rule
All automakers and tire manufacturers recommend changing tires during operation. What is it for? During the operation of the car, all tires wear out unevenly. This is due to several factors. Heterogeneity of the road surface, operating conditions and vehicle transmission device. Therefore, in order to extend the life of the tires and the transmission of the car, the tires must be periodically replaced.
On all-wheel drive vehicles, uniform tire wear is more relevant. Car manufacturers recommend several tire rotation schemes. But in practice, as is often the case, it is impossible or impractical to apply such tire swap schemes. Many car owners never swap tires. Which of course is wrong.
How to rearrange the tires and how often should this be done? The frequency is approximately 8 - 12 thousand kilometers. Therefore, tire swapping can be timed to coincide with the change of tires from summer to winter and vice versa. Winter tires can be studded. When using such tires, the spikes tilt to one side. This is due to frequent wheel slip.
Therefore, such tires must be placed in the direction of rotation as they were before. In this case, the tires from the front axle must be put on the rear axle, and the tires from the rear axle should be put on the front axle. In order not to get confused where which wheel was, in a tire shop, the master usually puts a mark on the wheel. If, however, one of the recommended schemes is applied and when installing tires, their direction of rotation is reversed, the spikes will begin to tilt in the other direction, their fastening in the tread will weaken and they will begin to fly out.
Which of course does not justify the expediency of rearranging the tires strictly according to the scheme. There is no point in this, the tires will wear out evenly, but the spikes will almost all fall out. If the tires are not studded, but have a directional pattern, the tires must also be rearranged, from the front axle to the rear, from the rear axle to the front, without changing the installation side on the car. If the tires do not have a direction of rotation, then it is possible to apply a more complex scheme.
In this case, the rear tires are rearranged to the front axle in accordance with the sides. And the front tires are placed on the rear axle, but at the same time the right wheel is placed on the left, and the left wheel is placed on the right. There is another scheme for rearranging wheels. In this scheme, a spare wheel is also involved. The spare must of course be identical. When using such a scheme, the tires wear out a little longer during operation. In this case, the rear tires are rearranged to the front axle without changing sides, the spare wheel is placed on the rear axle on the right, and the right front wheel is placed back on the left. The front left wheel becomes a spare. But such a scheme can be applied if non-studded tires and tires with a non-directional pattern are installed on the car.
If the car uses all-season tires, it is better to change the tires in the middle of the season. That is, in summer and winter, and not during periods of changing seasons. And it turns out that some wheels constantly "ride" on the snow in front, and the other pair - on asphalt in the summer on the rear axle. Wear will again be uneven. When using a rearrangement scheme without the participation of a spare tire, the latter does not wear out. There is a situation when you have to put a spare tire on the car and drive it.
The difference between the tread height of worn wheels and the spare wheel adversely affects the vehicle's transmission. But you can still drive several tens of kilometers. It is advisable to drive as short a distance as possible using the spare wheel.
It happens that the car owner has two sets of fully assembled wheels. That is, when replacing tires, you do not need to constantly bead tires. You just need to change the wheels, for example, from winter to summer. Before changing wheels, they must be balanced. Which will also increase their service life, as well as the service life of the car suspension. Many car owners balance their wheels only when replacing tires with new ones and then drive their entire life. It is not right. During tire wear, the point of imbalance changes. During wheel spin, for example in deep snow, the weight on the disc may move. Therefore, it is necessary to balance the wheels periodically.
For safe driving and reliable control of the car, it is impossible to do without putting new tires on the car. However, rubber is not eternal and its wear cannot be uniform, for various reasons, on all wheels. Of course, no one is tempted to change all four tires at the same time in order to improve traction and steering information.
Therefore, we draw a rabbit from the hat. Helps you save money by changing tires on your car. The rotation process is usually carried out during the change of seasonal tires at a service station. But tire wear does not depend on the season, but occurs as a result of everyday use of the car. And the driver needs to know when a tire change is needed, and how to do it himself.
Why is this needed?
Car tire wear is an uneven process. Let's start with the fact that the front wheels wear out faster than those that are put on the back. After all, the front of your car accounts for about 60% of the total weight. Front-mounted tires are also affected by cornering. When driving on the right side of the road, we turn much more to the left than to the right.
Therefore, the right tire in front is subject to wear more than others. changing wheels will help. This will provide you with significant savings in maintenance costs and predictable steering effort. And, like a real man, you can change tires yourself on your car. Not necessarily in pursuit of savings, but even so that your significant other sees that there is a man inside the “white collar”.
When to Rotate Wheels
Every car comes with a manual. If for some reason you did not have such a booklet, download the manual from the Internet. Among the tips for car maintenance, there will definitely be a tire swap scheme. Usually rotation is carried out after 5-10 thousand km. mileage, or, to make it easier to remember, at each oil change.
Tools
Car jack. The jack, which is part of the necessary minimum of tools in the trunk of the car, is designed to replace a punctured wheel on the road. Changing all four wheels with it will be a rather laborious and time-consuming process. It is easier and safer to use a hydraulic jack, which will lift one side of the machine at a time.
Jack stand. The thing in terms of security is absolutely necessary. If you do not want to throw money away to purchase an industrial stand, which is reasonable, you can replace the store-bought one with one built from improvised means. For example, it may well be replaced by a building block covered with a board on top so as not to scratch the bottom.
Key. In this case, everything is clear.
Wheel swap diagram
Before you start unscrewing the nuts, decide on the scheme by which the wheel rotation will be carried out. Here are a few points to consider. First, look at your tires and determine if they are directional or non-directional. For many cars, this is important.
Rotation of wheels with the inscription "ROTATION"
Directional tires are easily identified by the characteristic "ROTATION" marking and an arrow on the side indicating the direction of travel. The tread pattern of such wheels is designed to rotate in a strictly defined direction. To change them, simply swap the right front and rear tires. Do the same operation with the left side.
If you have non-directional tires
Non-directional tire tread allows you to install tires on a car in any place and on any side, since there is no strictly specified direction of rotation. If you have a rear-wheel drive car, put the wheels removed from the front back on opposite sides. So, the front tire on the left side will be in the back in place of the right, and the right in place of the left rear. The rear tires are simply installed in front without changing sides.
In front-wheel drive cars, the opposite happens: the front wheels are moved back without changing sides. And the rear left in place of the right front, the right rear in place of the left front.
Five wheel rotation
In fact, in the car, taking into account the spare, 5 wheels, not 4. But this statement in relation to modern car spare wheels is rather controversial. They are not designed for long-term use - they have a shallow tread, modest size and weight. Their task is to reach the nearest tire fitting.
It’s a completely different matter if you have a full-fledged wheel or your car is a jeep on your “spare tire”. A rotation scheme with a 5th wheel is suitable here. Moreover, with a "reserve" tire run time increases by 20% and the tread wears equally on all tires.
So, front wheel drive. The "spare wheel" is put in place of the right rear wheel, the left front one - instead of the spare. Rear right - in place of the left front, left rear with the right front are interchanged.
Formula 4X4 and rear-wheel drive cars
The left front - to the place of the spare, the spare - to the place of the right rear. Left rear - in place of the left front. Right front - in place of the left rear. Right rear - in place of the right front.
Performing a rotation
1. To ensure our own safety, we raise the parking brake handle (naturally, it must be in good working order).
2. Loosen the wheel nuts. Do not unscrew them completely before lifting the wheel on the jack.
3. Jack up the wheel or the entire side if you are the owner of a hydraulic jack. We put a stand under the raised side. We lower the jack. Having finished with one side, we carry out the same operation with the other. It is much easier to rotate if all wheels are available for replacement. Of course, you can change them one at a time, but this is a matter of choosing a driver and whether he has free time.
4. They removed the tires and rearranged them according to the chosen scheme. We tighten the nuts in order - one against the other.
5. Lower the machine onto its four "support points". We tighten the nuts with a wrench until they stop diagonally according to the star principle.
It is done! Wheel swap completed! Have a good journey: no wand, no nail.
Many of us are constantly looking for ways to save money. And you don’t need to go far for this: one of them is to maintain your own car yourself. Plus, if you don't take good care of your car's tires, they will cost you dearly.
The easiest way to extend the life of your tires is to replace them regularly. Some car owners never do this, others turn to specialists. You can easily save your money by doing this work yourself. We'll tell you how.
Why change tires?
Front and rear tires wear differently. For example, the front tires carry more than 60% of your car's weight and therefore wear faster than the rear tires. In addition, cornering wears the front tires at different rates. When driving on the right, we tend to turn left faster than we turn right. This puts more stress on the right front tire, causing it to wear faster than the left. After driving thousands of miles, you will eventually find uneven tread wear.
Swapping tires equalizes this natural wear and tear. By doing this regularly, you will ensure a smoother and safer ride. And more importantly, you will save money in the long run because your tires will last longer. And in general, this is a truly masculine occupation, which should not be abandoned.
How often do tires need to be changed?
Check your vehicle's owner's manual. There you will surely find the recommended tire rotation pattern. Most manufacturers recommend changing tires every 5,000-10,000 km. Do this every time you change your engine oil, for example. So it's easier to remember.
Required Tools
- Car jack. The jack that came with your car may help, but it's not recommended for tire rotation. It is designed to raise the car for a short period of time and quickly change one wheel. It is safer to use a mobile hydraulic floor jack.
- Jack stand. You will need a tire stand to change tires. If you do not want to fork out, you can build a cinder block stand, for example. Just place a cinder block under the wheel and put a board on it so as not to scratch the bottom of the car I.
Permutation scheme
Before we start unscrewing the wheel nuts, we must determine according to which scheme we will rearrange the tires. How you rotate your tires depends on several factors, but what you should pay the most attention to is whether your vehicle has directional or non-directional tires.
These tires have a unidirectional tread pattern that is optimized for wheel rotation in a particular direction. The arrow and "ROTATION" inscription on the sidewall indicate the direction of rotation, and the installation of such tires on the wheel is made in accordance with these requirements.
To swap directional tires, simply swap front right and rear right tires, and front left and rear left. Like this:
Swapping non-directional tires. The tread pattern on non-directional tires allows you to install the tire in any way (either side), since it does not have a direction of rotation.
For rear wheel drive vehicles, move the front tires to opposite sides of the rear axle of the vehicle: the front left becomes rear right and the front right becomes rear left. The rear tires simply move forward without changing sides. Here's what it looks like:
Do the opposite on front wheel drive vehicles. Move the rear tires to opposite sides of the front axle, and put the front tires on the rear axle without changing sides:
Some older car manuals recommend using a spare tire to give one of the tires a break. But the problem is that the vast majority of today's spare tires are not designed for long drives. They are often smaller, lighter in construction and have shallower tread depth. Their main purpose is to help you get to the auto repair shop, where you will install the original tire.
However, some vehicles are still equipped with the appropriate full spare tires. This is usually the case with SUVs. If you have such a spare tire, then it will be a good idea to put it into operation from time to time. Here is a diagram for such a permutation:
How to change tires
- Put the car on the parking brake. Just for your own safety.
- Loosen nuts on all wheels. It is not necessary to remove them completely yet, but when the car is raised, it will be much easier to unscrew them.
- Raise one wheel with a jack and place a stand under it. If you have one or two stands, then you will first have to think in what sequence it would be better to lower and raise the car, and it will take more time. But, despite the extra effort, you still spend no more than 20 minutes on the job. You can put the car on all four stands. It's not the safest thing you can do, but it will definitely get the job done faster because you don't have to spend time moving the stands around.
- Remove the tires and rearrange them according to the diagram, depending on the type of tread. Tighten the nuts by hand and tight.
- Lower the car. Take a cross wrench for the wheels and tighten the nuts even tighter. It is best to tighten diagonally from one to the other (according to the principle of drawing a five-pointed star). This guarantees uniform tightening. If tightened unevenly, the brake disc may be deformed.
That's all. Remember to repeat this process from time to time.
What car are you the owner of? - Front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Do you understand the mechanisms of a car, do you understand what justifies its power and maneuverability on the road, especially during descents and ascents? Often, the operation of cars takes place on a whim, only a part of the owners with their vehicle on “you”. An experienced and attentive driver clearly understands which part needs to be replaced as planned, whether the rearrangement of wheels is relevant, which scheme is suitable for this. Not everyone, for example, can afford to allocate up to 20-30,000 rubles from the family budget for the purchase of a set of winter and summer tires twice a year. In order to save money, car owners are looking for acceptable ways out of the situation. And there may be several.
There may be several ways out of the situation, but let's pay attention to the simplest and most popular one - rearranging the wheels, the process scheme has never been complicated, and even more so, several variations are attributed to it. Choose virtually unlimited!
Service station employees recommend paying attention to the condition of the wheels, and if impressive numbers already appear on the dashboard indicating the mileage, and it is somewhere around 5,000-10,000 kilometers, then the wheel swap is shown, the scheme is selected at will. You should be extremely careful if you bought a used car from your hands, because then dashing craftsmen could twist the mileage indicators, hiding the true wear and tear of the mechanical “stuffing” of the car that was previously put up for sale. It is then worth being guided by the state of the tread pattern. We noticed the wear of the front or rear wheels, assessed them as a percentage and decided to rearrange the tires according to the scheme. The following reasons for rearranging wheels are determined:
- Uneven tire wear.
- The need to strengthen one or another pair of wheels, respectively, for front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive vehicles.
- The desire to extend the life of tires, improve their condition by changing the load level for a while.
- Unforeseen traffic situation, emergency repair work in the field.
What you need to change tires
There are tools in the trunk of any car, many of them will be useful for repair work. A rearrangement of wheels on a car is conceived, the scheme, as expected, is available, then the following tools will be needed:
Undertaking such a painstaking procedure on your own, try to enlist the support of friends or relatives. Undoubtedly, you need support, help. When repairing a car, there is always something to support, serve, smoke, get, move, substitute, and so on. The list of actions can be endless!
Wheel shift patterns
The wheels are being rearranged, the scheme is chosen for this in advance. All the positive aspects of the rotation are evaluated, and possible miscalculations are predicted. The main thing to consider is how to rotate in a front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive combination, whether it is worth introducing a spare wheel into the permutation, because it was always assigned a smaller load.
Scheme for front-wheel drive cars with a non-directional pattern
Scheme for rear-wheel drive cars
- Cruciform shift towards the rear axle.
- Cross shifting, starting from the drive axle, when the left front axle changes with the right rear axle, and also from the right front axle with the left rear axle.
Scheme for all-wheel drive vehicles
Changing wheels with a spare tire
If you introduce a spare wheel into rotation, you can achieve an increase in the wear threshold of the entire tire set by an average of 20%. But be vigilant and do not use a spare tire if it is in perfect condition, and four wheels are already bald. The reason - there is a difference in radii, it can cause damage to the transmission.
Changing wheels on a car, taking into account the spare wheel Thus, it is not difficult to rearrange the wheels, the main thing is to understand why this is necessary and how to perform this rotational procedure. Motorists claim that such routine actions will lead to a result - an increase in the life of tires.
