Most experienced drivers know that the wheels should be regularly rotated, but there are many novice drivers who are not very familiar with it. If not prompted to do so, they will never know what to do with this project. The main purpose of wheel rotation is to make the four tires wear more evenly, avoid inconsistent wear and tear that may worsen the vehicle's handling and braking limits, and also extend the service life of the tires. Replacement is a maintenance item required by the manufacturer, which is clearly stated in the maintenance manual, so do not ignore this item.

The tire wear rate varies at each position, with the front wheels of a front wheel drive car being much faster than the rear wheels. Because the front wheel is the driving wheel, it always has to withstand greater friction during driving. When braking, the front wheel also needs to withstand greater friction, while the rear wheel only needs to roll along, resulting in relatively less friction with the ground and less friction when braking. Therefore, the wear of the rear wheels is very slow, and it is necessary to regularly replace the tires to ensure even wear. So how often should it be done? Do we need to perform dynamic balance when changing positions?

Four wheel rotation is usually done every 20000 kilometers. The method of rotation is to cross the rear wheels to the front wheels and move the front wheels parallel to the rear wheels. After four rounds of rotation, each tire has been used in all four positions on the wheel, and the wear of each tire will be almost the same. The lifespan of a tire is about 100000 kilometers, which means that before the tire reaches its lifespan, each tire can complete a complete cycle, and all four tires can be replaced at the same time.

When changing positions at a 4S dealership, it is generally required to perform dynamic balancing, regardless of whether there is any imbalance in the car. In fact, doing dynamic balancing is to ensure the quality of maintenance, in case there is no problem with the car before shifting, and there is high-speed steering wheel shaking after shifting. From the perspective of the car owner themselves, we don't need to perform dynamic balancing every time we change positions. There is no imbalance in the wheels, and doing so is also a waste of money. How do I know if there is any imbalance in the wheels? You can test it by driving at high speed, and the speed usually needs to reach around 100. If the steering wheel shakes, it indicates that the front wheels are unbalanced. If the body of the car shakes, it indicates that the rear wheels are unbalanced. In contrast, front wheel imbalance is more easily felt. So whether the wheels are balanced or not can be known by oneself after running at high speeds. If there is no imbalance, there is no need to balance during rotation. If there is imbalance, balance needs to be done during rotation. In fact, if there is shaking caused by shifting without balancing, it is not too late to perform dynamic balancing alone.

One more thing to pay attention to when changing positions is that if the tire is damaged and has been repaired more than twice, it should not be placed on the front wheel. Only the rear wheel can be changed, and the other three wheels can be changed again. This kind of rotation is not ideal, either increasing the frequency of rotation or uneven tire wear may occur. However, due to tire damage, once a tire bursts, the harm to the front wheel is greater than that to the rear wheel, so for safety reasons, it is better to wear unevenly.

From: WONDEE Autoparts

2024-3-4