Modern tires are the strongest that cars have ever had. They are reinforced with steel bands supported by thick polyester for extra support. Despite their strength, they are made of rubber, and rubber will wear when it’s in contact with hard surfaces. To prevent excessive wear, your tires need to be rotated regularly. As your Nissan dealer, we will rotate your tires for you. The time between each tire rotation depends on your car’s drivetrain.
Are You Due for a Tire Rotation at Your Nissan Dealer?
Front-Wheel Drive (FWD)
An FWD car has the drivetrain near the front of your car. This places a great strain on the front tires, as the front of your car bears 60% of your car’s weight. The front tires are also exposed to extra wear as they take the most strain when you apply your brakes. On average, an FWD car should have its tires rotated every 5,000 to 7,000 miles. The exact rotation time depends on driving conditions, weather, and driving habits.
When we rotate your FWD tires, the front tires move to the back on the same side they were on. The rear tires move to the front, but they cross over to the opposite sides.
Rear Wheel Drive (RWD)
An RWD car has the drivetrain moved to the center of your car. This reduces the weight on your front tires but places extra weight on your rear tires. Your rear tires also take more strain than the front tires as they take the main stress when you hit the brakes. An RWD car should also have its tires rotated, on average, every 5,000 to 7,000 miles. Again, weather, driving habits, and driving conditions all play a role.
Your RWD tires are rotated in a mirror image of the FWD tires. The rear tires will move to the front but remain on the same side. The front tires will move to the rear, but they will cross over the opposite sides.
All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
An AWD drivetrain is different from both FWD and RWD drivetrains as power is supplied to each wheel concurrently. This means that the tires will wear out much faster than the tires on other drivetrains. It also means that the wear pattern will be different. AWD tires need to be replaced, on average, every 3,000 to 5,000 miles.
When we rotate an AWD’s tires, the front tires move to the rear and cross over to opposite sides. The rear tires will move to the front and will also cross over to opposite sides. It’s easy to visualize this as a diagonal cross. This movement spreads the wear more evenly across all of your tires.
Your tires need to be rotated regularly to spread the wear and tear. If tires are not rotated, the worn sections will continue to wear until you get a puncture or they blow out. If you’re not sure when your tires were last rotated, call our service department at Lupient Nissan.
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