Ensuring the health of your car’s wheels and tyres is not just about prolonging their lifespan – it’s about maintaining safety and performance on the road. Combined with your brakes, a tyre plays one of the most essential roles of determining how fast your vehicle can stop in the case of an accident.
Your wheels and tyres face challenges every day in the form of poor weather conditions, potholes and uneven road surfaces. Regular maintenance is crucial to help these risks stay minimal and help your ride be a little bit smoother.
However for many people, understanding the difference between different tyre maintenance processes can be confusing. From wheel alignment to tyre rotation, we’re here to help you understand so you can drive with confidence.
What is the difference between tyre rotation, wheel alignment and tracking?
Tyre rotation
First up, tyre rotation.
Tyre rotation involves swapping the position of a car’s tyres from front to back, or side to side. The aim of this is to ensure all your tyres get regular wear to extend their lifespan.
Your tyres that are on the drive axle naturally wear down quickest – and for most people, these will be the front tyres. Unless you have a rear wheel drive, it’s often best to move the rear wheels to the front, but your mechanic will know best.
Rotation is ideally needed every 8,000-10,000 km – for some people, this might line up with your cars service.
Wheel alignment
Wheel alignment is often confused with tracking, and they’re incredibly similar.
It involves a mechanical adjustment of your suspension, to try and influence the direction and angle of the tyres. The optimal alignment can be different depending on the make and model of your vehicle.
When your tyres aren’t aligned, it can cause uneven tyre wear, poor fuel consumption and reduced handling.
Tracking
Tracking is incredibly similar to alignment but specifically refers to making sure wheels are parallel to each other – it’s almost part of whole wheel alignment process.
It also often refers to the front wheels, whereas alignment involves all four wheels.
Bad tracking can be easily caused by hitting potholes or kerbs, which puts your wheels out of alignment.
What are some signs your tyres need looking at?
Tyres that are in need of maintenance will show signs in your cars performance. The signs can also differ depending on if your tyres need rotating, aligning or replacing completely.
Here are some of the most common signs to look out for:
- New vibrations
- Bulges or blisters on your tyre
- Strange noises coming from the tyre/wheel
- Uneven wear
If you notice any of these signs, or you feel something isn’t quite right, contact your local garage as soon as possible. Ignoring issues will only make them worse (and more costly) in the long run.
How do I know when my tyres need replacing?
Sometimes, tyre rotation or wheel alignment won’t be sufficient to fix any issues you’re experiencing.
If your tyres are too worn out, or there’s damage such as a puncture or a crack, you’ll need a brand new tyre. If you leave this unfixed, you could experience a tyre failure whilst driving which is not only inconvenient but also dangerous.
Damage isn’t the only reason to replace tyres, however. Although there’s no definite lifespan of a tyre, it’s recommended you replace them after the 5-year mark.
Make sure to not be tempted to run your tyre down to the minimum tread depth before replacing. The legal limit is 1.6mm, but you’ll begin to lose grip before you reach this point. If you’re unsure if your tyres are near this limit, try the 20p test.
Not taking proper care of your tyres and neglecting the recommended maintenance risk putting yourself and your passengers in danger.
If you’re based in and around Northamptonshire, get in touch so we can help you diagnose the issue.
