Tyre rotation, balancing and wheel alignment

A tyre's life depends not only on its quality but also on how it is fitted to the car and on the car's settings. The same tyre can go beyond 50,000 km with regular maintenance, yet wear out in half that time on a poorly maintained car. In this guide we separate three maintenance jobs that are often confused with each other.

Tyre rotation

Rotation means swapping the positions of the tyres on the car in a set pattern.

Why is it needed?

Tyres wear differently at each corner of the car:

• On front-wheel-drive cars, the front tyres drive, steer and do most of the braking. That's why they wear much faster than the rears.
• On rear-wheel-drive cars, the rear tyres may wear faster because they drive the car.
• In corners, the outer tyres load the right and left sides differently.

Rotation evens out this difference and lets you replace all four tyres at the same time.

How often?

The general recommendation is to rotate every 8,000–10,000 km. A practical method is, when switching between summer and winter tyres, to fit each set on the opposite axle from the previous season.

When should it not be done?

• Cars with staggered sizes: If the front and rear tyre sizes differ, front and rear cannot be swapped.
• Directional tyres: Tyres with an arrow on the sidewall showing the direction of rotation are swapped on the same side (front to rear), not from right to left.

Balancing

Balancing is the process of making sure the weight is evenly distributed around the wheel's (wheel and tyre together) own axis. However precisely they are made, every tyre and wheel has small weight differences. A balancing machine measures this difference and small lead or zinc weights are stuck to specific points on the wheel.

Signs of imbalance

• Vibration in the steering wheel within a certain speed range (usually 80–120 km/h)
• Vibration in the seat or floor
• Wavy, uneven wear on the tyre tread

When is it done?

• Every time a new tyre is fitted (mandatory)
• When a tyre is removed from the wheel (repair, wheel change during rotation)
• When vibration is noticed
• When one of the weights falls off

Wheel alignment

Wheel alignment means setting the angles of the wheels relative to the road and to each other back to the factory values. Although it is often mentioned in the same breath as balancing, it has nothing to do with balancing.

The main angles adjusted:

• Toe (toe-in/toe-out): Whether the wheels point inwards or outwards when viewed from above
• Camber: Whether the wheels lean inwards or outwards when viewed from the front
• Caster: The tilt of the steering axis when viewed from the side (on most cars this is only checked)

Signs of incorrect alignment

• The car pulls to one side on a straight road
• The steering wheel isn't centred when driving straight
• Only the inner or outer edge of the tyres is wearing
• The tyres squeal in corners

When is it done?

• When new tyres are fitted (recommended)
• When front suspension parts (track rod ends, wishbones, shock absorbers) are replaced
• After hitting a kerb or a large pothole hard
• When any of the signs above appear
• Once a year as a check, even without symptoms

Quick summary

Having these three jobs done regularly is the cheapest way to extend tyre life. They also directly affect fuel consumption and driving safety.