Although you may not think about them very often, your tires are one of the most critical parts of your vehicle. They’re the only part of your car that makes contact with the road, so it’s important to keep them in good condition. Two of the best ways to do this are wheel alignments and tire rotations. Both of these essential services help maximize tire life and safety—and help you save money. Here’s what you need to know about how each service works and when you should get them done. 

What’s a Wheel Alignment?

Wheel alignments involve adjusting the angles of your steering and suspension components back to factory specifications. Ideally, all four wheels should be parallel to each other, pointing straight, and perpendicular to the ground. This keeps your vehicle tracking straight while you’re driving on the road and helps prevent excessive wear on your tires. 

Wheels can become misaligned over time simply by driving around town. Uneven surfaces, bumps, potholes, and other road conditions can throw off your alignment—as well as hard impacts like hitting a curb or getting into an accident. If only one wheel is out of alignment, it will pull against the other tires. This causes your tires to wear down more quickly and hurts fuel economy. 

Some common signs you might need a wheel alignment include:

It’s also a good idea to get an alignment performed when you:

Your owner’s manual will have recommendations for how often you should have your alignment checked—or feel free to ask your service advisor. Generally, it’s around every 6,000 miles, but service intervals can vary based on your vehicle, typical driving conditions, and tire type. 

What’s a Tire Rotation?

Tire rotations are designed to keep your tires wearing evenly. Depending on the type of drivetrain you have, some of your tires may experience wear faster than the others. For example, if you have a front-wheel drive (FWD) vehicle, the force of the engine is distributed to the front two wheels. This causes greater friction and causes the tread on the front tires to wear down faster than it does on the rear wheels. 

Even tread wear helps keep the tread depth uniform, which aids safety, traction, and handling. Tire rotations are particularly important for all-wheel drive (AWD) vehicles because evenly-worn tires reduce stress and wear on the drivetrain. 

During a tire rotation, we swap the front wheels for the back wheels (and vice-versa), so the wear is more evenly distributed and your tires last longer. Some common signs you need a tire rotation include:

Tires should be rotated about every 5,000 to 8,000 miles. It’s especially important to rotate new tires by 5,000 miles because new tread is more likely to wear unevenly. 

Keep Your Tires Maintained at Johnny’s Auto Service

One of the easiest ways to remember the differences between wheel alignments and tire rotations is to think about when they should be performed. Tire rotations are a type of preventive maintenance that can be easily scheduled at every oil change. Wheel alignments typically only need to be done if you’re changing things with the suspension system (including replacing your tires), your car has had a hard impact, your wheels are wearing unevenly, or you notice your car isn’t handling as it should. 

Both services are very important for your safety and the longevity of your tires. By having them performed on a regular basis, you can avoid the costs of premature tire replacement and some repairs. If you’re due for a tire rotation or wheel alignment—or you have questions about service intervals—Johnny’s Auto Service is here to help! Our ASE-Certified Master Technicians are happy to inspect your vehicle and give you recommendations on the best course of action. Contact us today at (626) 966-5212 or book an appointment online. 

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