Tire rotation? But they do that on their own! Or so the old joke goes. But there are very good reasons to perform this operation regularly.
“Rotation†in this sense refers to moving each tire from one wheel to another. This should be done every 5,000 miles or so (check your owner’s manual), and its primary purpose is to spread wear evenly over all of them.
Furthermore, rotation helps keep the tread even on each wheel to ensure that traction is consistent and assist your braking for safer stops. This is doubly important for brand new tires that must be broken in because fresh rubber is especially susceptible to irregular abrasion.
And if you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, tire rotation helps with the upkeep of the drivetrain. Not only does that lower servicing costs, but it protects the system’s delicate components, too.