Thompson’s Complete Guide to Tire Rotation Service

At Thompson Sales, you don’t need an appointment to have your car tires rotated. Just come by our Quick Lube between 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, and our technicians will rotate your tires.

Take a look at your comprehensive guide to Thompson’s tire rotation service.

Why do I need to rotate my car tires?

Over time, the treads on your tires become worn. This could happen more quickly due to road conditions, hard braking, uneven weight distribution in the car, and how often you drive. 

Rotating your tires helps them to wear more evenly. For example, if you notice the right-front tire wearing more than the other tires, rotating that right-front tire to the back will potentially cause it to wear less, while a back tire with more tread will start to wear in the right-front position.

How often should I rotate my tires?

7,500 miles or around every six months. Check your vehicle’s owner manual for the recommended time intervals for tire rotations and the rotation pattern.

How much does a tire rotation cost?

Tire rotations cost an average of $35 to $45.

What happens during a tire rotation?

A technician puts your vehicle on a hydraulic jack. Then the tech removes all of the tires from each wheel. Then the technician checks the air pressure in each tire to make sure they hold air properly. We will also look at the tread wear to see if your vehicle needs new tires. The tech will also look at the brakes while the tires are off to see if they are worn enough for replacement. Then the tire rotation expert moves the front tires to the back and vice-versa. 

If your vehicle has a tire pressure monitoring system, our technician will reset it for you. If you don’t reset that functionality, the sensor won’t determine when your tires have a pressure loss.

What is the pattern for moving tires during a tire rotation?

The pattern depends on the drive wheels of your vehicle.

Your vehicle’s owner manual will show the pattern of how to rotate tires. 

For front-wheel-drive cars, a technician may rotate the tires in a forward cross pattern, where the left-front tire goes to the left-rear position while the right-front goes to the right-rear position.

For rear-wheel-drive or AWD/4WD vehicles, a tire rotation technician may use a diagonal pattern. The left-rear tire goes to the right-front wheel, and the right-front tire goes to the left-rear wheel. The next tire rotation after this one may be the cross pattern to vary the tire rotation.

Why do we recommend regular tire rotations?

The outside of the tire, the side closest to you when you look at the tire on the car, receives more wear versus the middle or inside of the tire because the outside of the tire turns more than the inside. When a technician rotates the tires, they might turn the inside of the tire towards the outside to try to even out the wear.

The front tires might also wear more than the back ones due to braking or because those are the drive wheels that receive power from the engine. 

Why should you rotate your vehicle’s tires?

You could save money on purchasing new tires over the life of owning your vehicle. In general, tires last 50,000 miles or up to six years. Without regular tire rotations, your tires may not last that long due to uneven wear. Uneven wear might lead to tire blowouts, which could cause an accident and even more costly repairs to your car. Getting regular tire rotations is akin to an insurance policy against more expensive car repairs later.

What can tire rotation service prevent?

When a technician at Thompson Sales looks at your tires, they could discover the wear on the tire is too great for the tire to be safe. Bad wear on a tire could lead to longer braking distances, worse traction on slick roads, and a blowout. Any of these things can cause an accident.

While the tires are off, the technician also inspects the brakes on all four wheels. If we see the brakes need replacing, our team will recommend replacing them for the safety of your passengers and others on the road. 

What if I need new tires or brakes for my car?

Make an appointment with Thompson Sales, and we’ll fit you in when it’s convenient for you if you need new tires or brakes on your vehicle. We service all makes and models here in southeast Springfield. 

We offer a tire price match guarantee within 30 days of your purchase on the following brands:

• BFGoodrich
• Bridgestone
• Continental
• Dunlop
• Firestone
• General
• Goodyear
• Hankook
• Kelly
• Michelin
• Pirelli
• Uniroyal

Tire appointments may last up to an hour.

New brakes require more in-depth service. Depending on whether you need front or rear brakes or both for your vehicle, we might set aside two to three hours for new brakes and brake replacement. When we replace brakes, we highly recommend replacing brakes on both sets of brakes rather than just one wheel at a time.

What happens if you never rotate your tires?

If you never rotate your tires, they could develop uneven wear over time. Uneven wear creates a potentially unstable driving surface. That leads to unsafe driving conditions on the road, such as heat buildup, hydroplaning, poor traction on rain, snow, and ice, and an increased risk of blowouts and punctures while driving on the road.

What happens to my old tires?

Thompson Sales sends your old tires to a recycling center where the company turns rubber into mulch, fuel, and more items. Recycling tires keep this waste out of landfills and tire dumps, which can affect groundwater.

Why should I bring my vehicle to Thompson Sales for a tire rotation? 

Please stop by any time our quick lube is open for tire rotation service. We promise to get you in and out as soon as possible, depending on how many cars are ahead of yours. Contact us or call (417) 763-6811 for more information.