Tire rotation cost is far less than you might think. A simple procedure that can be done at home, shops tend not to charge much of a premium for the process. Sadly, though, many individuals ignore the benefits of having the simple process undertaken, thus costing them far more money in the long run. If you want to get more out of your tires, you should consider having your tires rotated on a regular schedule.
Why Rotate Your Tires?
Tire rotation is one of those basic bits of vehicle maintenance that many drivers seem to let fall to the wayside. It is, in its own way, actually a simple process. Back tires are moved to the front, and the front tires are moved to the rear. When the rear tires wear out, they are replaced and those with a bit less wear are then moved to the front.
This helps to increase the overall life of your vehicle’s tires, and thus allows you to drive longer without actually having to buy a full set of tires. For those with a front-wheel drive vehicle, this can be a process that saves hundreds of dollars every year, to say nothing of the accidents that are prevented by simply having tires with enough tread on the road.
Unfortunately, the process is also a bit time consuming for those that refuse to go to a shop, thus preventing many individuals from actually getting it done. The entire procedure can actually be done in a few minutes by those with the right tools, and a good shop can have you in and out in just a few minutes if you are willing to pay the price.
How Much Does it Cost?
Tire rotation has a fairly odd set of associated costs, and it is somewhat difficult to ascertain an average cost due to the sheer number of shops that offer the service. Some very large shops may charge as little as two dollars and fifty cents per tire rotated, while others might charge thirty dollars for the service.
Of course, these prices do not present a full picture of the actual services rendered – some less expensive shops will own rotate the tires, while some more expensive shops might also balance the wheels or provide a front-end alignment as part of the service package. It is far more common, in fact, the see tire rotation offered as part of a larger tire maintenance package than it is on its own.
Some shops will include tire rotation for free as part of buying a pair of new tires, while others will consider it part and parcel of the process of aligning the front end of the vehicle. When judging prices for yourself, it is always important to make sure that you get the most for your money.
Lowering the Price
There is always a way to lower your tire rotation cost, as long as you are willing to put in the effort to search for the best deals. One of the most effective ways to get your tires rotated for far below the regular cost is to look for it in a bundled service. Some shops will offer to rotate your tires for free if coupled with a more expensive maintenance service. Some shops will even do it for free with minor service packages like an oil and filter change, though this is becoming far less common than it once may have been. Another good way to get your tires rotated for a lower cost is to look for a coupon in the newspaper or online.
Most of these coupons will not cut down the cost of a rotation by itself, but may offer a free rotation as an incentive to have a more expensive service done to your vehicle. There are, however, rare coupons that will allow you to have your tires rotated for free, and those coupons should be used as quickly as possible. They often have very short expiration times, so make sure you know when and if your coupon is valid.
If you want to get more out of your tires and stay safe on the road at the same time, you should make sure to get your tires rotated on a fairly regular basis. The process is easy enough to do at home, but shops can often offer more services at a lower price than you might think. With a cost less than that of most oil changes, the tire rotation cost is simply worth the money spent.