There are many services you need to stay on top of to keep your tires in tip-top shape, and tire rotation is probably one of the most common.
Therefore, if you have a car, it’s essential that you rotate your tires, so you should plan enough time out of your day to rotate your tires. But how long does tire rotation take? If you’d like to find out, keep reading!
How Long Does It Take To Rotate Tires?
You can expect to take about 15 minutes to rotate your tires if that’s the only service you’re performing. However, other services can take up to an hour, and because you usually get other services done on top of rotating your tires, you have to account for all those services when blocking out time for a rotation.
For more information on how long rotating tires take when combined with other services, keep reading this article for useful facts and tips!
How Long Does a Tire Rotation and Alignment Take?
Usually, a wheel alignment by itself should take about one hour. It doesn’t matter what car you have, though the experience of the person doing the service does matter, as some very experienced tire service members may be able to get the change done even sooner.
However, if damage has been done to any of the components, then changing them will take a longer amount of time. However, a tire rotation will usually take 15 minutes, especially if the person doing the service is skilled.
Therefore, when you combine both of these options together, you’ll likely only need about an hour to have your services completed.
How Much Does A Tire Rotation Cost?
For a tire rotation, you can expect to pay somewhere between $10 to $20 a tire. Therefore, the average rotation costs somewhere between $40 to $80.
However, note that this charge only includes labor, meaning you don’t have to worry about purchasing any parts, since you’re just using the same tires as before.
Note, though, that this cost can differ a lot between shops. Some may charge an expensive fee, while others may charge hardly anything. Therefore, you should shop around if you’re looking for a good price.
Is It Really Necessary to Rotate Tires?
You technically don’t have to rotate tires, however, they will develop serious uneven wear, which will make them last much less time. Therefore, if you want to avoid buying extra tires, you should rotate them regularly.
This service only costs a very small amount, while tires cost a lot. Therefore, you can expect rotating your tires to save you quite a bit of money.
Note that when you rotate the tires around your car, different parts of the tire will contact the road, meaning different parts will get worn down.
In other words, rotating your tires rotates the spots that get the most wear. Over time, this will make the whole tire wear the same amount. Without any part of the tire wearing down faster than others, your tire will last longer over time.
What Happens if You Never Rotate Tires?
If you never rotate tires, you’ll simply have to deal with uneven wear. Usually, this isn’t a huge issue. However, you will end up needing new tires sooner. After all, the same part of the tire will continuously take the brunt of driving.
Over time, this will make your tire’s tread wear down below the legal limit faster in these areas. Therefore, you will need new tires sooner, meaning you’ll likely end up purchasing new tires more often.
Overall, this will often cost more money over time, so while paying for a rotation may seem a bit unnecessary, it will save you a bit of money over time.
How Long Can You Go Without Tire Rotation?
You should preferably rotate your tires every six months or so. Otherwise, you may end up with uneven wear that can cause other problems and lead to needing new tires sooner rather than later.
Of course, you can’t rotate your tires too much, as the more you rotate them, the more likely you are to evenly wear down your tires.
How Do You Know If Your Tires Need to be Rotated?
If your tires are unevenly worn, you’ll likely need to get a tire rotation. Furthermore, vibration may be caused by tire rotation issues, so if you feel vibrations, you may notice issues. Additionally, sudden pressure loss may also be caused by tire rotation issues.
To learn more, you can see our related posts on how much it costs to rotate tires, when to know to rotate your tires, and bad wheel hub symptoms.
Conclusion
Rotating tires requires about 15 minutes, though that isn’t counting other services involved in rotating tires, such as balancing tires, which often takes an hour