Is A Weird Noise After Tire Rotation Bad?
Have you noticed your car wheels making a strange noise after being rotated? Does it increase and decrease according to speed? This can be alarming, but relax! It’s not a big deal!
I’ve put together this quick guide to help explain the problem and recommend the best options for minimizing the tires noise after rotation, and hopefully, they can help fix it!
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Why Do You Hear Noise On Your Tires After Rotation?
Often, especially if they’ve remained in the same position for a long time, our car tires develop what are known as ‘wear patterns’ that correspond to their use.
So for example, if a tire is facing one direction at the back right position in your car, the bits of tread which touch the road most in that position will get worn down the most.
This is why regular tire rotation is so important. So congratulations, you’ve done the right thing by getting them rotated!
Wear Patterns And Uneven Contact
The problem comes when a tire which has developed this particular ‘wear pattern’ is suddenly moved to a different position, where different parts of tread are touching the road most often.
Specifically, the angle at which the tread blocks touch, the pavement changes and so leads to uneven contact. This sudden change is what generates the unusual noise.
Fortunately, this is not dangerous at all, and the tires noise after rotation will fade in time as the wear patterns on the tires readjust– usually after about another thousand miles.
What Can You Do To Fix Tires Noise After Rotation?
However, it can be pretty annoying, and there are a few things you can do in the short term to minimize the problem. Moreover, for some people these may be the only options as if you’ve left it very long between rotations, the wear patterns may actually be set.
Get New Tires
The first and most drastic option is simply to get new tires. You can check out Westlake tires review for a help on getting a new tire. These will obviously not have any wear patterns, and so the noise will immediately go away.
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If you do decide to purchase new tires, it makes sense to think about non-directional ones so that they can actually be fully rotated, making it easier to prevent such a problem from developing again.
To truly prevent the tires noise after rotation it’s crucial to set a rotation schedule and stick to it! Generally speaking, tires should be rotated every six months or six to eight thousand miles.
Have Your Car Aligned Properly
Another possible contributor to the problem which can be fixed is poor alignment. If your car is not properly aligned, the weight will be distributed unevenly across the tires, leading to more varied wear patterns and hence more tires noise after rotation.
Car alignment can be affected by accidents, but also other factors as well. If you’ve hit anything or been hit recently, you should probably make sure your alignment is in order, but this should also be part of your routine car maintenance as well.
One thing to bear in mind is that a full four wheel alignment takes special equipment which many smaller dealers and repair shops do not have. If your usual shop cannot do full alignments, then ask for a recommendation of a larger one that can.
Road Force Balancing
Something else to try is what’s known as “road force balancing” – this measures the way both the treads and the rim of your tires have been affected by the pressure put on them up to this point and then readjusts them to ensure that they are consistent and stable.
Like the alignment, this can only be done by some shops, so you may need to look around before finding the right place. As always, seeking competent professionals to work with is critical in auto repairs so make sure you trust whoever you get.
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Check The Tires Yourself
If you feel confident and want to get a sense of which of these problems is the core without spending the money to have a consultation done at a repair shop, you can take a look at the tires yourself. Run your hands along the treads, inside, middle, and outside, to see if you can notice any patterns or irregularities.
If the tires are simply worn down, there’s not much you can do beyond either getting new tires or waiting for the new positions to wear the irregularities down.
If the rim is bent, or you can’t notice problems with the tire treads themselves, then the problem may be one of the other issues mentioned above, and you should take the car in to be looked at by a professional.
Bottom Line
I hope this has been helpful! If you’re experiencing tires noise after rotation, remember these things: it’s not actually dangerous.
The uneven wear patterns probably caused the problem and to solve it you can get new (preferably non-directional) tires, wait for the uneven patterns to be worn away, or if there is a problem with the alignment, get it sorted by a professional mechanic.
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If you don’t want to hear tires noise after rotation next time, then be sure to rotate your tires regularly!
If you have any other tips or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below!, Thanks
