How to Do a Tire Rotation Yourself

Rotating tires

Routine tire rotations are an essential part of vehicle maintenance for many reasons, including those impacting your safety on roads in Belleair and St. Petersburg. If your tires need rotating, review the following guide. We cover how to rotate tires at home so you get where you need to go instead of toiling over the rotation process. If you have any questions about how to do a tire rotation, please contact the service department at Lexus of Clearwater. Our dealership in Clearwater is also here if you would rather schedule professional tire rotation services. 

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Why is Tire Rotation Important for Your Vehicle?

Due to driving habits and road conditions, not all tires wear evenly. Thanks to the impact tires experience while turning, the outside edges of the front tires show greater wear while the rear wheels wear more evenly. This means if you leave your tires in place, over time they will wear down at different rates and you will have to replace them sooner. 

How Often Should You Rotate Your Tires?

Front- and rear-wheel drive vehicles generally need their tires rotated every 5,000-7,500 miles. All-wheel drive vehicles require more frequent changes at every 3,000-5,000 miles since all tires are actively engaged and that results in faster wear. As with any vehicle service, we always recommend checking your owner’s manual for more specific recommendations. 

Learn More About the Importance of Tire Position

  • FWD Tires: You can move the front tires to the back of the car in the same left/right positions. When it comes time to move the rear tires to the front, you must switch the right and left tires.
  • RWD Tires: The opposite is true with RWD vehicles. The rear tires can be moved to the front of the car in the same left/right positions, but when you move the front tires to the rear, you need to switch the left and right tires.

How to Rotate Your Tires at Home

If you want to attempt rotating your tires, you will need a car jack, lug nut wrench, and a set of car jack stands. Once you have acquired the necessary tools, follow these six easy steps:

 

  1. Engage your parking brake as a safety precaution.
  2. Loosen the lug nuts on all four wheels, but don’t take them all the way off. This step makes unscrewing them when the tire is elevated much easier.
  3. Lift one wheel with a car jack and place the jack stand underneath it.
  4. Remove the tires one by one.
  5. Take this time to make sure your tires are filled to the optimal tire pressure. Once filled, you can rotate them according to the appropriate pattern for your type of vehicle. Place the tire back onto the wheel mount and screw the lug nuts on by hand as far as you can.
  6. Lower the car from the jack stands and use the lug wrench to finish tightening the nuts. It’s best to work the lug nuts diagonally from one to another in a star pattern to ensure even tightening. If the lug nuts aren’t tightened evenly it can cause the brake rotor to warp.

Get Your Tires Rotated at Lexus of Clearwater 

Now that you know how to do a tire rotation, do you have any questions for our service team? Would you prefer to schedule tire rotation services at our dealership near Palm Harbor? Call 844-745-1735 or contact us online today to make your appointment. For more helpful maintenance information, review our guides on how to be more fuel-efficient and how to jump-start your car.