How to Rotate Tires at Home
- 1). Place the vehicle on a flat and hard surface, such as concrete or asphalt. Move the vehicle's transmission to the "Park" setting for automatic transmissions, or place the vehicle in first gear on manual transmissions. Engage the parking brake. Place one wheel chock in front of the front tire and the other behind the rear tire on the side of the car opposite the one you will be working on. This is to prevent the car from moving while you are working on it.
- 2). Loosen the lug nuts on both wheels on the side of the car you'll be working on, using the lug wrench. Don't take them off--just break them loose (1/2 turn), because when the wheel is in the air, the wheel will turn, making this difficult. Jack up the front of the vehicle using an automotive car jack or floor jack placed under the vehicle's frame, just behind the front tire. With the front tire off the ground, place a jack stand under the car's frame beside the jack to hold the car in the lifted position, and then lower the jack.
- 3). Jack the rear of the vehicle on the same side by placing the jack under the frame just in front of the rear tire. Raise the vehicle using the jack, and place another jack stand beside the jack near the rear tire. Remove the jack, leaving the vehicle's side suspended by the two jack stands. Make sure both tires are off the ground so you can remove them.
- 4). Remove the front tire's lug nuts with the lug wrench. Turn each lug nut counterclockwise to remove it. Place the lug nuts somewhere that they will not get dirt in their threads. Pull the wheel from the hub when you have removed all lug nuts. Place the wheel aside.
- 5). Remove the rear wheel. Switch the tires on that side of the vehicle, moving the original front tire to the rear, and the rear to the front. Re-install the lug nuts onto the wheels, and tighten them in a star pattern, to ensure that the wheels do not bind and are seated properly on the hubs. Snug them with the lug wrench as well as you can without the wheels turning.
- 6). Lift the front of the vehicle with the jack to remove the front jack stand. Remove the jack stand, and lower the vehicle to the ground. Remove the rear jack stand using the same method, until the vehicle is on the ground.
- 7). Tighten each lug nut again (again, in a star pattern) using the torque wrench. Follow the manufacturer's instructions regarding proper torque setting. According to Dick Pollard, the manager of Wilson Tire Company in Plymouth, New Hampshire, if you can't find the manufacturer's specifications, use 80 foot-pounds of torque on import cars, and 100 foot-pounds on American cars.
- 8). Repeat this process, step for step, on the other side of the vehicle.
- 9). According to Mr. Pollard, it is important to re-torque the lug nuts after 100 miles of driving.
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