Rotating Tires

Go check what your owners manual says about tire rotation. Some cars have wider or bigger tires on the back, some car are AWD, some cars have radial tires.
 
That kit *seems* decent. Do you have a Sears or Sam's close to where you live? They both have great products at good prices, especially this time of year.



In addition to using the torque wrench which is a very good idea to do, don't forget to re-torque them after 1,000 miles. Sometimes they loosen up a tiny bit.
 
Definitely use a torque wrench for the final tightening.

And check to see if all 4 tires are the same size, and if the tires are directional.

If you have high-performance (usually directional tread) tires, you can only move the tires front to back, instead of the traditional criss-cross pattern.
 
If your car has low ground clearance (do you worry about scraping on speed bumps?) I would suggest buying your jack from someplace where you can return/exchange it easily if it doesn't fit.



Many (most?) floor jacks are either too tall at the jacking pad or have bodies that are too tall and interfere when trying to reach the jacking points on some very low cars. Some guys even use ramps just to be able get a jack under their cars.





PC.
 
Can you borrow a torque wrench from autozone? Also, might be good to get them balanced and check for unusual wear incase you need alignment. I wash and wax the insides too.
 
JM19 said:
Using the torque wrench seems like a wise option. I have one lying around the garage, so I should definitely put it to good use.



I was also thinking of purchasing this kit to help me out:



http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0001408RU/ref=pd_sxp_elt_l1/103-9496202-7985424



Does anyone have experience with it or know if it is a good kit?



Thanks to all so far for the input. :xyxthumbs
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If you have a heavier vehicle you'll need some stands and a jack that have more meat to them. My truck weighs 3 tons and those sissy jacks don't cut it, but they would be fine for most cars.
 
The only comment I would add here is to be careful where you choose your jack points! You can cause a lot of damage or injury to yourself if you don't jack the car properly.



1. Always use jack stands! A lift isn't meant to support the weight of the car while you are removing a tire.



2. Use wheel chucks.



3. Torque wrench. Just get it calibrated every once in a while as cheaper one's tend to drift quite a bit. Make sure after each use to unload the tension.



4. Inspect the tires for the wear pattern. Rotating too often can mean you don't get a chance to see if you have a toe in problem, under or over inflation going on etc. as all of the tires end up wearing exactly the same. Personally, I go yearly with tire changes with about 15,000 KM / year.



5. Depending if you plan on doing all 4 at once, it's a good idea to mark the back of tire with some chalk etc. with the location it was on. That way, you won't mix up the rotation pattern should you get confused with which wheel went where.



6. Overtightening can be a serious issue. If you ever get a flat and need to change the tire quick. The last thin you need to fight 4 or 5 nuts (Murphy's law's means you'll probably be in the rain or snow to boot!). 2x now I've had it happen in the rain and let me tell you... I freaking curse the garage for overtighting with their air guns. It can also be a safety issue as you can end up hurting yourself when you try getting them off.



Paco
 
What they said :xyxthumbs



The "which way to rotate" depends on whether the tires are directional/same size or not (sometimes you *can't* rotate) and the drive type (front/rear/all wheel drive). Check the tires for the former and the manual for the latter. If you don't have a manual check with a (competent) dealership's service dept.
 
I rotate them every three thousand miles and find I get better wear that way. Also if you want to avoid a jack stand you can use your spare as you move front to rear and vice versa.
 
Thanks to everyone for the information!



I just ordered a service manual for my vehicle and my garage kit, so I think I should be in good shape.





:up
 
what kind of car is it that your rotating the tires on? That kit on amazon looked pretty good for a home setup. Can't beat the price for all that's included. I know it's good to rotate the tires and make sure you torque em going back on, but remember what everyone is saying and look at the sidewall of your tires to see it they are directional. They will have an arrow saying rotation this way if they are directional, or like mine they have an inboard side and outside but can roll any direction. Also on mine I can't rotate front to back because of size differences.
 
gto78 said:
what kind of car is it that your rotating the tires on? That kit on amazon looked pretty good for a home setup. Can't beat the price for all that's included. I know it's good to rotate the tires and make sure you torque em going back on, but remember what everyone is saying and look at the sidewall of your tires to see it they are directional. They will have an arrow saying rotation this way if they are directional, or like mine they have an inboard side and outside but can roll any direction. Also on mine I can't rotate front to back because of size differences.
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The vehicle I am working on is a Mitsubishi Eclipse. I ordered the kit from Amazon for simplicity, as this will be the only car I am working on and I don't require anything heavy duty.



My plan is to rotate the tires from front to back only. It seems from the online tech articles I have read that this is the preferred method for most applications. My tires are the same size all around, so I should not encounter any problems.



I would like to thank everyone again for their help! I'm somewhat of a noob when it comes to the mechanical parts of my car, but slowly I am learning. Once again, thanks for making what should be a good experience.
 
Did I overlook a post that discussed balancing the tires each time you rotate them? I would definitely rotate and inspect the tires for damage, nails, etc, as well as tread wear pattern, check the tire pressure cold to your own specs, clean the tires and rims (easier off the car) balance them, and then reinstall them. A torque wrench is nice, but you can get a good feel tightening each lug bold or nut yourself to the old German "gootentight" if you don't have a torque wrendh. Be sure to tighten the bolts in an across the hub pattern to help avoid warping of the rotors.
 
sounds like it will work out great. I personally don't like to change the direction of the tires once they're on the car, I like them to rotate one direction until you replace em. It just keeps the cords pulled into the same direction and less likely to have a bad cord in the future. It's kind of like taking a wire wheel from a benchgrinder and turning it around and reinstalling it. Now all the bristles are bent the other way, and when you turn it on they all have to bend the new direction, and a lot of them fly off and stick into your shirt, or EYE. Similar comparison to me.
 
I rotate mine when tread depth is 1/32" difference front to rear.

A tread depth gauge is very inexpensive item and great for checking for alignment problems also.

I am on my 3rd set of tires and have yet to have my cars alignment touched.

the 1st two sets have worn evenly across, so there is no need for alignment. (If it isn't broke don't mess with it!!!)

Here's a link to what I am talking about........

http://automotive.aubuchonhardware.com/tires_and_wheels/tire_gauges/tread_depth_gauge-570858.asp



They can be purchased at most auto parts stores for less than $4

Camel and Milton are 2 good brands.



I1:)
 
Pondscum said:
If you have a heavier vehicle you'll need some stands and a jack that have more meat to them. My truck weighs 3 tons and those sissy jacks don't cut it, but they would be fine for most cars.
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I have never understood why they label the jacks as "2 tons". You would think that the jack itself can lift 2 tons. Well, if you are only lifting the vehicle in one of the 4 tires, it means than those 2 tons are distributed between the 4 tires. A BMW would be 50/50 front and rear, but more mundane cars are like 60 / 40. That means that of those 2 tons, 1.2 are on the front. Thinking that the 2 fornt tires support even weight, this means each tire supports 0.6 tons...... So even for a 4 tons porker at 60 / 40, a 2 tons jack would be fine..... Shouldn't it?
 
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