How to Perform Tire Rotation on a Car?
2 Answers
Here are the steps for performing tire rotation on a car: 1. First, park the car on a level and safe surface, turn on the hazard lights, and engage the handbrake. Once safety is confirmed, place a triangular warning sign at an appropriate distance behind the vehicle. 2. Retrieve the spare tire, tire wrench, and jack. 3. Begin by loosening the wheel nuts with a lug wrench. Then, position the jack under the chassis support and slowly raise the vehicle until the tire is slightly touching the ground. Remove the nuts in a crisscross pattern. 4. Raise the vehicle further with the jack until the tire is just off the ground, ensuring there is enough space to fit the properly inflated spare tire. Remove the old tire and install the spare tire. 5. After installing the tire, ensure the nuts are correctly positioned and tighten them in a crisscross pattern, but do not fully tighten them yet. Lower the wheel slowly with the jack before fully tightening the nuts.
I find rotating tires by myself quite easy. First, park on a level surface and engage the parking brake for safety. Generally, it should be done every 5,000 to 8,000 kilometers before excessive wear occurs. I usually follow the rotation pattern recommended in the owner's manual – for front-wheel drive cars, simply swap front and rear tires on the same side, while cross rotation suits 4WD vehicles better. With a jack and wrench ready, remember not to lift two wheels simultaneously to avoid vehicle slippage. When tightening lug nuts, follow the star pattern and avoid over-torquing to prevent bolt breakage. After rotation, check tire pressure maintains proper levels to prevent alignment issues or fuel waste. Regular rotation ensures even tread wear, extending tire life by years while preventing abnormal noises and dangerous blowouts. Once accustomed, the whole process takes just half an hour, saving considerable maintenance costs.
