How to Rotate Tires

Rotating your spare tire into active use gives another one a well-deserved break. Use this technique to provide slightly longer life and more even wear to all of your tires.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Car Jacks
• Spare Tires
• Tires
• 4 Jack Stands
• Lug Wrenches

1. Take out the spare, unless it's a small, temporary spare not meant for high speed or long travel. (You can't use that kind as a regular tire.)

2. Jack up the car on 4 jack stands.

3. Remove the front and rear tires on the right side of the car.

4. Put the back tire on the front, and the spare on the rear. The old front tire becomes the new spare. If the spare is unusable in the long term, just switch the front and back tires.

5. Remove the front and back tires on the left side.

6. Put the back tire on the front and the front tire on the back.

7. Lower the car off the jack stands 1 wheel at a time.

Tips & Warnings

• These directions are for radial tires. Older bias tires must be rotated differently. Consult a mechanic.
• If you don't have a usable spare, just switch the front and back tires on both sides.
• It's unsafe to get under a car that's supported only by a jack. Use jack stands to support the car if it will be off the ground for any period of time or if you plan to get underneath it.

Who Can Help Sponsored

[brita1n]

on 3/13/2008 You forgot to mention loosening the lug nuts before jacking up the vehicle... You’re likely to tip the car off its jacks if you try to loosen them while raised.

[dolgofft]

on 12/19/2007 There is a better rotation pattern to get the most life out of your tires. Spare gets moved to right rear, right rear to right front, right front to left rear, left rear to left front, left front to spare tire position. If you follow this pattern every time you rotate your tires, then each individual tire will have occupied each position once, and on the 5th rotation, all of the tires will be back in their original positions.

[foxylady]

on 9/28/2007 this article is correct it is very helpful im very impressed on how they have step by step intrution im a auto mechanic at ohio hi-point and we do it alot

on 3/29/2006 Jack stands are stationary stands that you use a jack to lift the chassis onto. Jacks are devices that jack up a chassis.

on 3/8/2006 For non-directional tires you bring the back tires straight to the front, but when you bring the front tires back you swap the left and right sides. You get more even wear from flipping the tires 180 degrees. For directional tires follow eHow's instructions. Flipping them 180 degrees would point them in the wrong direction. That's why some owner's manuals are different. If you put directional tires on a car that came with non-directional tires, don't follow the owner's manual!