How to Rotate Dual Truck Tires

Dual truck tires use a different rotation pattern.

Regular tire rotation is important to ensure even tire wear and proper truck handling. A truck with dual rear tires presents some different problems and solutions compared with the regular tire rotation of a four-tire vehicle. Before rotating the tires on a dual-tire truck, inspect the tires for uneven wear. The tire wear pattern will determine which rotation pattern you should use.

Things You'll Need

• Jack stands
• Heavy-duty jack
• Lug wrench
• Torque wrench

Instructions

Even Tire Wear

1. Jack up the front axle, putting the jack in the center of the axle, and place two jack stands under the axle to support the front of the truck.

2. Jack up the rear axle and place the other two jack stands under the axle. All six tires should be off the ground.

3. Loosen and remove the lug nuts at all four wheel positions, using a lug wrench or compressed-air impact wrench. Set the lug nuts aside. A single set of lug nuts will hold the rear dual tires.

4. Remove all the wheels and tires from the hubs, and note the starting position of each tire.

5. Reinstall the outside dual tires to the inside position on the same side.

6. Install the wheels and tires from the inside dual position to the front axle, same side.

7. Reinstall the remaining, former front wheels and tires to the outside dual positions, same side.

8. Tighten all the lug nuts to the proper torque as specified in the truck owner's manual, using a torque wrench.

Uneven Rear Tire Wear

1. Jack up and install jack stands on the rear axle only.

2. Remove all four rear tires and wheels.

3. Reinstall the outside wheels and tires to the inner position and the former inner wheels to the outer position.

Uneven Front Tire Wear

1. Follow the steps above to jack up the truck and install jack stands.

2. Remove only the front wheels and tires and outside dual wheels and tires.

3. Reinstall the outer dual wheels to the front axle and the former front wheels to the outer dual positions, same side.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are using a lug wrench, loosen the lug nuts slightly before jacking up the truck. This will avoid the dangerous result of pushing the truck off the jack stands when you are trying to loosen the lug nuts.

• Factory dual wheels are reversible, so you can mount them on the truck in either direction, depending on the location.

• Drive the truck for about 60 miles, then re-torque the lug nuts. The lug nuts will have loosened up after being removed and reinstalled.

• Dual truck tire rotation keeps the tires on the same side of the truck. So you can accomplish rotation by jacking up just one side of the truck at a time.

• Always use jack stands when you remove tires from a heavy truck. Do not trust any jack to hold the vehicle weight on its own.

References

• Discount Tire Direct: Tire Rotation Patterns