For those of us that aren’t too car-savvy, doing basic maintenance can seem a little daunting. The nice thing is, there are a lot of things you can do to your vehicle that don’t require too much prior knowledge. All you need is a little focus, some instruction, and time. One of those tasks is rotating your tires. We’re going to dig into how to rotate your tires with a few simple steps in this article, giving you an idea of how to do it yourself.
Let’s get started:
Rotating Your Tires in Seven Simple Steps
We should mention right off of the bat that you should consult tire services if you aren’t confident with the instructions below. There’s no shame in getting a little help from the professionals.
1. Understand Why You Need Rotations
Car tires experience normal wear and tear as we drive. The reason we rotate, though, is because wear and tear happen unevenly in the front and back.
The front of the car carries most of the weight in most vehicles, for example. That means that the front tires are more worn than the back. The work is distributed evenly when we swap the front and back tires in a rotation.
That way, our tires last longer overall.
2. Get the Right Tools
You don’t need too many tools for a rotation. You’ll need a car jack, some jack stands, and a tire wrench.
Your car probably comes with the wrench, but the jack and jack stands should be bought. In total, you’re probably looking at around $130 dollars for both tools. Keep in mind that the investment will pay for itself as you do your own rotations.
3. Check for Directional Tires
If you have directional tires, you’ll have to rotate them in a particular way. Directional tires have arrows or indicators on the sidewall that tell you which way they’re supposed to spin.
These tires will already be on the correct side. If you happen to have them, though, you’ll need to swap the front right tire for the back right, and the front left for the back left. Swapping sides will reduce the efficacy of the tire.
Non-directional tires can be moved and matched however you like.
4. Loosen the Lug Nuts
Make sure you engage the parking brake before you start working to make sure things are safe. Then, loosen all of the lug nuts before you start to lift the vehicle at all.
5. Place your Jack
Choose the first tire you’re going to remove, then place your jack under a secure piece of the vehicle near that tire. Raise the wheel you’re working on, make sure it’s stable, then start unscrewing the nuts.
When you’re done, remove the tire.
6. Follow an Order
You don’t want to take all of the wheels off before putting any of them back on. Instead, take one wheel off, then the next, and swap those wheels. That way, your car is never sitting fully flat on the ground.
7. Tighten the Lug Nuts and Lower
When you make the swap, ensure that all lug nuts are as tight as they can be. Then, simply lower the vehicle back down and work on the next tire.
When you’ve rotated all of the tires and made sure the nuts are tight, you’re all set to get back on the road.
Need More Mechanic Tips?
Rotating your tires seems tough at first, but it’s something that most people can hack if they put their mind to it. The same goes for a good deal of basic car maintenance.
If you’re interested in learning more ways to get handy, explore our site for the information you need.
