How to Rotate Your Own Tires

To compensate for uneven wear and tear on your tires, regular tire rotation is important. Your front tires carry about 60% of your vehicle’s weight and are more likely to feel hard turns, therefore they wear out more quickly than your rear tires. By rotating your tires regularly, you will even out the tread wear that comes with daily driving and prolong the life of your tires. Generally, tires should be rotated every 5,000 miles; consult your owner’s manual to see if it provides a recommended tire rotation schedule.

Tools

• Car Jack
• Four jack stands (two minimum)
• Lug wrench

Estimated Time

• 20-30 minutes

Identify Rotation Pattern

Identify the possible rotation pattern for your vehicle, which will be based on the type of tires you have as well as whether your vehicle is front or rear wheel drive.

•  For directional tires, which only roll in one direction as indicated by their tread or sidewall, each front tire has to be rotated with the same-side back tire.
• For non-directional tires, which can roll in either direction, you must rotate based on whether you have rear or front wheel drive.
• Front wheel drive: The rear tires move diagonally to the front. The front tires go straight back.
• Rear wheel drive: The rear tires go in a straight line to the front. The front tires move diagonally to the back.

Loosen the lug nuts

Loosen the lug nuts of all the wheels but don’t remove them yet.

Jack up your car

Jack up your car and use jack stands to support the vehicle. Consult your owner’s manual to determine the proper placement of the jacks.

Remove the tires and rotate them

Remove the tires and rotate them according to the correct pattern for your tire type.

Screw in the lug nuts by hand

As you place each tire in its new position, screw in the lug nuts by hand as much as you can.

Raise up your vehicle using your jack

Raise up your vehicle using your jack and remove the jack stands. Then safely lower your car back down.

Fully tighten the lug nuts

Finally, use the lug wrench to fully tighten the lug nuts of each tire. Tighten diagonally, in a star pattern to ensure even tightening. If you tighten them unevenly, you run the risk of warping the brake rotor.