
Do you really need to rotate your tires?
You rotate tires to even out the wear across the tread and get a few more miles out of the tires. When you do, rotate them, they have a less optimal contact with the road for the first few thousand miles till they wear into a more conforming tread depth across the tire. Tire rotation is not necessary.
How to rotate your tires yourself correctly?
Then, follow these steps:
- Use the parking brake to keep the vehicle secure.
- Loosen the lug nuts on all four wheels. Do not remove the lug nuts. ...
- Lift up one wheel with a car jack and place the jack stand underneath it.
- Take the tires off individually.
- Now is a good time to check tire pressure. ...
- Lower the car from the jack stands and use the lug wrench to finish tightening the nuts. ...
Do I really need to rotate my tires?
Yes, you should rotate your tires at least once every 10,000 miles. Most tire manufacturers and automakers recommend that you rotate the tire during routine oil change. If you change the oil once a year, you will need to rotate the wheels once a year.
How often should I rotate the tires?
How Often Should You Rotate Your Tires? This common maintenance task—which should typically be done every 5,000 to 8,000 miles—isn’t one you should ignore. It may seem minor, but remember ...

Can I rotate my own tires without balancing them?
It's not completely necessary to balance tires when rotating, but it is a good idea to do so. When performed by a shop, the balancing procedure is inexpensive, so its usually paired with the rotation. If you're doing a rotation job yourself, it's up to you whether you want to also balance.
How do you rotate your own tires at home?
1:372:44How to Rotate Tires | DIY Car Repairs | The Home Depot - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThen slowly lower the car to the ground and remove the jack. Finally use the lug wrench to tightlyMoreThen slowly lower the car to the ground and remove the jack. Finally use the lug wrench to tightly secure nuts to make sure the wheels mount evenly do this in a star pattern.
How long does it take to rotate your own tires?
Usually, the average length of time that a tire rotation will take is around an hour and it's recommended every six months or 6,000 to 8,000 miles.
When should you not rotate your tires?
Wear bars are reached when you only have 2/32″ of tread left. This is actually the point when you shouldn't use the tires anymore at all. You should replace your tires when you have 4/32″ of tread left, or double that of the wear bar height. New tires will have 10/32″ of tread wear or more.
What is the best way to rotate your tires?
For vehicles that are 4-wheel, all-wheel, or rear-wheel drive, the rearward cross pattern is recommended. Rear tires are moved to the forward axle and kept on the same side of the vehicle while the front tires are moved to opposite sides of the rear axle.
How long does it take to rotate 4 tires?
Typically, a tire rotation at our dealership takes anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. Every manufacturer will have different things to say about rotating the tires, but generally speaking, it should be completed with your oil change–every 5,000 miles or so.
How do you rotate tires without a lift?
1:449:18How To Rotate Your Tires At Home | Tire Rotation Without A Lift | Step - ByYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo let's go unbolt the front driver's. Side. So now we can pull this tire off and as we move thisMoreSo let's go unbolt the front driver's. Side. So now we can pull this tire off and as we move this driver front tire to the passenger.
How do you jack up a car to rotate tires?
When the tires are in the air, they can spin, making it complicated to loosen them. Then, jack up one side, front or rear, and lower the axle to rest on the jack stand. Move on to another tire and repeat until all four tires are in the air and the car remains entirely supported by the jack stands.
How do I know if my tires are directional?
Directional tyres are marked on the side, i.e. on the tyre's sidewall. You will see the word "Rotation" or "Direction" written here. Next to it, there is a small arrow which indicates the tyre's forward direction (rolling direction). Directional tyres are marked on the side, i.e. on the tyre's sidewall.
How many jack stands do I need to rotate tires?
Two Jack Stand Method Place the wheel chocks around the rear wheel opposite of the side you're working on first. Lift the front corner and secure it on a stand as described above, then do the same for the rear on this side. Shake the vehicle to make sure it is steady.
How do you rotate tires without a lift?
1:449:18How To Rotate Your Tires At Home | Tire Rotation Without A Lift | Step - ByYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo let's go unbolt the front driver's. Side. So now we can pull this tire off and as we move thisMoreSo let's go unbolt the front driver's. Side. So now we can pull this tire off and as we move this driver front tire to the passenger.
Can you flip tires on rim?
You aren't changing the direction of rotation, just the side of the car they are on and where the worn part of the tire is. This will NOT work for asymmetrical tires. Those tires are marked with "outside" on the tire and can be run in either direction, but that means you can't flip them on the wheel.
What to do if you don't have a spare tire?
Instead, just move your front tire to the back, and your back tire to the front.
How to remove lug nuts from a wheel?
Pick a wheel and remove the hubcap. Next, use your tire iron to loosen the lug nuts. Don't remove them, but give them a few twists until they turn easily.
Do front tires wear more slowly?
Thanks to your efforts, your harder working front tires will now be in a place where they will wear more slowly, and your newer, less worn rear tires will wear more quickly.
Tools you need to rotate your tires
There are three tools you need to rotate your tires: A car jack, four jack stands, and a torque wrench.
Step-by-step: How to rotate your tires yourself
Before you proceed with rotating your tires you need to know whether they’re directional or non-directional.
What is the best way to rotate tires?
Tough surfaces, like concrete or tarmac, are the best options for rotating tires. Eventually to lift the vehicle, use the 4-way lug wrench to smoothly release each lug nut. Make sure the car is not in motion when you try this, otherwise, it will be dangerous.
Why do tires rotate?
Tire rotation, in a understandable definition to any non-native English speakers, is to remove all four tires of a car and install them to that car again, but in different positions, which are scientifically backed and carefully tested by mechanical experts.
What is a directional tire?
Directional tires: They have a “one-way” tread pattern that are optimized for the direction the tires rotate on the car, so they’re specifically made for either the left or right side . Their grooves are angled to optimize handling in order to do a good job of channeling water out from under the tire on wet road surfaces, thus greatly improving wet traction and reducing hydroplaning. If you pay attention, you will see little arrows or triangles on the sidewall indicate which way the tire is supposed to turn. Refer to the table below to decide the rotating pattern:
What type of tires rotate on the left side?
The type of tires will decide the pattern of rotations. There are 2 types of tires: directional tires and non-directional tires. Directional tires: They have a “one-way” tread pattern that are optimized for the direction the tires rotate on the car, so they’re specifically made for either the left or right side.
How to make tires last longer?
The simplest trick to make your tires last much longer is proper tire rotation. How to do tire rotation, for best performance, is after each 3000-5000 miles. Furthermore, this strategy can be useful in saving a ton of your money as well, let’s say, for buying a set of tires sooner. In fact, you can save even more by doing it yourself when it’s time for the car to demand a tire rotation . Therefore, in this technical guideline, all you need is to understand the nature of tire wearing and learn the right techniques in doing so. Just prepare only these certain handy tools and you’re ready to go: floor jack, jack stands, and a 4-way lug wrench.
Why do tires wear down faster?
For example, front wheels will have faster wearing rate than rear wheels because 60% of car weight is put on the front suspensions, the right front wheel will wear down faster then the left front wheel since drivers have to turn left faster than turn right in countries like the US where they have to drive on the right side of the road. Vice versa, for drivers in left-side countries like UK, their cars got right front wheel wearing down much faster than left front one. Therefore, after thousands of miles, people all around the world end up with uneven tread wear in tires, in different ways.
How to slow down tire wear?
Tire rotation can slow down the wearing rate of the wheel currently in fast-wearing positions by moving it to the less pressured position.

Step 1 - Getting Ready
Step 2 - Setting Up
- Pick a wheel and remove the hubcap. Next, use your tire iron to loosen the lug nuts. Don't remove them, but give them a few twists until they turn easily. After that, set up your jack under one wheel, and crank it up until it rises to touch the frame of your car. Making sure it is secure, continue cranking until the wheel is far enough off the ground to work on. Once this is done, repeat the pr…
Step 3 - Removing Tires
- Now you can safely remove the wheels. Start on the right side, and use your tire iron to completely remove the lug nuts, then remove the wheel and set it down flat. Remove both wheels, and keep them close to where you got them, because you need to keep track of which one is which.
Step 4 - Rotating
- This is where the spare comes in. Slide the spare tire onto where your rear tire used to be, and line up the holes for the bolts. Use the lug nuts, and tighten them for a few turns by hand, then finish them up with the tire iron. Don't tighten them as hard as you can yet, that comes later. If you don't have a functional spare tire, or your spare ti...
Step 5 - Finishing Up
- Finally, crank the jack all the way down until it doesn't even touch your car, for all four jacks. You can now use your tire iron to fasten thelug nutsas tightly as they will go. Store your "new" spare tire and clean up. Thanks to your efforts, your harder working front tires will now be in a place where they will wear more slowly, and your newer, less worn rear tires will wear more quickly.