How to Rotate Tires Yourself

Whether you are wondering how to rotate tires at home or you prefer to complete tire rotations with the skilled staff at our tire center, Kearny Mesa Acura has you covered. Tire rotation is an important maintenance step you don’t want to skip. After all, rotating your tires on a regular basis can provide you better traction on San Diego roads and extend the life of your tires.  When you follow our guide on tire rotation, you’ll keep your tires rolling for as long as possible while you drive around Del Mar to National City.

Why is Tire Rotation Necessary?

Why is tire rotation important? Due to driving habits and drivetrain characteristics, not all tires wear evenly. Due to the impact they experience while turning, the outside edges of the front tires show greater wear, while the rear wheels wear more evenly. If you leave your tires in place, they will wear down at different rates and you will have to replace them much sooner. If you want things to line up when you check your tire tread depth, regular rotation is essential.

How Often to Rotate Your Tires

Front and rear-wheel drive vehicles generally need their tires rotated every 5,000-7,500 miles. All-wheel drive vehicles require more frequent changes at every 3,000-5,000 miles, since all tires are actively engaged and that results in faster wear. As with any vehicle service, we always recommend checking your owner’s manual for more specific recommendations.

Tire Position

• FWD Tires: You can move the front tires to the back of the car in the same left/right positions. When it comes time to move the rear tires to the front, you must switch the right and left tire.

• RWD Tires: The opposite is true with RWD vehicles. The rear tires can be moved to the front of the car in the same left/right positions, but when you move the front tires to the rear, you need to switch the left and right tire.

Rotating Your Tires

Once you know how to rotate your tires at home, you will still need a car jack, lug nut wrench and a set of jack stands. After you have the necessary tools for the job, follow these five easy steps:

1. Put on the parking brake as an added safety measure.
2. Loosen the lug nuts on all four wheels, but don’t take them all the way off. This step makes unscrewing them when the tire is elevated much easier
3. Lift up one wheel with a car jack and place the jack stand underneath it.
4. Remove the tires and make sure they are filled to the optimal tire pressure. Recommended tire pressure is imprinted on the tires themselves. Once filled, you can rotate the tires according to the appropriate pattern for your type of tires. Place the tire back onto the wheel mount and screw the lug nuts on by hand as far as you can.
5. Lower the car from the jack stands and use the lug wrench to finish tightening the nuts. It’s best to work the lug nuts diagonally from one to another in a star pattern to ensure even tightening. If the lug nuts aren’t tightened evenly it can cause the brake rotor to warp.

Rotating your tires at home can help you save, but it’s not the only thing that you can or should be doing at home! Find out how to check your car’s oil level today.

Get Assistance With Tire Rotation at Kearny Mesa Acura

Knowing how to rotate tires at home, but you don’t have to go it alone. The trained technicians at Kearny Mesa Acura can perform the service for you today! We offer a variety of service specials at our San Diego service center for you to take advantage of, so schedule service today.