# For those who change their own oil (vehicles, not lawn equipment), how do you handle tire rotation?



## kds (Apr 28, 2017)

I've been struggling with this. I think I'm going to start changing my own oil because it seems more convenient but I don't know what to do about tire rotation. Do you do it yourself with just a jack and a wrench, doing one side at a time, or do you let a tire shop do it to save some time? Do you use a manual wrench or an impact wrench? Any other considerations?


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## kstall (May 10, 2019)

Tire shop here gives free rotate when you buy tires. I let them do it


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## arj116 (Sep 7, 2019)

I use 2 jacks when doing the rotate. I dont have impact wrench. I do have my own Johnson bar, sockets, and torque wrench. 
I do the 2 jack technique just because its a lot faster for the front to rear rotation. Ideally every 2nd oil change I rotate my tires (12,000 km- 7,4xx mi) Good time to check pad thickness, any scoring on the brakes discs inside and outside. Good time to check for any leaks. Torn boots etc.


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## ericgautier (Apr 22, 2017)

kstall said:


> Tire shop here gives free rotate when you buy tires. I let them do it


+1. :thumbup:


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## daniel3507 (Jul 31, 2018)

kstall said:


> Tire shop here gives free rotate when you buy tires. I let them do it


This. Easy and they have record of it happening and I have the paperwork of it happening so they can't weasel out of the warranty.


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## deboy922 (Aug 27, 2019)

Good replies above...I use a jack, 2 jack stands, cordless impact, & torque wrench (I love the cordless impact)...if I did not have the tools, I would utilize the free rotation at the tire stores. Be careful if you do it yourself...safety first...you do not want to be trapped under a vehicle.


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## Iruse (Jul 2, 2019)

I use four jack stands one floor jack a breaker bar and a torque wrench with what ever size socket I need for that car.

I set up my jack stands to the same height. Loosen all the lugs with the breaker bar. Jack up one side of the car place it on stands then the other. If I am changing the oil I place the jack under the some part of the suspension and raise it up to some portion of the suspension on which ever side of the car I will be accessing the drain plug from and just put pressure just in case.

Start draining my oil. Remove the wheels move them to their respective spots, straight back cross forward for front wheel drive, or straight forward cross back for rear or 4X4. Check tread depth, brake pads, rotors and lines and suspension parts for wear and tear.

Put all the wheels back on make sure the drain plug is in drop the car torque the wheels with a torque wrench to ~110 lb-ft. Finish changing the oil.

I grew up working in my dad's parts store and I NEVER use a pneumatic torque wrench unless I am taking off the lugs. Always tighten in a star pattern and start by hand if you insist on using a pneumatic wrench. Lugs are never fun to replace unless you have the right tools and if you car uses lug bolts and you strip or sheer one off have fun with that.

Remember jack stands are rated in pairs now days. So a 3 ton jack stand is only rated at 3 tons for the pair so 1.5 each and depending on the rating system used the min fail weight has to be %150 of the rating. If you're doing cars this isn't a big deal but with trucks and SUVs it can be something to consider.


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## Shindoman (Apr 22, 2018)

Tire rotation happens when I put on my winter set. Same in the spring. 
I bought a Milwaukee impact but always tighten with a breaker bar and finish with a torque wrench.


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## ScottW (Sep 16, 2019)

Tire rotations every other oil change (5-6K intervals) so every 10-12K miles on the rotations. My daily sees about 22K per year. I do it all myself because over the years I've just developed a distrust of other people to accomplish simple tasks like this without effing something up... not tightening drain plugs properly, cross-threading lug nuts and/or snapping wheel studs, not torquing properly, etc.

I have 2 jacks and 4 jack stands, put the whole car up at once.
With my lowest car being a Miata and my tallest being either my wife's MDX or my 4Runner, I basically need 2 different jacks on hand anyway.
Breaker bar and torque wrench only for force application on the lugs. Takes a few extra seconds versus using impact tools, but I save those for breaking stuff loose that I can't break loose otherwise.

I also do my own timing belts, clutches, etc. so my tolerance for this stuff may be higher than others'. Nothing wrong with paying competent techs to work on cars, but I do save a fair bit of scratch with the DIY route that I can then justify spending on other things.


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## Dkrem (Mar 16, 2019)

I run summer and winter tires and when exchanging I put the best two on the front.


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

Wheel chocks and jack stands, and a pneumatic air wrench make short work of it. Always use jack stands...!

I have to use two different jacks depending on vehicle size, and vehicle height. Truck/SUV and car/sports car....

The shops let the low guy on the totem pole do tire rotations. They almost always do something bonehead.

Plus, if you have nice wheels on your ride, you don't want some inattentive knucklehead scarring up your rims....


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## Suburban Jungle Life (Mar 1, 2018)

Jack, stands, impact gun, torque stick, torque wrench. Lift car in the middle front and rear, put on stands, gun off all 4 and rotate as desired. Start all lugs by hand, use torque stick on gun, and finish with torque wrench after I lower the car. Check brakes while there, check suspension joints, and change any fluids while the car is up. Pretty straightforward.


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## 95mmrenegade (Jul 31, 2017)

The hands down best think I ever did was buy quickjack. Extremely easy to setup. Lifts the whole vehicle in less than 30 seconds, setup takes 2-3 minutes.


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

That quickjack looks awesome.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

dfw_pilot said:


> That quickjack looks awesome.


Added to wish list. :bandit:


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Costco has this in the stores now. I was tempted, but for every 6months use the jack works ok.


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## Cory (Aug 23, 2017)

I do the same as the others. Jack, jack stands, impact and torque wrench. I have been thinking of buying a lift, the older and fatter I get the harder it is to get up and down to work under the vehicles :lol:

I have never paid anyone to do anything other than mount an balance tires to my vehicles but have been looking for tire machines recently to do that myself too. Here's a good reason why. We recently bought a used certified 2017 Volvo S60 with 20k miles on it. A day or two after we got it the front end of the car had started making an awful noise at about 45mph and higher. If you have ever flat spotted tires or have had a wheel bearing go bad that's what it sounded like. I jacked up the driver side of the car to check if the wheel bearings were bad and noticed the inside front tire was cupped really bad on the inside. Took it back to the Volvo dealer we bought it from, the service manager took one look at the front tires and said " Yep, they're cupped. When they did the certification on the car the tech must have rotated the tires, he wasn't supposed to do that." The model I have has a negative camber set on the rear wheels for better handling. When your suspension is set to have that much negative camber you either need to rotate often, every 2-3k miles or not at all. If the techs at the dealer the car came from screw up something so simple imagine what the others do. But I guess it worked out for us because of the idiot that rotated the tires when he wasn't supposed to we got a whole new set of tires :lol:


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## testwerke (Apr 4, 2019)

I don't. Staggered wheel setup on my car 

But if I did, beer, jack, jack stands, torque wrench, beer.


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## kds (Apr 28, 2017)

@95mmrenegade @dfw_pilot that quickjack looks awesome!


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## 95mmrenegade (Jul 31, 2017)

kds said:


> @95mmrenegade @dfw_pilot that quickjack looks awesome!


I have 2 very different vehicles now and it handles both easily. My wife's Audi S5 is in coilovers and is fairly low, my F150 is on a 6" lift with 35s. The quickjack is a lifesaver. I have used the quickjack on a 13 corvette and 16 911 and seems to work well across many different vehicles. Jacking all 4 corners up with Jack's and pinchwelds is no fun.


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## Suburban Jungle Life (Mar 1, 2018)

95mmrenegade said:


> kds said:
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> > @95mmrenegade @dfw_pilot that quickjack looks awesome!
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I lift with a jack from the front and rear. Rear diff or subframe and maybe a wood block. Front, center lift point or subframe. On a lowered car, I drive onto blocks of wood for extra height. This leaves the sides open for jack stands. Easy and only 2 lift points.


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## Suburban Jungle Life (Mar 1, 2018)

For tire rotations, I would say it depends on where you live and what you want out of your car.

If you get snow and have a front wheel drive car, I put the two best tires in the back and only rotate them to the front for the winter. This way, you have the best traction for steering, accelerating, and stopping in the snow. The rest of the year, I keep the best two in the back to save them. The rear barely gets any wear. If you go to a tire shop, they always put the best in the back since they don't want you to oversteer. I think that is fine but then you're stuck buying tires if they get under 4/32 or you won't get far in the snow. I like to drive them down to the cords so I'll use the same 2 tires in the front for most of the year. Also, when you buy tires, you only ever by 2 at a time and it's cheaper. Plus, you'll always have 2 newer tires which will grip better in snow than 5 year old dry rotted tires.

For rwd, I rotate them side to side if they aren't directional. If they are, I don't bother doing a rotation. Usually, the rear has a lot more camber than the front and they have different wear characteristics. Unfortunately, you may have to buy tires more often than fwd cars. When it snows, see which tire spins first and put the best one there. Probably the right one but not always. If you have an lsd, then that shouldn't be a concern unless its a viscous and older or an e-clutch and lazy or slow to lock up.

For awd, I would say it depends on if you have a center lsd or not as to rotate them front to back. If you do, I would rotate them often to keep the wear the same. Some cars are biased toward fwd unless there is slip so then the front does steering, braking, and more of the driving. It'll wear faster in the front. Rotate more often if that is the case. If it is 50/50 split, I wouldn't rotate as often since it isn't needed but the front will wear a little more and also the left front wears the most since we have a lot of ramps to get on highways and I enjoy a spirited turn... You can rotate front to back or X pattern. When it snows, put the best tire on the right front, second best on the left front, third best on the left rear, and worst on the right rear. Again, this is for front biased or 50/50. If you have an open center diff, then just side to side or any pattern you want since it doesn't matter. Power will go to the tire with the least traction due to weight distribution and tread depth.


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## 95mmrenegade (Jul 31, 2017)

Suburban Jungle Life said:


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I did that for 10 years and will never do it again. No blocks to drive on, no Jack stands, no floor jacks to pull around. I understand a grand is not for everyone but if you do your own maintenance and a hardcore car guy quickjack is a must have. Short enough for the lowest of cars. Leave in the center of your bay and pull them out when you need them and quick disconnects on the hoses.


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## Suburban Jungle Life (Mar 1, 2018)

95mmrenegade said:


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When I say low, it's too low for the quickjack. My buddy has it and I didn't feel it saved enough time to warrant the cost. I also have a low and 4' long Jack so it's not hard to reach subframes. The other part I dont like about the quickjack is the sides are blocked. A jack stand is small and easy to work around. The quickjack isn't for me. My old job had a similar setup to the quickjack but you drive over it and it is bolted to the floor. Now that was easy for tires! Just drive over and park. Then press a button to lift.


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## 95mmrenegade (Jul 31, 2017)

Suburban Jungle Life said:


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To each their own...

I dont know of many places you can drive a car with less than 3" of GC without scraping entrances and exits. My corvette had less than 3 1/2" GC and my outlaw radial car had right at 3" per rules. Neither car was easy to jack up with extended reach floor jacks, quickjacks also eliminate problems with pinch welds. Replaced many Corvette driveline and RWD transmissions in my days. And then there are modern day sports cars with undercarriage aero panels where your not using a floor jack on and your forced to jack at the pinch weld.


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## Suburban Jungle Life (Mar 1, 2018)

95mmrenegade said:


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I'm referring to lowered cars. 2" ground clearance. Gotta drive over bumps sideways. I go to a lot of drifting events with lowered cars. Tons of wheel changes.

I guess I just can't swallow the price when a jack and stands work fine. If you are jacking on the side where the pinch wield is, I can see why it would be a big hassle. I'm not sure how you would put a jack stand there since the jack point is usually only a few inches long. How do you swap one for the other in the same spot? If you jack to the side, the pinch wield can be thinner and bend. Same with jacking on the frame rail unless it's a crown vic. Otherwise, you have to find some corner of the suspension or edge of the subframe in order to keep the pinch wield free so you can put your stand there. I don't think this is how it should be done.

I used the quickjack on my buddy's S6 and it was annoying to adjust the jack points on the quickjack to line up with the jack points on the car. I helped him a few times and it definitely didn't save any time over jacking in the center and using stands on the side. Also, on new cars with undertray's, they usually have a center jack point at the back of the motor near the firewall. Easy reach for driving onto 2x4 blocks or these and my long jack.

I don't think I could recommend them to anyone unless the price doesn't bother you. They still need to be slid under the car and they aren't exactly light. Also, at that cost, you're halfway to a two post lift.

Like you said, to each their own.


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