How to rotate your tires

Tools you'll need

• Floor jack
• Jack stands
• Lug wrench
• Torque wrench
• Wheel chocks
• Tire pressure gauge

Parts you'll need

• No parts needed for this job.

Steps

1. Park on flat ground and check your patternPark on a flat, level surface, set the parking brake, and chock the wheels. Check your owner's manual for the rotation pattern for your car and whether your tires are directional.
   Tip: Directional tires can only move front to back on the same side.
2. Loosen the lug nutsLoosen the lug nuts on all four wheels by a half turn while the tires are still on the ground.
3. Raise the car safelyLift one corner at a time with a floor jack and set the car on jack stands. Never work under a car held up by a jack alone. Remove all four wheels.
   Tip: If you only have one jack, move one tire at a time instead of lifting the whole car.
4. Move the tires to their new positionsFollow the pattern for your car. On most front-wheel-drive cars, the front tires go straight back and the rear tires cross to the opposite front corners.
   Tip: Mark each tire with chalk (FL, FR, RL, RR) before you take it off so you do not lose track.
5. Refit the wheelsPut each wheel on its new hub and tighten the lug nuts by hand until they are snug.
6. Lower the car and torque the lug nutsLower the car back to the ground and tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern with a torque wrench to the spec in your owner's manual.
7. Check the tire pressureCheck the pressure in all four tires with a gauge and inflate them to the pressure on the driver's door sticker. The front and rear pressures are often different.
8. Take a short test driveDrive slowly for a few minutes and listen for any noise or vibration. Recheck the lug nuts after about 50 miles.

Safety first

Never work under a car held up by a jack alone; always use jack stands. If you are not confident, have a qualified technician do this job.