How to Do a Tire Rotation Yourself

Whether you’ve decided to rotate your tires at home near Kettering or would rather have our factory-trained and certified technicians handle it at our Centerville service center, this is an essential maintenance step that you shouldn’t skip. This task provides better traction on the roads while extending the life of your tires. Learn more about tire rotations, and don’t hesitate to reach out to our service center if you have any questions.

Why Are Tire Rotations Important for Your Vehicle?

Because of road conditions and driving habits, not all tires wear evenly. Due to the impact tires experience while turning, the outside edges of the front tires will show greater wear while the rear wheels wear more evenly. If you leave your tires in place, they will wear down at different rates over time, and you have to replace them sooner.

How Often Should You Rotate Your Tires?

Front and rear wheel drive vehicles should have their tires rotated every 5,000-7,500 miles. All-wheel drive vehicles should be rotated more frequently at every 3,000-5,000 miles since all of the tires are actively engaged, which results in faster wear. Like with any automotive service, it’s recommended to check your vehicle’s owner’s manual for more specific recommendations. 

Learn More About the Importance of Tire Position

• RWD Tires: The opposite is true with RWD vehicles. The rear tires are 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.
• FWD Tires: You can move the front tires to the back of the car in the same left/right positions. When you go to move the rear tires to the front, switch the right and left tire.

How to Rotate Your Tires at Home

Wondering how to do a tire rotation at home? You will need a car jack, lug nut wrench, and a set of car jacks. Once you have the tools, follow these six steps:

1. Engage your parking brake as a safety precaution.
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 easier.
3. Lift up one wheel with a car jack and place the jack stand underneath it.
4. Remove the tires one by one.
5. Use this time to check and see that your tires are filled to the optimal tire pressure. Once filled, you can rotate them according to the appropriate pattern. Place the tire back onto the wheel mount and screw the lug nuts on by hand as far as you can.
6. Lower the car from the jack stands and use the lug wrench to finish tightening the nuts. It’s recommended to work the lug nuts diagonally from one to another in a star pattern to make sure everything tightens evenly. If the lug nuts aren’t tightened evenly it can cause the brake rotor to warp.

Have Your Tires Rotated at Bob Ross Buick GMC!

You know how to rotate tires at home, but if you don’t feel comfortable doing them on your own, feel free to schedule a service appointment with our service center. We offer a variety of service specials at our service center near Springboro for you to take advantage of.