How to Rotate Tires

Rotating the tires on your vehicle is an important, but often neglected aspect of basic car maintenance. Because the tires on a car wear differently depending on where they are located, rotating them regularly will not only help your tires last longer, but can also affect gas mileage and make for safer driving.

To figure out how often you should rotate your tires, refer to your vehicle's owner's manual, or ask your car dealer or mechanic. In most cases, your tires should be rotated every 5,000-10,000 miles.

When rotating your tires, do not allow your car to sit on the jack that came with your car. This jack is only designed for changing a tire in the case of a flat and is not meant to support the car for more than a few minutes. If you're planning on rotating your tires at home, invest in or borrow a set of jack stands, a hydraulic jack or a floor jack.

You will also need a torque wrench to rotate your tires. Although you can use an impact wrench to remove the lug nuts on your tires, do not use it to tighten the lug nuts. Doing so may result in stripping or over-tightening of the nuts.

1. Loosen the the lug nuts on your tires, but do not remove them completely.

2. Elevate your car with a jack, followed by placing your jack stands, hydraulic jack or floor jack beneath the axles to keep the car steadily above ground.

3. Remove the lug nuts from the tires.

Once the car is elevated with the lug nuts removed, it's time to rotate the tires.

In most cases, you'll want to switch the front and back tires. Some vehicles, however, have staggered tires, meaning that the front tires are a different size than the rear tires. There are rotational tires with a specific direction of rotation, as well as tires with tread patterns specifically designed for one side of the vehicle or the other.

To ensure you are rotating your tires correctly, refer to your car's owner's manual, or ask your car dealer or mechanic for advice.

1. Remove all four tires.

2. Be sure to make note of each tire's original position, labeling them if necessary.

3. Replace the tires in their new positions.

4. Replace the lug nuts.

5. Use your torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts to the correct torque for your car. Check your owner's manual for the torque number.

6. Use your jack to lower the vehicle off the jack stands, hydraulic jack or floor jack.