How to Do a Tire Rotation Yourself

Whether you’re choosing to rotate your tires on your own, or you’ve decided to trust the service team at Brady Kilmury CDJR, it’s vital to know just how important tire rotations can be for the maintenance of your vehicle. Rotating your tires regularly provides you with better traction, handling, and fuel efficiency while you’re cruising through Birmingham and Hoover, and it also extends the life of your tires. If you’re keen to know how to do a tire rotation yourself, or you want to know more about this important process, continue reading down below. If you have any questions, you can always contact us, and we’ll be happy to help!

Why Tire Rotations are Important for Your Vehicle

Your tires will wear unevenly due to driving habits, as well as road conditions, so its important to know why tire rotations are necessary. Thanks to the impact tires experience while turning, the outside edges of your front tires show greater wear, as opposed to your back tires. This means if you leave your tires in place, eventually your tires will experience failure and a blow out, which can lead to accidents in Tuscaloosa.

How Often Should You 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. 

Learn More About the Importance of 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.

How to Rotate Your Tires at Home

If you’re ready to learn how to rotate your tires at home, then you will need a car jack, lug nut wrench, and a set of car jacks. Once you have acquired the necessary tools follow these six easy 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 much 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. Take this time to make sure your tires are filled to the optimal tire pressure. Once filled, you can rotate them 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.
6. 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.

Trust the Team at Brady Kilmury CDJR For Your Service Needs

If you’re not ready to handle DIY service tasks, then schedule service online with Brady Kilmury CDJR, and we’ll work to get your vehicle tended to quickly and accurately every time, so that you can get back on the road in no time. Contact us today with all of your service needs!