How to Do a Tire Rotation at Home

If you enjoy the hands-on work that goes into taking care of your vehicle, learning how to rotate your tires is an essential service you can perform at home. Regular tire rotations help you maintain proper traction on Omaha roads as well as extend the life of your tires. Don’t skip out on this essential service and learn how to do a tire rotation with Edwards Chevrolet Buick GMC. If you need to schedule a service appointment or have any questions along the way, our service center is here for you.

The Importance of a Tire Rotation

During your trips around Bellevue, it’s natural for your tires to wear unevenly depending on the road conditions and your driving habits. Your tires are impacted as you’re turning, leaving the outside edges of the front tires to show greater wear than the rear wheels. That means over time, your front and rear tires will wear down at different rates and cause you to replace them sooner.

Tire Rotation Frequency

As we cover how to do a tire rotation, you’ll find that front- and rear-wheel drive vehicles. FWD and RWD vehicles can go around 5,000 to 7,500 miles between rotations, while AWD vehicles require more frequent tire rotations every 3,000 to 5,000 miles as all tires are actively engaged and wear faster. The rotation schedule can vary depending on your vehicle, so it’s a good idea to check your vehicle’s owner’s manual for specific recommendations.

Rotating Tires Based on Drivetrain

• FWD Tires: The tires on FWD vehicles should be rotated by shifting the front tires to the back of the car in the same left/right positions with the rear tires moving to the front and switching right and left tire positions.
• RWD Tires: For RWD vehicles, the tires should be rotated in the opposite direction. As the rear tires shift to the front of the car in the same left/right positions, the front tires move to the rear, switching the left and right tire positions.

How to do a Tire Rotation at Home

Learning how to rotate tires at your Papillion-area home is relatively simple. First, you’ll need a car jack, lug nut wrench, and a set of car jack stands, then follow these steps:

1. For your safety, engage your parking brake.
2. Loosen the lug nuts on all four wheels without taking them all the way off. This allows you to remove it easier when the tire is elevated later on.
3. Using the car jack, lift up one wheel and place a jack stand underneath it.
4. Repeat the previous step for each wheel and remove the tires one by one, keeping in mind the prior position.
5. Take the time to check each tire to ensure they’re filled to the optimal tire pressure. Then, rotate them according to the proper pattern recommended for your vehicle. Set the tires back on the wheel mount and twist the lug nuts on by hand as far as you can.
6. Lower the vehicle and remove the jack stands. Using the lug wrench, continue tightening the nuts, working diagonally in a star pattern to ensure they’re tightened evenly. Improper tightening can lead to a warped brake rotor.

Learn More Service Tips with Edwards Chevrolet Buick GMC!

Now that you know how to do a tire rotation, remember that the team at Edwards Chevrolet Buick GMC is here for you. If you find yourself needing new tires, our tire center can help you find the right tires for your model, as well as handle wheel balancing and alignments, pressure checks, and more. Explore other ways to take care of your vehicle with our service tips and tricks and reach out to our team if you have any questions.