How to Do a Tire Rotation at Home

When it comes to routine maintenance in Fredonia, you do not want to skip regular tire rotations. Tire rotations help to prolong the life of your tires, saving you money in the long run. Wondering how to rotate tires at home? It’s actually a fairly easy maintenance task you can perform right in your Jamestown driveway. Basil Chevrolet Buick, inc. has provided a guide on how to do a tire rotation yourself.

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Benefits of Tire Rotation

Your tires unfortunately won’t last forever, and they will eventually need to be replaced. Your driving habits as well as driving conditions in Westfield and beyond can affect how quickly your tires wear down. It is important to ensure proper tread depth. The drivetrain of your vehicle also plays a role. When turning, the outside edges of the front tires experience a majority of the impact and therefore show greater wear. Rear tires tend to wear a bit more evenly. If you leave your tires in the same position for an extended period of time, they will end up wearing down more rapidly and at different rates. Because of this, you will have to replace them sooner.

When to Rotate Tires

How often do you need to perform a tire rotation? In most cases, front- and rear-wheel drive vehicles should have a tire rotation done every 5,000-7,500 miles. With an all-wheel drive vehicle, each tire is always engaged, so wear happens more quickly. A tire rotation is required more frequently, usually every 3,000-5,000 miles. It is a good idea to consult your owner’s manual for the maintenance schedule suggested by the manufacturer.

Tire Position

• FWD Tires: Front tires move to the back of the vehicle on the same side, and rear tires move to the front and swap sides.

• RWD Tires: Rear tires move to the front of the vehicle on the same side, and front tires move to the rear and swap sides.

How to Rotate Your Tires at Home

If you like to perform DIY car maintenance in Dunkirk, Basil Chevrolet Buick, inc. can show you how to do a tire rotation. To do so, you will need the following supplies: a car jack, lug nut wrench, and a set of car jacks stands. When you have everything you need, you can get started:

1. Engaging your parking brake as a safety precaution is highly recommended.
2. Loosen the lug nuts on all four wheels, but keep them in place. When it comes time to unscrew them when the tire is elevated, it will make this step significantly more convenient.
3. Lift up one wheel with a car jack and place the jack stand underneath it.
4. Individually remove the tires.
5. If your tires are not inflated to the proper level, now is a great time to fix this issue. After you have added the necessary amount of air, rotate the tires according to the pattern for your drivetrain. 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 securing each nut. Work diagonally and follow a star pattern for the best result. If lug nuts are not evenly tightened, it can lead to warped brake rotors.

Set Up a Tire Rotation with Basil Chevrolet Buick, inc.

If you are not comfortable performing a tire rotation on your own, that’s totally fine! Our technicians would be more than happy to assist you. Contact us today for more information or set up an appointment with us. We can also help you identify other issues with your vehicle, such as the root cause of leaking fluids, and other tips like how to check transmission fluid.