Rotating tires with minimal equipment

How does one rotate their tires in a cross pattern with minimal equipment: one floor jack and two jack stands or just one floor jack?

 

It's pretty straight forward when you just need to rotate your tires from rear to front and front to rear. Just place both jack stands on the same side, but how does one do it when you have to place the rear passenger tire to the front driver side location?

 

What would be the fastest way and safest way to do this without a car lift? Using the spare tire seems it would take longer but be safer, while using four jack stands seems faster but not safe?

4 jack stands is better than just supporting the car with a jack. The tires being rotated are regular tires that aren't directional(spin one way) correct?

 

Re read post...

 

Lift rears and swap those 2. lift the sides and swap those 2. Could us jack as a 3rd jackstand but most(to include me) would not recommend that for safety reasons of the jack failing. Everyone(to include me) have a jack failing story. Also e brake and wheel chalks need to be used any car FWD/RWD/AWD. Probably already know that just wanna make sure I said it.

Rotate front to back and back to front only.....while the tires are not marked as directional (I am guessing) they do take a "Set" from the direction of rotation and should not be switched to the opposite side.

Rotate front to back and back to front only.....while the tires are not marked as directional (I am guessing) they do take a "Set" from the direction of rotation and should not be switched to the opposite side.

 

That is ridiculous.

 

Uni-directional tires can, and should, be cross rotated.

 

The solution is to use the spare tire. Remove the LF wheel, install the spare. Remove the RR tire, install the LF tire. Remove the LR tire and install the RR tire. Remove the RF tire and install the LR tire. Remove the spare and install the RF tire.

 

One jack, and one spare. That's all you need. You should use a torque wrench too.

Rotate front to back and back to front only.....while the tires are not marked as directional (I am guessing) they do take a "Set" from the direction of rotation and should not be switched to the opposite side.

 

What he said ^^^^

Rotate front to back and back to front only.....while the tires are not marked as directional (I am guessing) they do take a "Set" from the direction of rotation and should not be switched to the opposite side.

 

What he said ^^^^

 

You are both wrong.

 

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=43

My main concern was a tire rotation which involved switching tires in a cross pattern, be it FL to RR or RR to FL. Lets leave aside non crossing patterns. Im just interested in the fastest and safest way to do this in a DIY way, not involving expensive lifts and professional tools.

One jack, RR goes to RF, RF goes to LR, LR goes to LF, LF goes to RR. Use a spear tire on the RR first. Your done in 10 min or less. Check to tires tough. Some tires only go on 1 side of the car.

use the spare as temp and you can rotate the tires

 

all you need is the stock scissor jack

 

but if you have floor jack and 2 stands, then 2 stands in front, then use the floor jack on the rear diff

use the spare as temp and you can rotate the tires

 

all you need is the stock scissor jack

 

but if you have floor jack and 2 stands, then 2 stands in front, then use the floor jack on the rear diff

Only reason I didn't suggest the jack is possible failure. Granted it's not gonna instantaneously fall. I'm just not sure If we are taking our time with the wheels or NASCAR pit stopping it.

Only reason I didn't suggest the jack is possible failure. Granted it's not gonna instantaneously fall. I'm just not sure If we are taking our time with the wheels or NASCAR pit stopping it.

if its super cold out...i'd personally take the NASCAR route

 

but in socal...haha

 

ill take my time

I normally use the spare. Take my time and wash/wax each wheel as I go.

I normally use the spare. Take my time and wash/wax each wheel as I go.

In my case wash and repaint wheel and calipers 1 side @ a time since i'm directional.

In my case wash and repaint wheel and calipers 1 side @ a time since i'm directional.

 

Do you take the calipers off or just leave them on the discs?

Do you take the calipers off or just leave them on the discs?

I brush paint/touch up them while on still with the foam brushes. Spraying them directly causes the paint to run. Brake parts cleaner and sanding is how I prepped them. Cleaner also works for over spray. My calipers never chipped unless I get wheels balanced or new tires in general cause the shops always come in contact with the caliper(s). I had pictures of how I did them but my iPhone/iTunes ate them on a OS update.

Only reason I didn't suggest the jack is possible failure. Granted it's not gonna instantaneously fall. I'm just not sure If we are taking our time with the wheels or NASCAR pit stopping it.

 

I've been using the subaru scissor jack for about 9 years now to swap and rotate tires with no issues. Before the Legacy I used the stock scissor jack for my 02 wrx. They work fine and don't have any hydraulics to fail. Follow the same rules you would use with any jack: Don't ever get under the car using only the jack, put it on stands if you need to reach or get underneath. And make sure the car is level and properly wedged so that there is no chance of it rolling off the jack.

I abandoned the scissor jack a while back. My car goes in the air soo much one arm would be bigger than the other. If tires don't need to come off I use ramps.

Scissor jack sucks...takes too long to jack it off the ground

When should you torque the lugs to proper specs? When all four tires are in the proper rotation pattern on the ground with 100% of the weight on the wheels with the lugs just finger tight and with a few turns of the wrench tight, or immediately after replacing tire with correct tire from rotation pattern with some of the weight of the car on both the tire and jack and then go to the next tire to get rotated and repeat, or with the total weight of the car resting on the tires and then go to the next tire to get rotated and repeat?

 

I would think the fastest way is when all four tires are just wrench tightened and with weight supported only by the tires, but is this the correct way?

I always finger tighten them and then torqued them on rest of the way once the wheel touches the gound just enough to not spin. Then after a week I go back and check the tightness.

^^ That is just what I do. Works well.