How to Rotate the Tires on Your Pickup Truck

11 April 2017
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To preserve and maintain the tires on your pickup truck, you should rotate them according to the mileage and usage recommendations on your pickup truck manual. Tire rotation is a simple operation that you can do yourself. Check with your pickup truck manual to find out the best spot on your specific truck to safely raise it with a jack and rest it on truck stands. Once you know where you will place these tools, you can rotate your pickup truck tires as follows:  

Stabilize Your Pickup Truck:  Before you begin rotating your pickup truck tires, make sure that your truck is parked on a flat surface and that the parking brake is firmly set.  This will keep your truck from moving while you work on it.  

Initial Tire Examination:  Examine all four tires on your pickup truck. Take a wooden matchstick and measure the tire tread depth of all four of your truck tires. Note which tires are getting the greatest wear. Decide the pattern of tire rotation that you will use for your truck. Plan to rotate the least worn tires with the most worn tires. If you have a spare tire, add it to your tire rotation pattern and use it in place of your most worn tire. If you use your spare tire, your most worn tire will become your new spare tire. 

Loosen Tire Lug Nuts:  Use a lug wrench to loosen the lug nuts on all four tires. Loosen the lug nuts only enough to make them easy to turn with your lug wrench as you remove and rotate your truck tires. 

Remove a Tire:  Use a truck jack to raise the rear wheels on your truck. Place the truck jack in the place recommended by your owner's manual. Place two jack stands under your truck's rear frame rails and remove the truck jack. Remove the rear wheels from your truck and allow the truck to remain on the jack stands. 

Remove Another Tire:  Use your truck jack to raise the front wheels on your truck. Check your truck manual for the best place to position a truck jack when raising the front end of your pickup truck. Place two jack stands under your truck's front frame rails and remove the truck jack. Remove both front wheels from your truck and allow the truck to remain on the jack stands. 

Rotate The Tires:  Rotate your truck tires in the pattern you determined was best. After your tires have been rotated, tighten all lug nuts with your lug wrench. When all tires are securely in position on their axles, raise the front end of your truck with your truck jack, and remove the truck stands. Lower the front end of your truck with the truck jack and remove it. Next, raise the rear end of your truck with the truck jack and remove the two remaining jack stands. Then lower the rear end of your truck with the truck jack and remove the jack so that all rotated tires are touching the ground. 

Check Tire Pressure:  Check your tire pressure with a tire pressure gauge and compare it to the recommended tire pressure in your pickup truck owner's manual. Fill or release the air in your tires to the optimal range according to all four tire pressure readings. 

Rotating your pickup truck tires will allow you to drive on them longer. Mark down the rotation date and your truck's mileage in your pickup truck manual for future reference. Rotate your tires again when needed and take your pickup truck to a professional mechanic for other services and maintenance. For more information, contact a business such as Stephenson Truck Repair Inc.