How to Rotate Tires on a Dually
by Tim Plaehn
Trucks with dual rear wheels can develop uneven tire wear if the tires are not regularly rotated. Also, the warranty on many new tires only stays in force if the tires have been rotated on a regular schedule. Regular tire rotation on your dually will prolong tire life.
Step 1
Set the parking brake and make sure the automatic transmission is in PARK, or that the manual transmission is in 1st gear.
Step 2
Jack up the front of the truck using the hydraulic jack. The center of the front axle is a good jacking point. Place two of the jack stands under the axle just inside the wheels and lower the front axle onto the jack stands. The front wheels should be off the ground.
Step 3
Jack up the rear of the truck, placing the jack under the rear axle differential. Place the jack stands under the axle inside the wheels. Lower the rear of the truck onto the jack stands.
Step 4
Use the lug wrench or impact wrench to remove the lugs from all four wheel positions and take the six wheels off the hubs. Make a note of the starting position of each tire.
Step 5
Rotate the wheels and tires by moving the tires that were at the outside rear position to the inside dual position on the same side. The inside dual wheels move up to the front axle on the same side and the front wheels and tires will become the outside dual wheels, again on the same side.
Step 6
Remount all of the wheels at the new positions. The lugs should be tightened in a "star," or cross-over pattern. Check the final tightness of the lugs with the torque wrench, tightening them to the torque indicated in the vehicle's owner's manual.
Step 7
Lower the truck by first jacking up the rear axle, removing the jack stands and lowering the truck onto the tires. Repeat for the front of the truck.
References
Tips
- Factory dually wheels are reversible to mount on any wheel position. However, some trucks have different tire models on the front and rear. In this case, consult with a tire professional for advice.
- An impact wrench or four-way lug wrench will make the lug removal easier and faster.
- Loosen the lugs slightly before putting the truck up on jack stands.
Things You'll Need
- Four Jack Stands
- Heavy Duty Hydraulic Floor Jack
- Lug Wrench or Impact Wrench
- Torque Wrench
Warnings
- A dually truck is a heavy vehicle and only heavy duty jack stands and a heavy duty jack should be used to rotate the tires. The safety jack that comes with the truck is not adequate for this task.
Writer Bio
Tim Plaehn has been writing financial, investment and trading articles and blogs since 2007. His work has appeared online at Seeking Alpha, Marketwatch.com and various other websites. Plaehn has a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the U.S. Air Force Academy.
