Lift entire side of car for tire rotation?

Discussion in 'Prius c Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by cutter44, Apr 22, 2015.

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  1. cutter44

    cutter44 Member

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    Okay, I'm a new member who has bought (but still not picked up) my 2012 c 4. I can tell you right now that this will be the first of many posts as I get accustomed to the whole Prius way of life. Every other vehicle I've owned was pretty much tire rotation every other oil change. With this Prius I guess it's oil change every other tire rotation. :)

    Anyway, in anticipation of doing my own tire rotations, I'm wondering if there is an easy way to just lift an entire side of the car while I swap front and rear tires. Is the car's frame sturdy enough to place a floor jack in the middle of the side and lift it or am I going to have to use two jacks/stands per side? Just curious. Thanks.
     
    #1 cutter44, Apr 22, 2015
  2. Mike500

    Mike500 Senior Member

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    I use two Harbor Freight $60 aluminum floor jacks with my custom made "pinch weld" jacking blocks.
     
    #2 Mike500, Apr 22, 2015
  3. css28

    css28 Senior Member

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    You may find that the CG is close enough to the front jacking location to do it from there.

    I know I could with my VW Rabbit many years ago.
     
    #3 css28, Apr 22, 2015
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Witness Leader

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    I just raise the whole car, enough that all the tires are about 2" off the slab. Raise front first, put on two safety stands. Raise rear, two more safety stands.

    Only thing, I don't much care for the pinch weld support locations, seem to flimsy/twitchy: I put safety stands nearby but on reinforced underbody points.
     
    #4 Mendel Leisk, Apr 22, 2015
  5. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    Do you have American Tire on the East coast? They will rotate the tires for free, even if you did not buy them there. Or you could just pay the dealer $24.00 and let them do it.
     
    #5 orenji, Apr 23, 2015
  6. DKTVAV

    DKTVAV Active Member

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    Pep Boys will do the same for membership that's free to join.
     
    #6 DKTVAV, Apr 23, 2015
  7. Okinawa

    Okinawa Senior Member

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    Discount Tire has a very good lifetime balancing and tire rotation deal. Lifetime meaning for the life of the tires that you have on your car.
     
    #7 Okinawa, Apr 23, 2015
  8. cutter44

    cutter44 Member

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    Thanks for the replies. To be honest, I'd prefer to rotate them myself rather than paying $20 to wait around while a shop overtightens them with an air wrench and tries to upsell me on alignment, brakes, etc. And I'd feel like a jerk just going to get it done free, assuming I could even find a place to do that in MA.

    I have the tools, and I've done them for years on previous vehicles. The only potential problem I see with the Prius is the low ground clearance and the inability to easily get a jack under there.
     
    #8 cutter44, Apr 23, 2015
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    people buy special floor jacks (harbor freight?) to fit properly.
     
    #9 bisco, Apr 23, 2015
  10. cutter44

    cutter44 Member

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    Yep. May be time for a low-profile floor jack. Or I can just drive it up onto a couple of 2x10s until it's high enough to get my existing floor jack and stands under it.

    Oh, and while I'm thinking of it, doesn't every 5k miles pretty frequent for rotation? Most other cars I've had have suggested anywhere from every 7500 to 10k to sometimes as much 15k for tire rotation.
     
    #10 cutter44, Apr 23, 2015
  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    is it possible to drive a car onto 4 ramps at the same time?
     
    #11 bisco, Apr 23, 2015
  12. cutter44

    cutter44 Member

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    I would just do a side at a time. Drive up the boards to gain a few inches to get the jack under. Then lift and place the jack stands, swap the tires, drive it off, then do the same for the other side. It's a way to get a little exercise on a nice spring/summer/fall day. I'll pay the shop to do it in the middle of winter. :)
     
    #12 cutter44, Apr 23, 2015
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  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Witness Leader

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    And then what? :ROFLMAO:

    Actually, tire rotation aside, I'd love to see that.
     
    #13 Mendel Leisk, Apr 23, 2015
  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    then you've got a level car up where you want it.:)
     
    #14 bisco, Apr 23, 2015
  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i suppose they wouldn't fit in front of the rear tyres.
     
    #15 bisco, Apr 23, 2015
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  16. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    ^^^^ This
     
    #16 xliderider, Apr 23, 2015
  17. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Witness Leader

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    I've got a very non low profile jack, it rolls under the front bumper no problem. Maybe 1/2" clearance at the closest, and that's just from plastic.

    I can't understand this urge to raise one side at a time, especially if you were doing cross over rotation.

    Either one of the cradles will make it under front bumper, to front centre jacking point. At rear tons of clearance. Exhibit A:

    image.jpg
     
    #17 Mendel Leisk, Apr 23, 2015
  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    he's doing front to back rotation.
     
    #18 bisco, Apr 23, 2015
  19. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    It's just rotating tires, you must have some tire stores that do it for free. It's not worth the hassle to do it yourself.
     
    #19 orenji, Apr 23, 2015
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  20. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    Hockey puck?
     
    #20 xliderider, Apr 23, 2015
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