Diy Tire Rotation - Jack Stand Cradle

[NickDeRoo]

I've been looking for a way to rotate my own tires on my model 3. I already have a normal jack and jack stands and was trying to avoid the fancy jack stands i've seen in other posts. Anyone used a jack stand cradle as seen below or similar?

Other solutions?

Tesla Model 3 jack puck and jack-stand cradle | eBay

 

[M109Rider]

I've been looking for a way to rotate my own tires on my model 3. I already have a normal jack and jack stands and was trying to avoid the fancy jack stands i've seen in other posts. Anyone used a jack stand cradle as seen below or similar?

Other solutions?

Tesla Model 3 jack puck and jack-stand cradle | eBay

I use one jack and jack up the entire side of the car from the one jack point.

Then swap both tires.
Just block the tires and ensure it’s on a flat surface.

 

[NickDeRoo]

I use one jack and jack up the entire side of the car from the one jack point.

Then swap both tires.
Just block the tires and ensure it’s on a flat surface.

Would you mind sharing some photos next time you do it? I thought of this but thought it seem'd sketchy?

 

[rickdogg82]

Not a Tesla, but same thing.

 

[NickDeRoo]

View attachment 420917 Not a Tesla, but same thing.

Thanks Rick, But the suspension and wheel base is different, so the high needed to get both wheels up and the sketckyness is not really the same.

 

[woodisgood]

There are two concerns here. First, a method to lift up the car to rotate tires. You can use one jack and lift high enough to get both wheels on a side off the ground, but this bothers some people. The next cheapest solution is to get a second jack. Aside from the pain of storing a second jack, this works really well, and you're only lifting high enough to get the tire off the ground.

Now that being said, there are people who would not want to do any sort of work without the car supported by stands, even a tire rotation. That's fair, as a jack failing could definitely damage the car and possibly injure a person (even if you're not under it). In that case, the accessory shown above could possibly be useful.

 

[LoL Rick]

The safety police are probably going to come after me in force for writing this, but I simply bought a second jack. For the purposes of the swapping the wheels front to back on a side this seems to be the easiest and most cost effective solution. Don't ever get under the car while it is up on a jack, but we're not talking about doing that here.

 

[M109Rider]

Would you mind sharing some photos next time you do it? I thought of this but thought it seem'd sketchy?

Sure. I can post pics next time.
I’m comfortable with doing it this way, some aren’t.

It boils down to this.
1. Don’t go under the car.
2. Block wheels
3. Flat surface.
4. No kids around during the work.
5. I trust myself to do it right.

 

[Sky-Pilot]

I bought 4 pucks and use two floor jacks. I'm seriously thinking about going the quickjack route though. I have 4 cars; 1 EV and 3 ICE, so rotating tires can be time consuming. Then there's the oil changes and other misc repairs ICE cars require.

QuickJack BL-5000SLX Mobile Car Lift - Low-Profile Auto Lift

Costco has the 5000SLX for $999.

 

[duckm4n]

From the picture, it looks like the product allows jack stands to be placed next to the lift point. Are there any indication that the crease area supporting the jack stands is a safe lift point?

 

[NickDeRoo]

From the picture, it looks like the product allows jack stands to be placed next to the lift point. Are there any indication that the crease area supporting the jack stands is a safe lift point?

Great Question, I reached out to the seller for this. I'll post a reply if I get anything that inspires confidence.

 

[KenC]

Interesting, I was just going to get myself a second jack, but if this jack cradle thing works, maybe I'll just do that instead.

 

[afadeev]

Thanks Rick, But the suspension and wheel base is different, so the high needed to get both wheels up and the sketckyness is not really the same.

True, but cars are cars, and every car build post mid-90s is stiff enough to allow lifting the entire side by jacking at either front or rear jack points. Same principles apply to a Tesla.

Interesting, I was just going to get myself a second jack, but if this jack cradle thing works, maybe I'll just do that instead.

You don't need a jack cradle, but certainly buy one if you find it handy.
The key is jacking the car at the 1 of the 4 Tesla approved frame jacking points (p. 142 in my TM3 manual PDF). Jacking plate forces you to locate that point, and insert the "neck" of the "plate" into the recessed hole in the side-frame.

I accomplish the same by placing a hokey puck onto the jack saddle, and positioning it right under one of Tesla's desired jacking points. I like hokey pucks as they are strong, and provide both protection to the vehicle frame from the jack's saddle, as well as additional friction between the mating surfaces.

There are plenty of other tools for the job that can be bought on eBay. Pick one that appeals to you:
tesla jack point | eBay

 

[Avid]

I bought 4 pucks and use two floor jacks. I'm seriously thinking about going the quickjack route though. I have 4 cars; 1 EV and 3 ICE, so rotating tires can be time consuming. Then there's the oil changes and other misc repairs ICE cars require.

QuickJack BL-5000SLX Mobile Car Lift - Low-Profile Auto Lift

Costco has the 5000SLX for $999.

I bought this when it was on sale last time. Be aware that this model is not long enough to use normally. That is, placed parallel to the length of the car. You will have to put each lift 90° to the normal placement. Doing this will allow you to use the lift pads correctly under the pucks. This annoyed me a bit, but wasn't a real issue, the Tesla doesn't have any parts that needs servicing that the lifts placed this way would interfere with.

They now have a longer version bl-5000ext, it has a 66", 6" longer than the 5000slx. They indicate that XLT car lift is ideal for some exceptionally long electric vehicles
Interesting that this points specifically to the Model S webpage.

BL-5000EXT Extended Length Portable Car Lift by QuickJack

QuickJack SLX, EXT or XLT Car Lift Models

Unfortunately, you will have to pay more for the new model, Costco has the cheapest price for the SLX around the internet.

Edit: I still have a 2014 Prius v, which is the largest Prius, and it works in the normal configuration.

 

[KenC]

...You don't need a jack cradle, but certainly buy one if you find it handy.
The key is jacking the car at the 1 of the 4 Tesla approved frame jacking points (p. 142 in my TM3 manual PDF). Jacking plate forces you to locate that point, and insert the "neck" of the "plate" into the recessed hole in the side-frame.

I accomplish the same by placing a hokey puck onto the jack saddle, and positioning it right under one of Tesla's desired jacking points. I like hokey pucks as they are strong, and provide both protection to the vehicle frame from the jack's saddle, as well as additional friction between the mating surfaces.

There are plenty of other tools for the job that can be bought on eBay. Pick one that appeals to you:
tesla jack point | eBay

Thanks, I already made 4 hockey pucks. I see now that the cradle thing just aligns your jack with a safe spot on the frame to support the vehicle.

 

[Ciditad]

I bought 4 pucks and use two floor jacks. I'm seriously thinking about going the quickjack route though. I have 4 cars; 1 EV and 3 ICE, so rotating tires can be time consuming. Then there's the oil changes and other misc repairs ICE cars require.

QuickJack BL-5000SLX Mobile Car Lift - Low-Profile Auto Lift

Costco has the 5000SLX for $999.

Just looked, $1099, still a good price.

 

[NickDeRoo]

Finally heard back from the seller, they wrote... I will not be purchasing this product.

There is no indication that the rib on the underside of the car where the jack-stand cradle is placed is a safe lift point. The rib is an extension of the metal at the lift point, and the cradle is designed to allow the jack stand to be positioned as close to the lift point as possible. It is assumed that the rib can distribute the load well enough, but there is no confirmation of this. If you choose to use this product you do so assuming the risk.

The testing that we have performed so far has demonstrated no negative issues on the car, but without cooperation from Tesla to confirm, or an analysis of the construction of the car, we cannot make any guarantees regarding the vehicle.

We appreciate your interest in the product and hope that this information allows you to make the best decision for you. We understand if you choose not to make the purchase. If you are interested, you can purchase 1 to check out and to see where the jack-stand cradle is positioned. If you are not comfortable with the product, we will fully refund the entire cost.

OliRo Design values all customers and we want to be sure that all are able to make the most informed decision possible so that they can have the highest satisfaction. We will be posting videos shortly that better demonstrate the products.

 

[Occhis]

Finally heard back from the seller, they wrote... I will not be purchasing this product.

There is no indication that the rib on the underside of the car where the jack-stand cradle is placed is a safe lift point. The rib is an extension of the metal at the lift point, and the cradle is designed to allow the jack stand to be positioned as close to the lift point as possible. It is assumed that the rib can distribute the load well enough, but there is no confirmation of this. If you choose to use this product you do so assuming the risk.

The testing that we have performed so far has demonstrated no negative issues on the car, but without cooperation from Tesla to confirm, or an analysis of the construction of the car, we cannot make any guarantees regarding the vehicle.

We appreciate your interest in the product and hope that this information allows you to make the best decision for you. We understand if you choose not to make the purchase. If you are interested, you can purchase 1 to check out and to see where the jack-stand cradle is positioned. If you are not comfortable with the product, we will fully refund the entire cost.

OliRo Design values all customers and we want to be sure that all are able to make the most informed decision possible so that they can have the highest satisfaction. We will be posting videos shortly that better demonstrate the products.

Thanks for doing the legwork to get this info. I was thinking about getting something like this cradle. I’m not willing to try them out, b/c if it fails what good is a refund at that point?
That said, I would like to find a way to use jack stands to support the car so that I can crawl underneath. I understand that it is advisable to remove the belly pan once a year or so to clean out the debris that may accumulate and check for fluid leaks that may pool there undetected. See here for recommended yearly maintenance:

 

[TomB985]

I usually jack from the rear lift point to raise the entire side of the car. Because of the weight of the motor in the back, my SR has a rear weight bias, so it works pretty well.

On another forum for a completely different vehicle, lots of people recommend a set of these:

QuickJack - Car Lift for your Garage or Shop

 

[St☰v☰]

So is anyone doing a real crossing? The tires can go on either side, so long as the word "outside" is on the outside.