Take all four wheels off

[_richard]

How do I go about taking all 4 wheels off the car? I have 4 jack pads already, but now stumped how to move forward with only 1 floor jack. Do I need to go buy 3 more floor jacks? We only have 4 jack points on the Model 3, if I jack up one side, how do I put a jack stand in there if the floor jack taking up the corner with the puck? Also, can I even use a jack stand with a puck? Not sure how the "V" shape of the jack stand will hold the puck.

I want to be able to easily pull all the rims off the car without having to go to a shop.

 

[Scott7]

If you are just changing wheels, the simplest way is to jack up one side at a time and lower it back down before doing the other side. I usually leave my floor jack in place but rest the weight of the car gently on a jack stand (for example) at the other jack point on the same side of the car.

If you need to have all 4 wheels off simultaneously and you want to use the recommended jack points, it gets tricky on many cars. Here's one solution.

 

[TMThree]

If you are just changing wheels, the simplest way is to jack up one side at a time and lower it back down before doing the other side. I usually leave my floor jack in place but rest the weight of the car gently on a jack stand (for example) at the other jack point on the same side of the car.

If you need to have all 4 wheels off simultaneously and you want to use the recommended jack points, it gets tricky on many cars. Here's one solution.

I really like that stand.

Do you have any recommendations for jacks? I am not a fan of HF for things that may endanger my safety.

 

[stickman]

Folks say the car is rigid enough to jack one side high enough (at the back point for instance) to get a stand under the other point on the same side. I bought some low jack stands but haven’t had the guts (or the need) to take all 4 off at the same time. For wheel swaps and bleeding the brakes I just do one corner at a time

 

[_richard]

If you need to have all 4 wheels off simultaneously and you want to use the recommended jack points, it gets tricky on many cars. Here's one solution.

That stand is interesting, but I would need 4 ideally to take all 4 wheels off, I could use 3 and the floor jack, BUT @$125 a pop thats pricey. It would be cheaper to buy 4 jacks at HF for like $80-100 ea. They get decent rep. Then I could just use my jack stands or a wheel or something similar as a safety net just in case of floor jack failure.

 

[_richard]

Folks say the car is rigid enough to jack one side high enough (at the back point for instance) to get a stand under the other point on the same side.

How does the puck fit with the stand?

 

[coleAK]

I did my tire change over this year fall and spring on a frame lift at the auto hobby shop on post since both times I was also mounting tires. This fall I’ll do it in my garage since it will be an easy swap. This is my smaller floor jack I’ll use for the model 3, it is high quality and has been flawless
Strongway 3-Ton Aluminum Hydraulic Quick Lift Low-Profile Service Floor Jack | Northern Tool + Equipment

And as Scott7 said I’ll jack up one side and put a jack stand under the other jack point on that side and do one side of the car at a time. I have some old jack stands that not these exact ones but are are similar to this
ESCO Jack Stand Kit — 3-Ton Capacity, Model# 10498-K | Northern Tool + Equipment

 

[coleAK]

How does the puck fit with the stand?

You need a stand with “flat tops” like this

 

[stickman]

You need a stand with “flat tops” like this

Yep

 

[SigNC]

cheaper to buy 4 floor jacks than 4 of those stands!

 

[_richard]

Yep

You need a stand with “flat tops” like this

Ok, theres an option... get 2 of these, gets me most of the way.
https://www.amazon.com/ESCO-10498-J...01J5ZB8K6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

So, its safe to jack one side in the rear, place the same side ft jack stand, lower the rear floor jack, and do the other side?

 

[coleAK]

Ok, theres an option... get 2 of these, gets me most of the way.
https://www.amazon.com/ESCO-10498-J...01J5ZB8K6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

So, its safe to jack one side in the rear, place the same side ft jack stand, lower the rear floor jack, and do the other side?

So you can either do one wheel at a time which is what I do for winter summer swap. Or you can do one side, 2 wheels at a time. What is what I do when I rotate tires.

To do 2 at a time jack under the front or rear of one side. Then jack high enough to get a stand under the other jack point the front or rear you didn’t use to jack. Then lower to slightly rest the car on the jack stand and existing jack. Then swap out both wheels on that side. Repeat on the other side.

 

[_richard]

I want 4 at a time off the car, e.g. getting wheels painted, getting new tires, etc.

 

[coleAK]

I want 4 at a time off the car, e.g. getting wheels painted, getting new tires, etc.

I had one of these when we were racing our GT3 cup and lived in our last house.

https://www.costco.com/QuickJack-5,000-LB-Capacity-Portable-Car-Lift-.product.100460313.html

As for getting tires. Just drive the car to a reputable tire shop and let them do their thing.

 

[Triplett]

Thanks to this post I just spent two hours looking for the suspension switch on a model 3.

 

[woodguyatl]

So you can either do one wheel at a time which is what I do for winter summer swap. Or you can do one side, 2 wheels at a time. What is what I do when I rotate tires.

To do 2 at a time jack under the front or rear of one side. Then jack high enough to get a stand under the other jack point the front or rear you didn’t use to jack. Then lower to slightly rest the car on the jack stand and existing jack. Then swap out both wheels on that side. Repeat on the other side.

Do 3’s only get rotated front to back?

 

[coleAK]

Do 3’s only get rotated front to back?

Only with directional tires. None of the OEM tires on the 3 are directional. I do the “rear cross” with my summer tires. So I bring the rear tire to front spot on the same side then take the front and put it on the opposit side rear. That way all 4 tires spend time in each position on the car, the path starting with Right rear: RR - RF -LR - LF back to RR... On my LX570 I do a 5 tire and include the spare in the mix, so go LF to spare to RR. On my winter tires that are directional tread I do same side back to front and front to back.

I had a frame lift in our last house in the garage and here we have an auto hobby shop that is $7/hour so I do all my rotations and most of my summer->winter change over with all 4 tires lifted off the ground. Honistly if I didn’t have a frame lift I would still do the seasonal swap at home with a jack but pay for a 4 tire rotation.

 

[woodguyatl]

Only with directional tires. None of the OEM tires on the 3 are directional. I do the “rear cross” with my summer tires. So I bring the rear tire to front spot on the same side then take the front and put it on the opposit side rear. That way all 4 tires spend time in each position on the car, the path starting with Right rear: RR - RF -LR - LF back to RR... On my LX570 I do a 5 tire and include the spare in the mix, so go LF to spare to RR. On my winter tires that are directional tread I do same side back to front and front to back.

I had a frame lift in our last house in the garage and here we have an auto hobby shop that is $7/hour so I do all my rotations and most of my summer->winter change over with all 4 tires lifted off the ground. Honistly if I didn’t have a frame lift I would still do the seasonal swap at home with a jack but pay for a 4 tire rotation.

Thank you.