-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Tire Rotation [recommendations on where to get tires rotated?]
- Thread starter FanJet
- Start date
It has more to do with positioning in the jack or lift at the correct locations (designated jacking points) on the bottom of the car.
The jack pucks that plug into the holes in the jacking points make it easy and convenient to position the jack or lift in the correct place, although they are not strictly necessary.
Last edited:
Upvote
0
TBrownTX
Active Member
I brought a recently refinished Uberturbine to DT to have a new tire put on, and they damaged the wheel. While I was there, a Tesla was getting a tire change, it was up using 4 manual jacks versus a lift.
Did not see pucks but lift points appeared correct. When I needed a tire change, I paid extra and went to Tesla, and they damaged a wheel. At least Tesla replaced the wheel verus the DT refinish job.
I think it's up to you as the owner to keep an eye on them. I always hang around the bay when getting vehicle work done, where I can. I know the techs hate this, but I hate damage worse.
Tim
Did not see pucks but lift points appeared correct. When I needed a tire change, I paid extra and went to Tesla, and they damaged a wheel. At least Tesla replaced the wheel verus the DT refinish job.
I think it's up to you as the owner to keep an eye on them. I always hang around the bay when getting vehicle work done, where I can. I know the techs hate this, but I hate damage worse.
Tim
Upvote
0
I'd like to be able to rotate my own tires. I have a nice platform jack, and apparently you can jack up an entire side of the car (I haven't tried it yet). If you just do front<->back rotation, you're all set. But I've heard it suggested that lifting both wheels off the ground, from one of the jacking points, could put some torsion of the car body and potentially crack the glass roof (on models with glass roof). Using two jacks would be a PITA, unless you have two platform jacks (IOW, if you have to use some sort of emergency jack for one of the two wheels).
It occurred to me that maybe you could have a brace that goes between the two jacking points, and then place the platform jack in the middle of the brace, and so jack the entire side of the car up without putting any twisting forces. So I ran some computations. I happen to have a piece of 3x3x1/4 steel angle lying around. The distance between the jacking points is about 5ft. The car weighs about 4500lb. So I think it can be modeled as a "smply supported beam" 60 inches in length and with a point load of 2250lb in the center. If my computations are correct, this is going to cause the steel to deflect about 0.28" in the middle (where the platform jack is pushing). Given the pucks are typically at least 3/4" thick, this should be fine (the deflected beam won't contact the car).
What do you think ?
An I-beam would probably be better suited to the job. Maybe I'll swing by the scrap metal yard ...
It occurred to me that maybe you could have a brace that goes between the two jacking points, and then place the platform jack in the middle of the brace, and so jack the entire side of the car up without putting any twisting forces. So I ran some computations. I happen to have a piece of 3x3x1/4 steel angle lying around. The distance between the jacking points is about 5ft. The car weighs about 4500lb. So I think it can be modeled as a "smply supported beam" 60 inches in length and with a point load of 2250lb in the center. If my computations are correct, this is going to cause the steel to deflect about 0.28" in the middle (where the platform jack is pushing). Given the pucks are typically at least 3/4" thick, this should be fine (the deflected beam won't contact the car).
What do you think ?
An I-beam would probably be better suited to the job. Maybe I'll swing by the scrap metal yard ...
Upvote
0
ATPMSD
Active Member
This is how mobile service does it
Spending a lot of money and if you screw up you will be spending a LOT of money. I suggest Discount Tire - it is free and they do the rotation as recommended by the tire manufacturers, which is not a front to back rotation (unless the tires are directional).
Upvote
0
This guy sells lift bars for different Porsches. Would be cool if one of these fit the Model 3. Might have to research this...
Upvote
0
No foolin' ? For glass-roofed cars ?
No, spending very little; just a piece of steel from the scrapyard, or the piece I already have. Glass roof IS a lot of money. I guess there's a risk the car could slip off the rig I'm proposing.
Upvote
0
Never take your car to any shop unless you have to
Most cars are staggered now so no crossing.
I just do it myself when I swap snow tires.
Upvote
0
ATPMSD
Active Member
A bit of an overstatement. None of my cars have had staggered tires including my MS and MY, and my Acuras before that. However, you HAVE to cross staggered tires as they must stay on the same axle, you cannot move them front-to-back. Directional tires cannot be crossed.
Upvote
0
Good grief, $300+ ?!? I'll just make my own, thanks you.
1. Piece of steel from the scrapyard.
2. Mount a couple of these on it: Mike 500 Jacking SOCKET ADAPTER for scissors jack to TESLA MODELs 3, Y, S and X | eBay
3. Maybe bolt something to the middle to insure against it slipping off your platform jack ...
Upvote
0
You have you two platform jacks ? I have one, plus an emergency scissors jack. Wouldn't want to use the latter unless I had too.
Upvote
0
Its the Porsche tax. Like the Corvette tax.
Make me a pair!
For $190 I think I am going to buy 1 Renn Stand but it sounds like my 1 jack and jack stands are good enough for tire rotations.
The 986 was stiff enough that I could lift on one side of the rear and get jack stands under both sides. I imagine these Teslas are equally stiff but need a spot to lift front and rear to slide stands under the jack points.
Upvote
0
Well, if you're satisfied with front-back rotation, and not afraid to lift an entire side of the car from one jack point, a single platform jack (and nothing else) will suffice. That's what I just did. Looks to me like the rear jack point is closer to the center-of-gravity than the front one, for what that's worth.
Upvote
0
Don't forget from that other thread, I have an emergency jack and a spare.
I used the spare today and did the tire rotation, front crossed to rear, and rear back-front. It was spur of the moment, my kids thing cancelled and all of the sudden I had a window to goof on the car.
I didn't even bother with jack stands, just moved the jack from position to position. Started with Left Rear, removed and installed the spare. Then did Left Front, removed and installed the Left Rear. Rinse repeat. If during the tire swap the jack died, so be it.
129 ft lbs was quite the effort with my 1/2" torque wrench, its probably a foot long. After I did that I put my 18" breaker bar on and tried to move them a little, and it was much easier. On the side of the road I won't have my torque wrench, so I wanted to get a feel of what 129 ft lbs was like.
It was also nice to use a cordless impact to help remove (after using the breaker bar) and install the nuts before the torque wrench. Might save lots of time to have one in my car, but I might just buy the "ratcheting" breaker bar from HF for emergencies.
Pictured below is how I started, the spare was 15psi low... oops. You definitely need a low pro jack to get under the pucks. Sure you don't need the pucks, but for $16 its a no-brainer for me.
Upvote
0
I reached out to the Lift Bars guy. He said the longer distance between the jacking points combined with the extra weight of the Model 3 meant the size of the bar was not practical.
If you make something that works, please show it off here!
Upvote
0
Don't think I'm going to, but maybe. Don't buy their argument though.
I'm a different kind of engineer than mechanical, but I believe the following is right. The equation for maximum deflection of a simply-supported beam is:
[W(lb) * P(in)^3] / [48 * E(lb/in^2) * I(in^4)].
I used W = 2250 lb (half the weight of my MYLR), and P = 72in (just a guess). E is 2.9*10^7 for steel, and I is 2.24 for a piece of 3 x 2-1/2" angle. Maximum defleciton is 0.27".
Bigger issue is making sure the whole thing stays together - so the car doesn't slip off and cause major damage to it or you. I imagine the Lift Bars folks have figured that out.
Last edited:
Upvote
0
Well, it might be a well spent $50 for the guarantee of no damage.
There is no Discount Tire in the Chicagoland area that has 4 jacking pucks to lift my car with. I purchased 4 of them and let them use them to lift my car and they never used them.
I suppose I'm at the age in life where I need things done right - not cheap. I'm done re-spending money.
Last edited:
Upvote
0
Similar threads
- Question
- Question
- Question