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Old 11-23-2021, 06:50 PM   #1
fatlazyless
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Default Subaru tire rotation

The tires that came on my used 2014 Subaru Crosstrek w/ 96k-miles in August, now 7500-miles later, 103,500-miles are WAY better than the Walmart Goodyear Viva-3 that I always bought for the Scion xB. The previous owner actually must have paid about $150-each, and when they finally need replacing, I will definitely be going with the Viva-3 again, at about $75-each, round and black.

Anyway, is time to rotate these expensive tires. Do I just move them, same side, front to back ........ or ........ the X pattern with front left to rear right, and front right to rear left.

Me-thinks the X pattern is the best way to do it for most EVEN tire wear.

I plan to do this with two small $29-floor jacks, and two wheel chocks and a 17mm Hyper Tough socket and ratchet, and a leave a small dab of Vaseline on each of the lug bolt threads .....

After this unbelievably huge accomplishment, I will tackle an oil and filter change, but probably not on the same day. Supposedly, this Crosstrek is high up off the ground, enough, so you can do an oil change by simply sliding under the car ...... it is that high up ..... to get to the oil drain plug .... without using the plastic drive-up ramps, like with the low-clearance Scion.

http://www.tiremeetsroad.com/2021/08...y-are-so-cheap ...... Goodyear Viva-3 (U.S.-made)meets Goodyear Reliant (Mexico-made)at Walmart? ..... both are round, black, and look like tires and are priced similar. Is best to stay the heck away from both the Viva-3 and the Reliant and go with the Goodyear Assurance, a higher priced, real Goodyear tire as opposed to a Walmart type of a customer, tire.

Is tire quality all about the price? Something about that name "Goodyear Assurance" sounds so very assuring? ......
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Old 11-23-2021, 07:11 PM   #2
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I include a torque wrench and change to lithium grease instead.
Just not worth scheduling an appointment for a twice a year project that I already have the equipment for should I have a flat.
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Old 11-23-2021, 07:39 PM   #3
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Some tires are directional.
So do check for that.

Front to back is one good choice. Keeping all tires on same side.

An alignment should be on a scheduled basis.
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Old 11-23-2021, 08:12 PM   #4
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Post On The Oil Change

Hi FLL, make sure that it isn't windy and you are on cement.

Also, I know with age, things that I used to do "Blindfolded" , I have since forgotten how to do!

Stay well, and good luck,
Terry
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Old 11-23-2021, 09:25 PM   #5
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Thumbs up ..... opens at 7-am

The Plymouth Walmart TLC, Tire Lube Center, opens at 7-am, seven days/week, and I figure they are probably on the top of their game at the 7-am opening with their first customer. So's for a price like $36-synthetic high mileage, and $10 ...... 2.50/wheel, tire rotation, $46-total ..... I can get an oil and filter and tire rotation while I sit there with a cup of coffee ...... vs. doing all this oil and tire work outside in the cold on a dirt driveway ..... a Hyper Tough decision here .....

Sometimes it's worth it to bite the bullet and pay out the big money! .... ..... with gasoline now at $3.20/gal ....... $46 is also exactly what it costs to fill up the tank when totally empty. What happened to gasoline at $1.90/gal?
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Old 11-24-2021, 05:00 AM   #6
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Belknap Subaru in Tilton, looking at their website, does oil & filter changes/tire rotations without an appointment. You go there in a Subaru and they do it.

Gotta wonder ..... what's the price ...... yo? Probably, it costs some price like $92.25 considering Walmart costs about $46.
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Old 11-24-2021, 06:21 AM   #7
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I have owned several Subarus.

They eat tires if not rotated regularly and in the correct pattern.

Some of my Subarus required 7500 oil change intervals and that's a bit long for tire rotation.

My latest requires 6000 oil changes and the tires appreciate that interval more.

The rotation pattern is spelled out in your owner's manual.

Mine says to bring the two front tires straight back to the rear and to swap sides as you bring the rear tires to the front.

This way, over time, each tire sees service at each position.

Two hydraulic jacks make the job easier but I have heard that using the spare tire as a temporary substitute allows this to be done with only one jack.
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Old 11-24-2021, 08:07 AM   #8
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My experience with them. Notorious tire eaters.

I seem to have the best luck with Uniroyal Laredo tires. Last forever!

If you're going to stick with the Assurance series, I prefer the all-weather Weather-Ready brand. VIP just had 4 tires for 3 sales. On top of that Goodyear sent out a $100 gift card if you send in the receipt.

VIP, unlimited balance, and rotation. They do scratch your wheels and will deny it! Oh, and I would go elsewhere for alignment.
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Old 11-24-2021, 01:02 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 8gv View Post
I have owned several Subarus.
Mine says to bring the two front tires straight back to the rear and to swap sides as you bring the rear tires to the front.
This is what I will do out in my dirt driveway, tomorrow-Turkey Day, on the last warm and sunny day of the year until next March 26 or sometime. This is a very good plan for tire rotation.

At 7-am today, Plymouth-Walmart already had four cars in line awaiting their opening, so's I skipped that idea and went inside and bought a 5-qt bottle of oil and a filter.

Will celebrate Thanksgiving with an oil and filter change and a tire rotation ...... gobble-gobble-gobble! ..... just me, Marie Callender and my Subaru!

Hey .......so how do I do this with two el cheapo floor jacks and two el cheapo tire chocks? Wouldn't I need either three jacks or two jacks and a spare tire?

Is good to be doing this under low stress conditions as a practice run for changing a tire out on a busy road, somewhere, like on Route 93 in Concord, NH.
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Old 11-24-2021, 08:00 PM   #10
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DO NOT AT ANY TIME HAVE ANY PART OF YOUR BODY UNDER THE CAR WHEN IT IS UP, GOING UP OR GOING DOWN!

On a level, hard surface, chock wheels, set parking brake and save the drinking for afterward.

Tighten all lug nuts finger tight then securely in a cross pattern.
In other words: 1,3,5,2,4.

Jack up right front, pull wheel and set it down near the right rear.

Jack up right rear, pull wheel and set it down near the left front.

Install wheel that is near right rear onto right rear.

Lower right rear jack and use it to raise left front.

Pull left front wheel and set it down near the left rear.

Install the wheel that is near the left front onto the left front.

Lower left front.

Jack up left rear.

Pull left rear wheel and set it down near the right front.

Install the wheel that is near the left rear onto the left rear.

Install the wheel that is near the right front on the right front.


If it has been a long time since this has been done or if it was not done in this pattern in the past expect some road noise and maybe a bit of pulling on the wheel.

FWIW...

My son and I will be doing this tomorrow while others yell at the football games on TV. They tell me the players can hear them!
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Old 11-25-2021, 03:57 AM   #11
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Thanks for the detailed reply. It's one heck of an effort to do a diy 4-wheel tire rotation using floor jacks as opposed to going to a car service with a lift. Do believe I'll go take it to Walmart or Valvoline or Meineke or VIP, and avoid the diy safety issue with tire rotation. Having a lift is a game changer.

While tire rotation is way too much effort and possible danger for me, doing an oil and filter change is much easier and can be done on a Crosstrek without raising the car up off the ground. All that's needed is small flashlight, gloves, a 17mm socket, an oil drain pan, a funnel and paper towels, and the drain plug is located very close to the front bumper, under the engine. The filter is located up above, next to the battery.

Walmart charges ten dollars for a 4-way tire rotation, and all the others probably charge twenty dollars or so(?). Walmart has a very large detailed services PRICE LIST on the wall at the Plymouth-Walmart TLC.

Thanks again for the detailed procedure. It's an interesting read.

About 15-years ago I had a Geo Tracker slide/fall off an el cheapo floor jack onto my dirt driveway. It fell down very fast, like in one split second, while I was off to the side, out of harm's way.

Wobbly, el cheapo, small floor jacks and a somewhat uneven dirt/gravel driveway all add up to make it not worth the risk for do-it-myself tire rotation when the Plymouth or Tilton Walmart will do it for ten dollars, except right now is a very busy time at the Walmart .... www.walmart.com/cp/auto-services/1087266 ..... with people switching from summer to winter tires.

......hopefully, all the Walmart TLC workers will be having a good day on your day ...... when you take your car to the Walmart Tire Lube Center .....https://toofab.com/2021/09/03/woman-...exploding-car/ ..... Sept-2021, Jeep, oil fill plug m.i.a. ..... oh well! ... ... and would my Allstate car insurance cover a similar explosion/fire supposedly caused by a missing oil fill plug and resulting oil spill?

Hey there ...... that GoFundMe .... down at the bottom of this exploding car story from Arizona has so far raised $7927 for single mom, Nikki Smith .... so's who will stick a crowbar into their wallet and pry out a small donation for her? You know what they say ...... the richer you get ..... the tighter you get! ....
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Last edited by fatlazyless; 11-25-2021 at 11:18 AM.
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Old 11-27-2021, 10:30 AM   #12
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For an oil change and tire rotation I much prefer to go to a small local garage that I have a relationship with and trust. They will take the time to talk to you about any other problems they or you notice, without trying to sell you unneeded repairs. One such garage is Sanborn's in Laconia. My current favorite is Ed Kingsley in Franklin. I recently paid $66 for a synthetic oil change and tire rotation at Kingsley's.

I like to put quite a bit of research into tires before buying, especially given the increase in cost since my last purchase. I find that the best expert reviews are at Tire Rack. My last new tires (on a Scion xA) bought according to the expert reviews were the General Altimax RT43, recently $89 at Walmart. Again, I would probably have my local garage install them. A backwards installation (wrong tread direction) on my current car led to premature tire wear.

These small local garages are worth their weight in gold. You still have to be vigilant until you get to know them well, though.
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Old 11-27-2021, 02:11 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fatlazyless View Post
Thanks for the detailed reply. It's one heck of an effort to do a diy 4-wheel tire rotation using floor jacks as opposed to going to a car service with a lift. Do believe I'll go take it to Walmart or Valvoline or Meineke or VIP, and avoid the diy safety issue with tire rotation. Having a lift is a game changer.

While tire rotation is way too much effort and possible danger for me, doing an oil and filter change is much easier and can be done on a Crosstrek without raising the car up off the ground. All that's needed is small flashlight, gloves, a 17mm socket, an oil drain pan, a funnel and paper towels, and the drain plug is located very close to the front bumper, under the engine. The filter is located up above, next to the battery.

Walmart charges ten dollars for a 4-way tire rotation, and all the others probably charge twenty dollars or so(?). Walmart has a very large detailed services PRICE LIST on the wall at the Plymouth-Walmart TLC.

Thanks again for the detailed procedure. It's an interesting read.

About 15-years ago I had a Geo Tracker slide/fall off an el cheapo floor jack onto my dirt driveway. It fell down very fast, like in one split second, while I was off to the side, out of harm's way.

Wobbly, el cheapo, small floor jacks and a somewhat uneven dirt/gravel driveway all add up to make it not worth the risk for do-it-myself tire rotation when the Plymouth or Tilton Walmart will do it for ten dollars, except right now is a very busy time at the Walmart .... www.walmart.com/cp/auto-services/1087266 ..... with people switching from summer to winter tires.

......hopefully, all the Walmart TLC workers will be having a good day on your day ...... when you take your car to the Walmart Tire Lube Center .....https://toofab.com/2021/09/03/woman-...exploding-car/ ..... Sept-2021, Jeep, oil fill plug m.i.a. ..... oh well! ... ... and would my Allstate car insurance cover a similar explosion/fire supposedly caused by a missing oil fill plug and resulting oil spill?

Hey there ...... that GoFundMe .... down at the bottom of this exploding car story from Arizona has so far raised $7927 for single mom, Nikki Smith .... so's who will stick a crowbar into their wallet and pry out a small donation for her? You know what they say ...... the richer you get ..... the tighter you get! ....
The secret is two sets. I have the All Season's that the vehicle comes with and winter tires on rims that I purchase separately. So one tire at a time with a floor jack and the parking brake on.
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