Jacking point for tire rotation

I want to rotate my tires, if I start on the passenger side can I jack up the vehicle in the center of the passenger side frame and place two jack stands on each side? Or will that damage the frame? I know the center of the frame is not a jacking point. How do you guys rotate your tires?

 

I was surprised when I installed my lift last week and crawled under the front of the vehicle to jack it up. Really no good points in the center. I ended up using a 1"x6"x12" piece of wood to distribute the weight and placed the jack on the radiator support/skid plate. Pretty sure I still bent the skid plate a bit.

The frame is always the best point to place a jack.

 

Use the jack points as shown in the manual.

The front ones are hard to tell, but here’s a photo of a lift positioned at the proper points, on the frame near the cross member. That’s where you place your jack or stand. BTW, I just rotate front to back, no crossing. There are several different patterns, pick one and stick with it.

 

This is not recommended by Toyota in our 4 Runners, same side rotation only. Do not reverse direction by flipping sides.

 

It is for mine. Maybe not for yours.

 

Looks like you’re both correct. Up to and including 3rd gen, Toyota specified the 4R pattern as crossing sides, then at 4th and 5th gen they went to same side.
Here’s an interesting thread on tire rotation, including rotating in your spare tire.

 

Here’s the page from my 2018 manual.

 

Getting ready to rotate the tires for the 2nd time tomorrow, and I did not like where I had everything placed last time. I'm just doing front to back rotation, like the manual indicates, so I need to lift one side at a time.

Would it work to put the jack on the point between the red circled points in the diagram (not the picture of the lifted vehicle), and put the stands on those circled points?

 

G'mornin, good question. I have to do the same rotation asap. I think you're good to jack anywhere along the side frame rails between the wheels (shown in green, swing arm type lift specified). I understand that jacking in the centre would allow the jack stands to be placed under the red circles together, quicker and easier. I guess if we stick to the red circle jack points only, then you'd slip the jack stands in on the frame directly inside the red circle points. But in going with that method, I worry about the stability of the first jack stand that's in place, as you lift up the opposite end for the second jack stand, as you attempt to lift the entire side up evenly.

Thoughts folks?
Thanks

 

Don’t jack in the center of the frame. You’ll have to go extremely high to actually get the rear wheel to lift…it will be unnecessary unstable. That’s if your jack can even get that high.

The rear needs to be lifted at the pumpkin. It tires will come up immediately since the suspension doesnt need to compress. Then lift high enough to get the stand under at minimum height notch.

 

Instructions unclear, used three jacks no stands. Tripod stability!

 

Genius

Then Jack the front point and slip a stand right behind it?

 

Well, it probably wont be that simple because if you use the frame lift point to jack, you wont have the ground space to accommodate the jack stand in the proper place.

What I usually do is lift both front wheels at the front crossmember (or the circle nub in the stock skidplates), the put jackstands under the stand points on the frame rail. This gets the entire front up. Then also lift the rear at the pumpkin, and jackstands at the axle tubes. Any time that you lower a vehicle onto stands, do it slow! If your jack can’t lower slowly…just get another one. The car will shift and pull on the stands in odd ways due to the arc travel of the jack, and the amount of suspension travel that it has. These will be different motions depending if you lift the front first or the back first. That’s why you want to lower it sloooowly onto the stands. Keep an eye on them as you do, to verify they are not tilting onto two legs.

For me, lifting all 4 corners in this manner is the most safe feeling way as it seemed the motions as I lowered were more predictable. I guess you could also try lifting the entire front end, but just lowering it onto a jackstand on one side, and repeat for the back. But if I recall, I didn’t like how things looked as they settled.

Whichever way you do it. Have the proper rating jack and jackstands, I use 6ton stands for the front because i needed the height. I have a shorter 3ton set for the back, but they need to extend fully, which I don’t like, so I’ll probabably get 6tons for there too.

Even if you decide to raise all 4 corners onto jack stands, it’s good to only remove the wheels you absolutely need to for a particular job. That way you can use your jack as backup to the jackstands near the area you are working. There’s almost no reason ever to remove all 4 tires.

And remember, not only can stands break, but the vehicle can roll off them too. Don’t think that a vehicle will always fall straight down… the entire vehicle can move forward, laterally, or twist in a fall. So don’t put yourself between the vehicle and a hard place.

 

You are not wrong, that is what Toyota recommends in their manual. You also have to remember Toyota writes their manuals assuming you do not deviate from factory specs, perform 100% of services at the dealer and use the same tires that come on the vehicle from the factory. That pattern works for street tires, but if you are running AT tires with larger lugs you will develop heal/toe wear unless you cross the tires side to side and wear them the other direction.

I highly recommend any one who questions this to do a little research on the physics behind heal/toe wear. If you do, you will understand why the back to front, front cross to rear is the better rotation pattern for rear wheel drive vehicles with all terrain/mud terrain tires.

 

Thank-sir, super useful information. I've carefully read that all. I think I'll have to come up with a hybrid plan to lift one side fully at a time, since I just have two 6-ton jack stands. I'm confident I can safely do that and will certainly keep my body out from under the truck!

 

Having the 6 ton jack’s height on the rear axle tube will be nicer than my short 3 ton jack. Take your time, enjoy the the work!

 

I should probably clarify some things:

I have factory wheels & tires. I have a floor jack and 2 stands. I only want to lift one side at a time.

The reason for my question was to see if there is a way to only use the jack once per side, rather than lifting the front side & placing a stand then lifting the back side and placing a stand. That way involves using the jack 4 times for the whole process instead of 2. Just looking for the most efficient, safe and correct way to do it.

 

At least you have a floor jack. I recently used the OEM screw jack to rotate my tires, which must have taken a thousand or two revolutions in each direction.

 

Jack the rear diff and put jack stands under the rear axle. Pull the jack around to the front and jack at the reinforced point in the middle of the front skid. All 4 wheels are now in the air. Rotate in your preferred manner.

 

I only want one side off the ground, and I definitely don't want 2 wheels off the ground only supported by the jack.

 

To me it seemed more shifty (literally) to get it on jack stands on only one side. You should NOT do it by jacking in the middle of the length of the frame rail. Not only is the weight probably higher lifting one side vs front or back, but you will need to jack excessively high in order to actually raise the rear tire due to the axle’s articulation.

And suppose your jack could go that high, the stands would rest on an angle to the frame, making it possibly less stable and it might dent the frame from the pressure points.

this is why i lift all 4 corners…but only remove wheels on one side to reduce risk.

 

I mean @auspilot isn't wrong, his suggested method would cut the mount of jack steps, like you want. Because there isn't really another way to jack up one side properly other than what McSpaz described. I put this to the test last night performing a rearward cross, it's true (my jack is only placed in the centre of frame after jack stands are installed, just extra safety - like putting a tire under which I did too).

But I do agree @Lou, it would be nice if it could be less jacking, but McSpaz makes a good point about vehicle side weight compared to end weights. I actually found jacking up the rear axle pumpkin is the safest and quickest. It raises tires quickly and doesn't need to go very high before you can quickly kick 2 stands under.

Also, the centre front jack point works well too when done correctly.

Jacking up one side at a time, one wheel at a time, ended up not being too wild of a frame angle for the jack stands, it was stable too.

I also only have two 6Ton stands, and a 3Ton floor jack.

 

If you have E-load tires, it really helps to lift them no more than an inch off the ground. It's hard to line up the holes while fighting the weight. At about 3/4", it's not hard at all.

 

Very true, yes sir, my load E tires on 9" wheels are 89lbs!

 

I actually ended up doing this, even though I'm not a fan of only the jack supporting the front. I used the jack at the rear differential, put stands under each side of the axle, then used the jack at the point on the front end. Just took tires off one side at a time. It was definitely more efficient than what I did last time, but I might end up buying 2 more jack stands for my peace of mind.

 

Before you jacked anything you broke free the lug nuts on each tire?

 

I actually do that when it's partially jacked and the tires are barely contacting the ground. Broke the back ones first then jacked the rest of the way for stands, then the front. But only completely took off one side at a time.