Rotation time!

[VermZ06]

The way I do it is I use one jack.
Do one side at a time.
Take off rear, install spare.
Take off front, install tire that came off rear.
Remove spare and install tire that came off front.
Rinse and repeat.

+1 only but since i have two sets of rims/tires instead of spare i use either a winter or summer tire depending on the season...takes a little bit of time, but is worth the hour and a half...plus you get to clean the inside of the wheel wells...

 

[VermZ06]

+1
I'm wondering this too. Is there a special rigamarole for the TPMS when you rotate tires, or do you just not worry about it?

Nope, stock TPMS will register without anything special...just rotate and you'll be good to go.

 

[ALIEN3T]

I DO A SOMEWHAT CROSS

I take the rear and just move them forward. i take the fronts and cross them to the rear. thiway the tires since not directional will wear in both directions. simple way fo rme. last tiem at dealr with 15,000 miles i still hade more than 60% tire left. and i have driven the car somewhat hard. a couple burn outs and hard launches. but nothing to serious. should have 25,000 mile sout of mine by the time they are done!

 

[ALIEN3T]

I also rotate them when the oil change has been. (shoudl rotate around 6,000 miles) but at oil change time just made it easy to remember!

 

[mazdaspeedster3]

LOL an HOUR to rotate your tires?!?! I could get all the tires off myself in 8 minutes. If you don't have a torque wench i would get one so you can torque the wheels back on. Other than that you have all you need.

1. Loosen all lug nuts
2. Make sure the E-Brake is on and jack up one side of the car.
3. switch the wheels on that side and set it down.
4. jack up other side
5. switch wheels on that side, set it down
6. Torque the lug nuts.

Don't even have to use jackstands. You can if you dont trust your jack though. Thats such an easy job don't take it to the dealer for that simple stuff.

Just follow these instructions already... No spare tire needed. When you Jack up the front the rear wheel will come off the ground. I swap out my rims every week (weekend rim set and then the daily driver set for work and back) and I do it the way it is quoted above every time!

 

[Rotus8]

Don't forget to adjust your pressures after a rotation. Fronts should have slightly more pressure than the rear.

 

[mazdaspeedster3]

resetting your TPMS? NO, NO, NO! It communicates on its own. the light will not come on at all. My summer set doesnt even have TPM's in and all that happens is the light blinks and then stays on. once I put my stocks back on the light never comes on (unless low pressure of course).
Who is telling all these urban legends?

 

[mazdaspeedster3]

34 psi front, 32 psi rear

 

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

34 psi front, 32 psi rear

Hot or cold?

 

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

...Rotating my tires today after work, do i need to worry about resetting the TPMS and how do you do it?

The system Mazda put in our cars does not track which tire is located where. All it knows is that four tires are within its range. This is why rotating the tires has zero effect on the system.
I do it every oil change and got 20k out of the stockers. Easy to remember and as other posters pointed out, if you get it done along with other maintenance items, it is usually cheaper, or even free.

 

[VermZ06]

Hot or cold?

Cold I believe...

 

[BlackJack]

Yeah, cold. If in hot weather, I up it +2 or so each

 

[hilmar2k]

Yeah, cold. If in hot weather, I up it +2 or so each

No, no, no. That's not what "cold" means. Cold means a tire at ambient air temp, i.e. not recently driven. It is irrelevant what the outside temp is.

 

[pointysticks]

great advice! i personally would use jackstands as backup, but hey, it is your party. for what, 30 seconds of effort?, to put my jackstands under there, it is worth it, considering the potential BS that could happen.

thanks for clearing up the pressure sensor stuff....

 

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

No, no, no. That's not what "cold" means. Cold means a tire at ambient air temp, i.e. not recently driven. It is irrelevant what the outside temp is.

The woman who did my alignment told me that these size tires will go up 5 psi from ambient to hot. I thought she was crazy. I knew they go up, but that much?
I set them all to 35 at the shop and drove home (45 minute drive) and when I got there, every damn tire was at 40psi or just under. I couldn't believe it.

 

[hilmar2k]

The woman who did my alignment told me that these size tires will go up 5 psi from ambient to hot. I thought she was crazy. I knew they go up, but that much?
I set them all to 35 at the shop and drove home (45 minute drive) and when I got there, every damn tire was at 40psi or just under. I couldn't believe it.

That's why it's so important to check them cold (ambient).

 

[mdavis]

anyone know any accurate/quality/inexpensive tire guages? I dont trust my old school slider. the manual specifies digital, is that necessary?

 

[MikeHTally]

I DO A SOMEWHAT CROSS

I take the rear and just move them forward. i take the fronts and cross them to the rear. thiway the tires since not directional will wear in both directions. simple way fo rme. last tiem at dealr with 15,000 miles i still hade more than 60% tire left. and i have driven the car somewhat hard. a couple burn outs and hard launches. but nothing to serious. should have 25,000 mile sout of mine by the time they are done!

That's the way I've rotated tires for many years. On my Ram, back ones straight forward, cross the front ones to the back. My 300C is the opposite (mostly 'cause that's what the manual says). I do the truck myself in 30-40 minutes. I pay to have the "C" done ($13), 'cause I can't get my floor jack under it. What I do with the Ram is lift the rear and put it on jack stands, then take the rears to the front. Jack up one front corner at at time, taking that front tire/wheel to the opposite rear corner. Takes less time to do than driving somewhere to have it done.

I plan to follow that same pattern with my MS3, but it won't be at the dealer. That would be half a day at least. My 300C has TPMS, as well. It has never complained of the tires on different corners, only when one of 'em picked up a nail and when it got really cold one weekend.