DIY: tire rotate, and what to check!

[Timinator]

Decided to rotate my tires today, since it is a balmy 68 F

I didn't see a in-depth thread on how to do it, and what to look at while doing it.

Pop the fake wheel covers off, I used a flat blade screw driver, use something better, the plastic is very soft and dents easily...




I found that just ahead of the door handle is a very good balance point for a rotate only

DO NOT DO AS I DO, DO AS I SAY!!!!

USE jack stands to keep the car SAFE to work on




The wheel are held on with 21mm (13/16) nuts, I was very surprised at this, with how small the rest of the car is.
I believe the torque on them is 80 ft.lbs? I don't have a torque wrench, so I go 1/4 turn past hand tight with the ratchet. Once the car is back on the ground gie each nut an extra 1/16-1/8 turn to make sure they're tight enough.

Now, getting to what to check, I tried my best to make these pictures look decent, and be helpful to those who are learning about cars. the terminology is from my Class A CDL training/pre-trip, your welcome haha





Here are my front (Left side) and rear (Right) tires after 13,350 miles this is my 1st rotation. the front are wearing much faster, but are 100% power/steering.

While the wheels are off check them for any nails, messed up tread, uneven tread, bumps, cuts, abrasions, etc etc.




The rear axle is much simpler, just make sure everything is present, and bolted down.





And there you have it. bolt the wheels back on the car, make sure they are tightened to Mitsubishi specs, and you won't have any issue!

Double check all 16 lug nuts again before driving!

[Loren]

Nice overview of what to look for while the wheels are off!

I would add (for those inexerienced types who are trying to learn to do things like this without messing stuff up):

Wipe the threads on the lug studs and inspect those threads and the threads on the lug nuts. Be sure the threads are all clean and undamaged.

Anti-sieze. There are mixed reviews on this, but I'm a fan of it. Just a tiny bit of anti-sieze on the threads of the studs will keep them from ever getting rusted and causing problems in the future. But, if you DO use anti-sieze, be sure to use a torque wrench, and torque to the lower end of the factory spec. If you're installing them dry, torque them to the middle or high end of the factory spec. Factory spec is 72 +/- 7 ft-lbs.

ALWAYS start lug nuts (any threaded fastener, really) by hand. You want to feel at least the first two turns by hand. It should thread on effortlessly. If it doesn't, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, and ignoring it isn't going to make it go away. Remove, clean and inspect again. Sometimes trying a particular nut on a different stud will help. But, if things aren't threading easily by hand, don't force them.

Rust on the non-friction surfaces of your brake rotors and drums is normal. Not a big deal. But, if there's rust on the surface that the wheel is going to contact, you might want to hit it with a wire brush to remove the loose material. Clean, and maybe apply a very light coat of antisieze or grease to keep the wheel from getting stuck. Especially around the center hub hole of the wheel. You don't have to get messy about it. Just enough to keep things from sticking together.

Not a bad time to do some brake maintenance & inspection. You mentioned basic pad thickness, it's really easy to take it a step further.

When looking at pad thickness, look at both inner AND outer pads. Be sure the wear is even. If there is uneven wear, you're going to want to keep an eye on it. Could indicate a sticky caliper.

And it takes 5 minutes to do this... should do it at least every other rotation. It's a good annual maintenance item that can help prevent said sticky calipers. Remove the caliper slide pins (it's a simple 14mm bolt). If you pull them one at a time, you won't have to take anything any further apart, and you don't have to worry about getting parts mixed up. Remove the pin, wipe it clean, and coat it liberally with some proper high-temp brake grease. Then reinstall it. There's a torque on that pin, but it's a part that is very lightly loaded and with zero rotational force. Hand-tight is good for that. The body of the caliper simply slides on it. Keeping those pins lubricated will help your brakes work as they should.

I hate rear drum brakes. You can pull the drums and inspect those if you want. But, at a minimum, I would make sure that the drum turns freely with the handbrake off, and stops firmly with "normal" handbrake application. (like 5-9 clicks of the handle) Check both sides. If you've got a rear brake problem (worn shoes, worn drums, whatever), particularly if it's on one side more than the other, you can easily identify it with this simple check.

Speaking of turning things... when you put the wheel back on, lug nuts back on... before you set the car down. Spin each wheel. Does it spin freely? Does it seem to be dragging or binding on anything? No scraping noises? No squeaks or squeals? Any of that could be an indication of a wheel bearing on its way out. Also rock the wheel from side to side. Is there any loose, clunkiness? Or does everything feel tight and connected? Clunks here could be wheel bearing, or tie-rod ends, possibly suspension bushings. Lastly, do the same rocking up and down. Loosness here is probably a lower ball joint, or maybe suspension bushings.

And in the age of ABS and traction control, every car has wheel speed sensors on all four wheels. Find the sensors. Are they caked with mud and dirt? CLEAN THEM. Stuff like that can cause malfunctions in those systems... and you don't want that.

Lots of easy stuff to check while you've got the wheels off and the car off the ground!

[Timinator]

Yes! Very good points. Its very easy to get deep into inspecting and maintenance, I just tried to keep it simple for the "normal person" thats learning stuff for the first time or so. The mirage is so simple its amazing. And absolutely everything is built so that normal people can work on it with ease! Made me feel good seeing how well planned out everything was under the car