is there an easy way to lift the prius to rotate tires

I use a hydraulic floor jack at each of the two jacking points on a side, having slightly loosened the lugnuts first. Raise each jack far enough to remove the tire, make the switch, then snug the nuts down before lowering the car at both ends. Finally, use a torque wrench on all lugnuts. The floor jacks cost about $20 each on sale at auto supply stores.

 

I jack up the front, set a jack stand under the front subframe connection point to the rear of the wheel on whichever side I am working on. Then jack up the rear and do the same. Take the tires off and swap them.

 

What's the torque should be?

 

Here is a good picture to describe what I do:

except I put the jack a little bit further back than in the picture, under the welded "cross".

Torque is 76 ft.-lb. Good luck!

 

+1

 

A lift is helpful.

 

How many of you guys cross rotate (LF to RR, RF to LR, LR to LF, RR to RF) as opposed to just doing a straight exchange of front and back?

I know that if you've got tires with an asymmetric tread design then you have no choice, but otherwise what's your preference?

 

I will cross-rotate if I find that one rear tire is wearing faster than the other.

If that is not required and I am just swapping front to rear and vice-versa, then I will raise up the car in a manner similar to the photo provided by 2009Prius except I will use a 2 ft length of 2x4 lumber in the jack saddle to spread the load, and will place the jack at the outer rail, somewhat forward of center since the car's center of gravity is somewhat forward due to the powertrain weight.

 

If you lack a separate floor jack, do you another car in the household from which to borrow a second jack?

I noticed that lifting two corners simultaneously reduces the load (per jack), making the cranking easier.

 

The typical scissors jack is not very stable because the jack base is so small, and if you raise up two corners of the car with two scissors jacks then the car can easily topple. I would advise that you firmly set the parking brake and exercise extreme caution if you must employ that practice.

 

^^ I always set wheel chocks on the other side when jacking up the car, even a single corner. And put some 4x6 blocks next to the jack points so the car won't fall all the way to the ground if the jack fails.

Witnessing someone else's car fall, due to carelessness with a jack, is something that is remembered for a very long time.

 

I've just got a fairly small floor jack and a pair of pin adjustable car-stands. To cross rotate I jack each of the front wheels separately and place a stand at the normal jack lift points. So that gets both front wheels off the ground, where they stay throughout the rotation.

I take off the two front wheels and place them at the ready next to each of the (opposite) rear wheels. Then the real wheels I just lift/change one at a time using only the floor jack. Obviously I don't get under the car or put myself in the way of any danger while the rear corner is supported only by a jack.

 

I was always told not to cross rotate radial tires. I always rotate just front and rear on same side. I was told it would screw up the wear pattern

 

Here is what I do: (following Patrick's advice)

Jack under the square rail weld:


Jack stands under the Toyota jack points:




And I stick my home made wood ramp under the car for extra safety if I crawl down there:

 

I heard the same thing in the early days of radials.

But years later, reading the warranty booklet for a set of radials on my car, I discovered that cross rotation was acceptable for that particular model. Since then, only one set, marked as unidirectional, has not allowed that pattern.

 

Wow, very nice set of tailor made blocks. Strong and firm,the under frame is vell protected. Zero scratch or hurt. Nice,

 

Is this the right place to jack for the front of a 2007 Prius?