Dually Tire Rotation: How to Rotate Tires on a Dually
It can be a tough job. Some trucks with dual wheels have different rims. That situation can make rotating the tires a tough job to do and an expensive one. You may want to consider just leaving the tires where they are at especially if there is no wear problem.
How to rotate tires on a dually: Some owner’s manuals tell a dually owner to rotate the left front with the right front, and the back wheels with the opposite back wheels. There should be no mounting, balancing involved and only about 30 minutes should finish the task.
To learn more about rotating tires on a truck with dual wheels just continue to read our article. it explores the issue so you have the right information as well as some experienced opinions from dually owners.
Rotating Dually Tires 101
Can You Rotate Tires On a Dually?
Yes, you can rotate tires on a dually and the truck makers place good instructions in the owner’s manuals telling you how to do it properly. Those instructions also cut down on the amount of work you need to do when performing this task.
However, there are some experienced dually owners that do not follow the owner’s manuals and do not rotate their tires even though they can. They cite the fact that there is little wear and tear on the tires as their reason for doing it.
Those owners also feel that the tires will age out before they need to rotate arrives. If you rotate your tires, it is solely up to you. You can do it if you want or you can not do it as to some owners there is no benefit in taking the time to rotate the tires.
Since it is your vehicle, you need to assess the tires, their age, condition, etc., and make up your own mind.
Do You Need to Rotate Tires On a Dually?
The reason people are told to rotate their tires is to help the tire last longer and wear more evenly. This task does tend to save you a little money as you will not have to replace those tires any time soon.
Before you rotate them, you should always check the owner’s manual first. Some cars and trucks have different instructions to make sure you get the right tire in the right spot. Plus, not all tires can be rotated in the manner described in the manual. Those different tires will need different directions to get the job done correctly.
Then, the manual should tell you when you should rotate your tires. But if it is not giving that information, you can do it somewhere between 6,000 and 8,000 miles. You get to pick the mileage and when you should do it.
But to answer the question, in some people’s minds, you do not need to do it as the benefit you get from rotating the tires, is minimal. Except when there is significant wear on one tire over its opposite mate. Then either you should rotate the tires or see if there is an alignment problem or some other problem that needs to be corrected.
How Often to Rotate Tires On Dually
The frequency for rotating tires will depend on the manufacturer of the truck. Each company may have its own time frame that they recommend. One manual says to do it every 7,500 miles while another recommends that it be done between 6,000 and 8,000 miles.
That gives you a ballpark figure for when you should schedule the tire rotation. Of course, if you see excessive wear and tear on your tires, you may have to do it sooner than the recommended time.
Then if there is no real wear and tear and the tread is coming off evenly, you may decide to wait till later to do it. Rotating tires is not mandatory in making your truck run better. It is solely for the benefit of the tires.
Some people do not rotate the tires and wait till they are too old to use and then replace all 6 tires at the same time. It is up to you which option you choose to do. If you want to feel safer, then go ahead and rotate the tires. It is one less worry on your mind as you drive.
How to Rotate Tires On a Dually
There are several steps involved in rotating your tires and these steps are all very straightforward and common knowledge.
- 1. Park on a level piece of concrete, ground, etc., and put the automatic transmission in Park or the standard transmission in 1st gear. Loosen all the lug nuts before you jack up the vehicle. You can break the seal better with the tires touching the ground.
- 2. Take a heavy-duty jack that will handle the weight and jack up the front of your truck till you can get the jack stands underneath the axles and the tires are not touching the ground. Lower the jack till the axle rests on the jack stands.
- 3. Now go to the rear of your truck and do the same. Lift up the rear axle till the jack stands can be placed inside the wheels and then lower the axle till it rests on the jack stands.
- 4. Next, finish removing the lug nuts from all the tires. You can use a lug nut wrench or air-powered impact wrench for this task. Place the lug nuts in the hubcaps so they do not get lost.
- 5. Once that is done, rotate the tires either according to the manual’s instructions or move the inside dually wheels to the front, the outside dually wheels move to the inside and the front tires go where the outside dually wheels were located.
- 6. Replace the lug nuts and only tighten till the wheels begin to move. A star pattern is recommended when tightening the lug nuts.
- 7. Lower the truck by jacking up the rear first, and removing the jack stands, then gently lowering the truck. Do the same for the front and then return to tightening the lug nuts. A torque wrench will help you get the right stress for each lug nut.
Dually Tire Rotation Pattern
One manual simply states that the front tires should be changed with each other and that the back tires do the same. The inside to inside position and outside to outside position.
That is one way to rotate the tires. Another way has already been described. The inner duallys go to the front, the outers become the inners and the front tires become the outer dually wheels.
A third way to do this job is to simply move the left tire to the right side and the right tire to the left side. Then move the right side dual tires over to the left without changing the order. The inner tire becomes the outer one and the outer one becomes the inner one.
Then move the left tires to the right side in the same manner. The outer left tire becomes the inner right tire. Any one of these options should not take that long to do but budget an hour just in case.
Be prepared for the weight of the tires as they will not be light when you take them off the axles. You do not have to lift the tires that far off the ground either when rotating the tires. They just have to be high enough to take off and put back on smoothly and without friction from the ground.
Which Tire Rotation Pattern is Best?
To be honest, one system is about as good as another. You should extend the life of your tires and keep your performance up no matter which method you choose to use. Some people may claim that one is superior to the other but that is not the case.
Also, you may not have to rotate your tires if they are still in good shape after 6,000+ miles on them. It is a judgment call if you do this and most dually owners do not bother. Most owners let the tires age out then replace them. It saves a rotation expense or a little time.
The key to rotating tires will be in how much wear is on them when you reach that rotation milestone. Then if there is a lot of wear on one side of the vehicle you should have the wheels aligned and check the suspension to see if there is a problem.
If you don’t rotate the tires when there is some wear on them, you may be shortening their lifespan. Check your tires every 1,000 miles or so to see how their wear is shaping up and make a decision when you get closer to that 7,500-mile marker.
Ford F350 Dually Tire Rotation
When you research this topic, you will find some interesting comments made by dually truck owners. What their comments boil down to is that it is up to you if you will rotate your tires on a dually F350 or not.
According to Ford’s owner manual, the side-to-side method we described earlier is the correct way to rotate tires on their trucks. That information is in the owner’s manual on page 393 and if you do not have an owner’s manual, you should be able to download one at this link.
The manual also states that 7,500 miles is the benchmark to do this chore. The only problem you will have is that the inner wheels are not aluminum even though the car company says they are. The inner wheels are usually steel and that may present a problem to those who do not want to expose the steel to the outside for all to see.
It is a little vain but that is the way it is with some people. Also, the reason the inner wheel is steel is that 2 aluminum wheels will not sit properly on the axle hub. That is the reason you can’t buy 6 aluminum wheels to avoid that rotation issue.
How to Rotate Tires On a 4x4 Dually
On a 4 x 4 dually, the side to side rotation will probably be the best option to use. The tires remain in basically the same place on the axle and you should not have any trouble with performance.
But check the owner’s manual to see what it recommends. Each truck company is different so there may be some unique movement for a Dodge Ram over a Chevy, GMC, or Ford truck. Most dually owners simply do the side-to-side swap as it saves them time, money, and any hassles if the rims are not all the same.
That is the biggest problem when rotating tires. Many dually trucks come with 4 aluminum wheels and 2 steel inner wheels. If you are going to follow the other two rotating methods, then those steel rims may show up on the outside.
To avoid that from taking place, you can have the tires taken off the wheels, then rotate those tires that were on the steel wheels to aluminum wheels and vice versa. The cost will be around $60 approx. depending on where you get that rotation done.
Dually Tire Rotation With Spare
There really is no different rotation pattern when you include the spare. You just pick a wheel, since all 7 are the same, and place it on one of the axles. Some people do not rotate the spare in and just let it remain the spare until they need the tire.
There should be a diagram in the owner’s manual covering both the 6 tire and 7 tire rotation options. If not, there are plenty of diagrams found on the internet. Then some people feel that the unused tire’s better tread may cause some issues.
That is their reason for leaving the spare out of the rotation and just doing the 6 tires. It does pay to have a great spare as a backup when one tire does go flat. That way you are not worrying about the little temporary spare that some vehicles come with.
As you can see, you have lots of freedom in rotating your tires. many people just do not bother with this as they will simply buy another set when the time comes. What you do will depend on how many miles you put on your dually each year.
Dually Tire Rotation Cost
Some costs have been quoted at $100, another at $60, and still more for a lot more and a lot less. Your cost will depend on which tire center you take your dually to get the tires rotated.
Then, some box stores that offer tire rotation may not accept duallys and you will have to go to a specific tire store anyways and pay a little more than you would at Walmart, etc.
Your best bet is to check around your local area, or the local area you are snowbirding in or vacationing at to see what deals are available. Check the local papers to see if any sales are going on at those tire stores as well.
Also, if you have after-market rims or you need to move two tires from the steel wheels to the aluminum ones and so on, then you may pay more for the extra work and time. Many dually owners save the money and do it themselves. One hour on a weekend is not that much time and the exercise will help you.
The Benefits Of Rotating Tires
While we have mentioned a couple of benefits, there are actually more than 2. Here are some of the benefits you get when you take the time to rotate your tires on schedule:
- Protects against tire failure
- Keeps performance near optimum levels
- Helps save gas when you drive
- Lets you examine the tires up close to see if there are cracks or holes in the tread, etc.
- Keeps the front end alignment in top shape
- Lets the engine run more efficiently
- Extends the life of the tire by as much as 20%
- Delays in spending a lot of money on new tires
Some Final Words
As you can see, rotating tires on a dually do have some benefits. There is also no one way to rotate the tires and you have a lot of freedom in which method you choose. Also, you do not have to rotate your tires especially if there is no real wear and tear on them.
The benchmark is 7,500 miles but you can rotate them every 6,000 or every 8,000 miles if you want.
