Spare wheel lug nut torque specs, & rotation

[WrangledMyselfIntoThisOne]

Anyone know why the torque value on the spare wheel is half that of the regular wheels (59 ft/lb vs. 130)? The manual is a bit confusing to me regarding this. It seems to suggest (on page 528 of my manual) that there are 4 different spare tires the Jeep can come equipped with:

- Spare Tire Matching Original Equipped Tire and Wheel
- Compact Spare Tire
- Full Size Spare
- Limited Use Spare

I always assumed all/most Wranglers came equipped with the "Spare Tire Matching Original Equipped Tire and Wheel", which the owner's manual further states can be used in the tire rotation for the vehicle. So I have two questions regarding this.

1) If the manual states that the spare wheel bolts must be tightened down to only 59 ft/lb, while all the other wheels should be tightened down to 130 ft/lb, and yet the wheel and tire looks exactly the same as the regular ones, and can be used in the tire rotation for the vehicle, then how is anyone who works on the vehicle not going to mistake the spare for the original, and not torque it to incorrect values? Unless I'm missing something here, this seems kind of strange.

2) What does everyone here generally prefer: a 4 tire rotation, or 5 tire rotation, and why?

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[oceanblue2019]

Anyone know why the torque value on the spare wheel is half that of the regular wheels (59 ft/lb vs. 130)? The manual is a bit confusing to me regarding this. It seems to suggest (on page 528 of my manual) that there are 4 different spare tires the Jeep can come equipped with:

- Spare Tire Matching Original Equipped Tire and Wheel
- Compact Spare Tire
- Full Size Spare
- Limited Use Spare

I always assumed all/most Wranglers came equipped with the "Spare Tire Matching Original Equipped Tire and Wheel", which the owner's manual further states can be used in the tire rotation for the vehicle. So I have two questions regarding this.

1) If the manual states that the spare wheel bolts must be tightened down to only 59 ft/lb, while all the other wheels should be tightened down to 130 ft/lb, and yet the wheel and tire looks exactly the same as the regular ones, and can be used in the tire rotation for the vehicle, then how is anyone who works on the vehicle not going to mistake the spare for the original, and not torque it to incorrect values? Unless I'm missing something here, this seems kind of strange.

2) What does everyone here generally prefer: a 4 tire rotation, or 5 tire rotation, and why?

1) The full size spare tire gets a lower torque as not under the same loads as the primary tires.

2) 5 tire rotation. This is so tires wear evenly and you replace all 5 when they are worn out. I rotate every 5000 miles when I do an oil change. This also means you are not locked into the same tire size/brand as all 5 will need replacing.

 

[WrangledMyselfIntoThisOne]

Ohh, I see where I totally misinterpreted things: the spare tire torque values are for when it's mounted to the tailgate, not to the wheel. Duh. Oops!

 

[Adventure.AS]

I do a five-tire rotation every 5,000 km.

As an aid for the technician doing the job I chalk the location where the tire should end up. For example, on the spare I will chalk FR on the spare side wall. This also helps you check that the job has been done correctly when you see that every tire is in the correct position.

EDIT: updated tire rotation diagram to reflect the

Rearward cross for rear-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive

 

[Discount Tire]

1) The full size spare tire gets a lower torque as not under the same loads as the primary tires.

2) 5 tire rotation. This is so tires wear evenly and you replace all 5 when they are worn out. I rotate every 5000 miles when I do an oil change. This also means you are not locked into the same tire size/brand as all 5 will need replacing.

This exactly, and to add to the wear factor, this is ideal for the drive train as differences in overall diameter of tires could cause damage when engaged in 4WD.

 

[cb4017]

I rotate every 5,000 miles with oil change and do five tire rotations. Your tires will wear longer (20%?) and you're not stuck with an odd tire when it comes time to replace them. There are several rotation patterns out there. This is the one I use.

 

[jimmyzwheelz]

I do a five-tire rotation every 5,000 km.

As an aid for the technician doing the job I chalk the location where the tire should end up. For example, on the spare I will chalk FR on the spare side wall. This also helps you check that the job has been done correctly when you see that every tire is in the correct position.

View attachment 270683

This is actually the "forward cross" rotation meant for front wheel drive vehicles. The "rearward cross" method is recommended for 4WD vehicles. See cb4017's post above.

 

[jimmyzwheelz]

I rotate every 5,000 miles with oil change and do five tire rotations. Your tires will wear longer (20%?) and you're not stuck with an odd tire when it comes time to replace them. There are several rotation patterns out there. This is the one I use.

This is the recommended rotation method for 4WD vehicles. Nice graphic!

 

[Adventure.AS]

This is actually the "forward cross" rotation meant for front wheel drive vehicles. The "rearward cross" method is recommended for 4WD vehicles. See cb4017's post above.

Thanks for the information. I have edited/updated my original post.

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