I found an Equinox EV emergency response guide which shows that there are lifting points on the body along the rockers. These are typically marked with a half-moon cutout in the rocker flange. This used to be something that would be shown in the owner's manual. Possibly since GM doesn't provide an emergency jack, they don't specify where jacking should be done. It may be that GM prefers the vehicle be lifted using a hoist on all 4 lifting points, but that's not how I will rotate the tires in my garage.
Equinox EV Lift Points, Jack Stands
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Irrelevant. The Equinox EV is a Chevy and Chevy has a history of not including a jack (or spare) going back well over a decade.
Now, we can argue that GM should include a jack and should include a spare (along with many other shoulds), but the point is, they don't.
No point in arguing what GM doesn't include. My point was simply that the " no-spare = no-jack " explanation is not universal. Thus, your answer did not click with my logic.
2025 Equinox EV LT FWD, Black, 21" wheels, Conv. Pkg 2
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1,080 Posts
If it's a 2025 you get 2 free service visits. Tires can be rotated or summer/winter switchover.
Sure, however I was very specific in using Chevy vehicles as examples.
Someone in this forum said the US has one free service. But I have not confirmed it with my dealer. The problem is, 7,500mile service is not likely to align with the timing for the winter/summer tire swaps in fall and spring.
I get free life time rotation from the shop where I bought tires. So if I can't DIY, I can always bring the car there. But when the first snow storm is in forecast, I often can't get serviced in time. It is better to be able to do the tire swaps at home DIY in these situations.
2025 Equinox EV LT FWD, Black, 21" wheels, Conv. Pkg 2
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1,080 Posts
Using the app, under account settings select your car, then select warranties, scroll down and find "Complimentary EV Maintenance Program", then View. If you are covered then you have an expiry date (for me 1 year from purchase date). When I booked my first appointment there was no discussion of mileage. Maybe it's different in Canada.
Thanks. I found it. It is called "Chevrolet - First Maintenance Visit" in the US. So yes, only 1 service in the US. It is good for a year from the purchase date. This means the first 7,500 mile maintenance (rotate tires, multipoint inspection, lube) is covered. At our current rate, I will hit 7,500 mile right around the 1 yr anniversary in March. But that's too late for the winter tires to be put on. And will be too early to swap snows to summer. Rotating tires at that point will mess up the rotation cycle. I rotate times essentially at tire swap twice a year one in spring and one in fall. For the inspection, the dealer may need to take off tires, but I will have to tell them not to rotate tires.
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This is a REALLY long post, so I apologize ahead of you reading it (or just starting to read it)....
Background
The lack of guidance from Chevrolet on this issue has made people hesitant to change the tires/wheels themselves. I understand that position, as you have to accept liability for what you do yourself if you damage something or injure yourself. But to share my experiences, I'm 63 years old and have no real difficulty changing the 21" wheels on the Blazer EV. By the way, changing the tires on any car can be dangerous/deadly, especially if you don't know what you are doing or pick the wrong place to try to change the tire. For me, I did grow up on a farm and was accustomed to maintenance on trucks/tractors as well as whatever car we were driving, so I might be a little out of the norm there in my comfort level. I do think it is important to select the right jacks and pinchweld adapters to use, but that has been pretty well discussed in this forum thread. I also use wheel chocks whenever I change a tire. It is a deal breaker to me not to travel with a spare and to be required that the dealer/shop change wheels/tires for me.
Jacks
BTW, I like the scissor jacks from the Traverse/Enclave/Acadia for swapping wheels on the Blazer EV. They are taller jacks and have a good flat surface to meet the round aluminum pinchweld adapters I use. They have a pretty good base for support with the ground, but carrying a good base support in case you have to work on softer ground might be a good idea (hopefully you can pull off onto an asphalt or concrete parking area and this isn't an issue - remember one of the biggest safety points in changing a tire is choosing where to do it - a nice level hard surface away from traffic is certainly desirable). I went ahead and bought 4 of of these jacks on Ebay at just under $30 each. I'll keep two in the Blazer EV with a third low profile scissor jack in case the Traverse jack turns out to be too tall after a complete flat. They only weigh about 8 lbs each, so not enough weight to be concerned with carrying, and there is plenty of storage under the floor in the back. The other two, I'll keep in the garage so that I don't have to dig the two in the car out of the storage area every time I want to rotate tires. I plan to just rotate tires front to back. I don't think that the criss-cross rotation adds much to the life of tires and just isn't worth the effort. I'll watch the wear to see if I change my mind on the worth of the criss-cross effort.
Tires
Also, I might change my mind, but right now I plan to run Vietnamese made Blackhawk Agility SUV 275/45/21 tires as my replacement tires. I've bought 6 of these so far, 2 of which are on the rear of the Blazer EV and 4 stacked in my garage. They are really good tires for the money (about $143 each delivered including tax from Ebay). I believe that they are also available at Wal-Mart at not much more than that. Reviews are really good, especially for a tire at this price range, and I can't tell any difference in the ride after putting two on the rear of the car. If anything, it is smoother and quieter. I'm not really impressed with the self-sealing Bridgestones that come on the car. It's a sticky mess inside the tire after removal, and the self sealant didn't work the first time I needed it to. I could patch the tire that went flat (at 19k miles it isn't showing more than 1/3 wear), but the sticky goo inside the tire looks like it will be a pain to manage to clear away for a patch. I did order some mushroom patches, so I might give it a go, but with the inexpensive tire replacement option I'm looking at, I'm not sure it is worth the effort.
Torque Wrench
Also, the recommended wheel lug torque for the Blazer EV/Equinox EV is 140 lbs. I also keep a torque wrench in the storage area for this. 140 lbs is a good bit or torque, so you might want to make sure you are prepared for that.
Spare Wheels
Also, BTW, I have purchased 5 additional OEM wheels on Ebay for about $275 each (one is the spare I carry all the time) for the Blazer EV. It is too easy to just drop off wheels and tires at a tire shop and not leave the car when changing tires, then drop by and pick them up when ready. With the EL50448 electronic electronic TPMS reset tool (available on Ebay for less than $10), it takes less than 5 minutes to reset the TPMS to work with the new wheels.
Feel free to pick at me, especially for buying extra wheels and for the cheap Vietnamese tires (I wish they were made in the USA, but for several hundred dollars of savings, I can get over it - I've put 20k miles on this vehicle in 12 months and expect to pretty much keep that pace, so cheap tires are helpful to the long term economics). Way too long a post, so feel free to pick at me for that as well.
As a final note, don't mess with this if you have never changed tires or just don't feel comfortable doing so. Just because I feel comfortable doing it and choose to do so doesn't mean it is the best path for anyone else or even for myself for that matter. You should weigh all your options and decide what is best for you. And if you do decide to carry a spare, you must secure it well so that it doesn't likely become a projectile in a crash, and remember that securing a full-size spare is much more difficult than securing a lighter temporary spare. I've got mine strapped down pretty well, but in a severe wreck I'm not positive it wouldn't break the straps or break the tiedown points. I do know I take that risk, but I try to minimize it as best I can and weigh it against the risk of being stranded somewhere I don't want to be with a flat.
Background
The lack of guidance from Chevrolet on this issue has made people hesitant to change the tires/wheels themselves. I understand that position, as you have to accept liability for what you do yourself if you damage something or injure yourself. But to share my experiences, I'm 63 years old and have no real difficulty changing the 21" wheels on the Blazer EV. By the way, changing the tires on any car can be dangerous/deadly, especially if you don't know what you are doing or pick the wrong place to try to change the tire. For me, I did grow up on a farm and was accustomed to maintenance on trucks/tractors as well as whatever car we were driving, so I might be a little out of the norm there in my comfort level. I do think it is important to select the right jacks and pinchweld adapters to use, but that has been pretty well discussed in this forum thread. I also use wheel chocks whenever I change a tire. It is a deal breaker to me not to travel with a spare and to be required that the dealer/shop change wheels/tires for me.
Jacks
BTW, I like the scissor jacks from the Traverse/Enclave/Acadia for swapping wheels on the Blazer EV. They are taller jacks and have a good flat surface to meet the round aluminum pinchweld adapters I use. They have a pretty good base for support with the ground, but carrying a good base support in case you have to work on softer ground might be a good idea (hopefully you can pull off onto an asphalt or concrete parking area and this isn't an issue - remember one of the biggest safety points in changing a tire is choosing where to do it - a nice level hard surface away from traffic is certainly desirable). I went ahead and bought 4 of of these jacks on Ebay at just under $30 each. I'll keep two in the Blazer EV with a third low profile scissor jack in case the Traverse jack turns out to be too tall after a complete flat. They only weigh about 8 lbs each, so not enough weight to be concerned with carrying, and there is plenty of storage under the floor in the back. The other two, I'll keep in the garage so that I don't have to dig the two in the car out of the storage area every time I want to rotate tires. I plan to just rotate tires front to back. I don't think that the criss-cross rotation adds much to the life of tires and just isn't worth the effort. I'll watch the wear to see if I change my mind on the worth of the criss-cross effort.
Tires
Also, I might change my mind, but right now I plan to run Vietnamese made Blackhawk Agility SUV 275/45/21 tires as my replacement tires. I've bought 6 of these so far, 2 of which are on the rear of the Blazer EV and 4 stacked in my garage. They are really good tires for the money (about $143 each delivered including tax from Ebay). I believe that they are also available at Wal-Mart at not much more than that. Reviews are really good, especially for a tire at this price range, and I can't tell any difference in the ride after putting two on the rear of the car. If anything, it is smoother and quieter. I'm not really impressed with the self-sealing Bridgestones that come on the car. It's a sticky mess inside the tire after removal, and the self sealant didn't work the first time I needed it to. I could patch the tire that went flat (at 19k miles it isn't showing more than 1/3 wear), but the sticky goo inside the tire looks like it will be a pain to manage to clear away for a patch. I did order some mushroom patches, so I might give it a go, but with the inexpensive tire replacement option I'm looking at, I'm not sure it is worth the effort.
Torque Wrench
Also, the recommended wheel lug torque for the Blazer EV/Equinox EV is 140 lbs. I also keep a torque wrench in the storage area for this. 140 lbs is a good bit or torque, so you might want to make sure you are prepared for that.
Spare Wheels
Also, BTW, I have purchased 5 additional OEM wheels on Ebay for about $275 each (one is the spare I carry all the time) for the Blazer EV. It is too easy to just drop off wheels and tires at a tire shop and not leave the car when changing tires, then drop by and pick them up when ready. With the EL50448 electronic electronic TPMS reset tool (available on Ebay for less than $10), it takes less than 5 minutes to reset the TPMS to work with the new wheels.
Feel free to pick at me, especially for buying extra wheels and for the cheap Vietnamese tires (I wish they were made in the USA, but for several hundred dollars of savings, I can get over it - I've put 20k miles on this vehicle in 12 months and expect to pretty much keep that pace, so cheap tires are helpful to the long term economics). Way too long a post, so feel free to pick at me for that as well.
As a final note, don't mess with this if you have never changed tires or just don't feel comfortable doing so. Just because I feel comfortable doing it and choose to do so doesn't mean it is the best path for anyone else or even for myself for that matter. You should weigh all your options and decide what is best for you. And if you do decide to carry a spare, you must secure it well so that it doesn't likely become a projectile in a crash, and remember that securing a full-size spare is much more difficult than securing a lighter temporary spare. I've got mine strapped down pretty well, but in a severe wreck I'm not positive it wouldn't break the straps or break the tiedown points. I do know I take that risk, but I try to minimize it as best I can and weigh it against the risk of being stranded somewhere I don't want to be with a flat.
Having come up with a strategy for changing a flat on the road sans jacking up the car, there is still the question of how best to rotate the tires on my own w/o dealing with jacking up the vehicle.
I know this seems heretical, but the solution I'm leaning toward is to not rotate. Yes. Not tire rotation. Just replace the tires in pairs as needed.
I ask myself what do I give up with this strategy. Well certainly you give up having equal wear on all tires. And you give up being able to mitigate any abnormal tire wear from one or more tires wearing unevenly due to not being in perfect alignment. And certainly there will be time periods when the tread on the tires on one axle will be near minimums, whilst the tread on the other axle's tires still have a lot of meat.
I think I can live with that. As long as minimum tread wear is never exceeded, I assume safety will not be compromised.
OK. @Salkin, @BehindBars, and a few others... I know you're gonna have some opinions. So let's hear it. ;>
That works. I believe tire rotation is mostly North American thing. In many other places in world, they don't bother rotating tires, at least not as stringently as in the US. And yes, for mostly FWD cars, front tires ware quicker than rear tires. So, you will have to change them quicker.
I have actually done this in few cars I've owned. But the reason was primarily to save money. I had flat tire at some point after tread wear. Instead of changing all four tires, I just changed a pair. For safety reason, new pair of tires with more tread always goes on the rear. And since my car was FWD, front tires with less tread worn even quicker. So, four tires out of sync, every time front tires worn out, I would buy two new tires and put them on the rear, and bring the half worn tires to the front. And kept doing this. The purpose of tire rotation is to keeps all tires wear evenly. I don't think tire rotation extend the individual tire life. But in a event of premature flat tire replacement, unless the new tire is shaved to match the rest, you would have to change all four tires to keep them evenly worn.
There are a few disadvantages doing this. Most importantly, some vehicle (mostly AWD) requires four even worn tires of equal weight and the same brand for safety and/or optimal handling. And minor disadvantage is that with two tire purchase, it does not qualify for sales such as buy 3 and get 1 free, or free installation with 4 new tire purchase. And without rotation, the interval of tire purchase would be shorter. So in a long run, there may not be much saving by doing two tire change at time.
Yeah I forgot to include that in my checklist... no net greater usage of rubber.
btw, slightly different from your story, but in the same vein. What got me on to this was that I have two brand new tires for the car in storage. I ended up with them after purchasing 4 new tires for my EUV, just before deciding to trade it in for a ☰. Tire rack let me return the tires, and they even picked up the return freight, with a proviso on the shipping that I purchase a minimum dollar amount. That equated to two tires, so I just ordered 2 replacements for the ☰ early.
With two tires on standby I decided to just install them on the front when the factory tires go, and not worry about going out-of-pocket for a while longer.
This can lead to a lengthy debate, but the tire industry standard is always to install two new tires on the rear axle. I know there are those who believe installing "good" tires on the front in FWD or even in RWD or AWD, where most driving and stopping happen, is better. But the theory is that with worn-out rear tires, you are more likely to "fishtail" and lose control.
I rotate the tires per the manual for maximum lifespan. My Volt tires lasted their rated 70k miles and had 4/32" tread left when I replaced them. Others who did not believe in tire rotation got fewer miles from their tires. YMMV
I do not intentionally rotate tires on any of my vehicles, that said having two sets of mounted tires, one for summer and then a set of studded snows for the winter. The tires get rotated when I install them the better ones go on the front.
Personally I think 7,500 miles is too long to rotate tires on a 5,000+ lb car. Especially since I have a front wheel drive EQEV and all of the acceleration and regen-braking are only using front tires. The dealers service advisor agreed with me and said if he owned this car he'd rotate every 3,500 miles.
I had a neighbor who believed that you never should change engine oil, simply top it off whenever it got low. He believed oil changes were a conspiracy by oil companies to sell more oil. He was proven wrong the hard way.
The same thing has been mentioned on the Lyriq forum, as that is offered in RWD with the same worry (drive and braking by same axle). The OEM tires (20") on ours are wearing extremely well, and I've rotated at 7,500. Same reported by others, and Lyriq has been out for awhile longer now with miles traveled. And also an even heavier car.
I don't have enough personal history with our EQEV (and ours is AWD), but surely there are FWD folks here with many miles who can advise if 7,500 is sufficient. I think it likely is, but additionally important to keep proper inflation given the heavy car also.
For me tire rotation interval is not dictated by absolute miles driven on any of our cars, EV or ICEV. We do tire changes from winter to summer (all-season tires) and vise versa twice a year. At Oct/Nov and Apr/May. That's roughly 6mo each for winter tires and all-season (summer) tires. I rotate tires when they come back on at next season by marking the tires at the time of change over. For us it is now roughly 5,000 miles interval in 6 mo. Sufficient or not, that is the tire rotation schedule I will use.
But from my own experience, rotating tires do not prolong the tire life per see. It just makes it easier to manage evenly ware on all four corners. The tread life of tires are highly dependant on the road surface driven. On our rural roads with chip seal and gravel surface, no tires have ever lasted the rated treadwear. Rotated frequently or not, made no difference. That is the main reason I switched to the 18" wheels/tires year around. 18" tires are cheaper than stock 21" tires. And it is safer to drive smaller wheels with more rubber and deeper tread tires year around. I try to change my tires at around 6/32" to 5/32" inch tread depth. Never gone below 4/32" inch.
I rotated my Volt tires based on the OM schedule of 7500 miles. Mine lasted 70k miles, 4/32" tread left. Other were against tire rotations at all and their tires lasted half the miles mine did. I'll follow the OM. But if you want to do it more often, go ahead. Regardless, make sure the tire position relearn is used afterwards.
IMHO, antidotal results comparison like that is meaningless, unless you are comparing two sets of same tires driven exactly the same condition except one being rotated and other not. Not an easy experiment for anyone to test.
As I said, for my experience, non-scientific antidotal thus equally meaningless comparisons were that rotated or not, the tires ware at the same rate overall. The rotation just makes them wear evenly over time. But the end results of net wear were the same.
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