I forgot to mention using a torque wrench in my post. I was going to edit it but see that it had been addressed. Also, use anti-seize compound on the lug bolts. For the obvious reason to prevent seizing, but also to allow even torquing. Whenever I have my vehicles in the shop for any work which involves removing the wheels, I insist on them being torqued by hand.

This applies to all vehicles and is not Hybrid specific.

 

Any decent tire dealer will use a torque wrench without asking.

 

I've concluded after much looking, crawling around under my FEH, and so on that one has to lift one corner at a time. I use the designated lift points in the shop manual or owners manual. Then I put a jack stand as close to the wheel & under the structural arm to the wheel.

I don't like doing the middle of the arm as the possibility of bending it seems greater. I also don't like the center of the rear suspension described above as I feel it is possible to bend something.

As to torquing the wheel bolts I clean up threads with a wire brush and torque them. I don't use anti-seize compound as it has the negative effect of lubricating the lug nuts. This lubrication effect will make the actual torque applied greater than intended.

For steel wheels this is of lesser importance but for the aluminum wheels I'm not comfortable using anything.

 

Thanks for the responses so far. I'll check out the various locations you guys mentioned for the jack stand placement. Thanks to our dear moderator for stopping the bickering too. Why can't we all get along? Back on the topic of jack stand placement, does everyone agree that we must use a piece of 2x4 between the jack stand and the location on the car? I've heard this recommendation a few times...really for stability. Does anyone here have other experiences or recommendations on this question?

Thanks!

 

I rarely use wood between a jack stand and the structural member it rests on. I don't like the idea that it might slip. If you pick a good location it will hold the weight without bending. Ensure that the structural member rests in the saddle of the jack stand top piece.

Usually jack stands have a flat top with a small, shallow u in the middle. Put things in the middle of that saddle.

I've not had a problem doing things by lifting one corner at a time using the designated lift points. Sometimes I gripe at this since on my Suburban the center of the rear axle is a lift point for the rear, and the front has a cross member, so one lifts an end all at once... but that's the breaks. So I gut it out and do one corner at a time on my FEH.

 

So after all this talk, I went ahead and rotated my tires a couple of weeks ago. After crawling around a little bit, his is what I did. I jacked up the rear by the center cross-member (where a differential would usually be on a truck). I've used that spot during all previous tire rotations and it's a pretty sturdy spot. I placed 2 jack stands under the lift points of the lower suspension arms. Is that what they're called? They're the arms that have the little "nubbins" on them for the emergency jack. Then I jack up one front corner by the lifting point. Once I have three tires off the ground, I rotate the front to the back and the back to the front. (just hand-tight on the nuts) Then I set the front corner down, and jack up the other front corner. I finish the rotation on that corner and lower it down. Finally, I lower the rear down and tighten all the lug nuts with the wrench.

I know it's not the perfect solution, but it doesn't take me too long to do. I just can't find enough floor space for me to put a jack stand under the front corner while the jack is down there under the lifting point. If any of you have a picture of how you positioned the jack in the front without getting in the way of the stand, that would certainly be helpful.

 

At the end of the day... I just don't like the way Ford set up the lift points. There is no way to get a jack stand real close & personal to the wheel. As things are you have to lift the frame which means that the suspension flexes down to its lower limit. Thus you have to lift beyond the needed height. Then when you lower onto the jack stand the whole thing shifts again as the weight of the car is transferred and the suspension carries load again. Poor design as I see it. Causes people to try half measures.