Tire rotation on the 4th-gen CR-V is about as simple as jobs get: five 19 mm lug nuts per wheel, four pinch-weld lift points, and no hub caps or locking covers on most trims. The whole thing takes under an hour with a floor jack and two stands, less if you have four stands and can lift the whole car at once. Both the 2WD and Real Time AWD versions use identical wheels, studs and torque.
The mistake people make is the torque. Honda calls for 80 ft-lb, and rattling them down with an impact gun regularly lands well past 120, which is a common cause of brake pedal pulsation on these cars. The second thing owners miss is the tire pressure monitor: later cars in this generation use an indirect system that reads wheel speed, so moving the wheels around will eventually trigger a false low-pressure light unless you run the calibration after setting pressures.
| Item | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Wheel chocks Pair, rubber or plastic Block the wheels staying on the ground before lifting. | Safety | shop |
| Lug nut socket 19 mm 6-point, thin-wall, 1/2 in drive Fits all factory and most aftermarket lug nuts on the 4th-gen CR-V. | Required | shop |
| Breaker bar 1/2 in drive, 18-24 in Loosens lug nuts while the wheels are still on the ground. | Required | shop |
| Floor jack 2 ton minimum, low profile helpful Lifts each corner or axle at the factory lift points. | Required | shop |
| Jack stands 2 ton pair, minimum Supports the vehicle any time you are near or under it. | Safety | shop |
| Pinch weld jack pad Slotted rubber puck for pinch weld Keeps the jack or stand from crushing the CR-V's pinch weld seam. | Recommended | shop |
| Tire pressure gauge Digital or dial, 0-60 psi Front and rear pressures should be checked and set after the swap. | Required | shop |
| Air compressor or inflator 12 V portable or shop air Corrects pressures to the door jamb spec, typically 30-33 psi. | Recommended | shop |
| Torque wrench 1/2 in drive, 25-150 ft-lb range Final tightening of lug nuts to 80 ft-lb in a star pattern. | Required | shop |
| Tread depth gauge 0-25/32 in Check wear differences front to rear while the wheels are off. | Recommended | shop |
| Wire brush Small steel brush Cleans rust off the hub face so the wheel seats flat. | Consumables | shop |
| Anti-seize or brake grease Nickel anti-seize, hub bore only A thin smear on the hub center bore stops wheels seizing on; keep it off studs and mating face. | Consumables | shop |
| Chalk or marker Tire crayon Mark each wheel's original position so you do not lose track. | Consumables | shop |
All 2012-2016 CR-V models use the 2.4 L K24 with the same 19 mm lug nuts, M12x1.5 studs and 80 ft-lb torque, regardless of LX, EX, EX-L or Touring trim or 2WD/AWD. Wheel sizes vary (16, 17 or 18 in), but the fastener hardware does not. Aftermarket wheels sometimes come with 21 mm or tuner-style lug nuts, so check yours before you start.
| Wheel lug nuts (M12 x 1.5) | 80 ft-lb (108 Nm) |
The 19 mm lug socket, M12x1.5 studs, 5x114.3 pattern, and 80 ft-lb torque are standard across all 2012-2016 CR-V trims; confirm your exact TPMS type (direct sensors vs indirect calibration) in the owner's manual since it changed during this generation.
19 mm. Use a 6-point thin-wall socket on 1/2 inch drive so it clears the lug recesses on the alloy wheels without marking them.
80 ft-lb (108 Nm), tightened in a star pattern with the tires just touching the ground. Re-check after driving 50 to 100 miles.
For non-directional tires on this front-wheel-drive-based platform, use the rearward cross: fronts move straight back, rears cross to the opposite front corner. Directional tires only swap front to rear on the same side.
If your car uses the indirect tire pressure monitoring system (later 4th-gen cars), yes. Set all pressures correctly, then run TPMS Calibration from the Settings > Vehicle menu, or hold the dash TPMS button until the indicator blinks twice.