Rivian lift pucks fit the factory jack points so a jack or hoist can raise the truck without scraping the underbody or battery shield.
If you own an R1T or R1S, the phrase “Rivian puck” tends to pop up the moment you book a tire rotation, wheel swap, or flat repair. The part sounds mysterious at first. It’s not a tire part at all. It’s a lift pad, sometimes called a jack pad or jack puck, made to fit the factory lift points built into the vehicle.
That small part does a big job. Rivian trucks and SUVs carry a large battery pack under the floor, and the underside has trim, shielding, and covers you do not want a shop arm pressing into. A puck gives the jack or hoist a clean contact point, keeps the lift centered, and helps the vehicle go up straight.
What Are Rivian Pucks For Tires? And Why Shops Use Them
People call them “tire pucks” because they come out during tire work. The real use is broader than that. They’re lifting tools for tire rotations, seasonal wheel changes, flat repairs, brake jobs, and other wheel-off work. They do not change how the truck drives. They make lifting the truck cleaner and less risky.
Most aftermarket puck sets are made from dense rubber, aluminum, or hard plastic with a grippy face. The top fits the Rivian jack point. The bottom sits in a floor jack saddle or on a lift arm. Once seated, the puck gives the weight of the truck one clear place to rest.
The Job They Do
- Hold the load at the factory jack point
- Help the jack or lift arm stay centered
- Cut the odds of scraped panels or crushed covers
- Make repeated wheel-off jobs less fussy
- Give a tire shop a clear setup for the lift
Where The Puck Goes
Rivian places a jack point behind each front tire and in front of each rear tire near the rocker panel. You remove the small cover, seat the puck in the opening, and place the jack or hoist under that point. Rivian’s R1 Jack Standard Guide spells out the lifting gear it wants used on the R1 platform.
There’s another detail many owners miss: the vehicle’s air suspension can move while you work if the truck is not set up the right way. Rivian’s R1 Tow Operator Guide says wheel work should use the jack points, and Tire Change mode pauses suspension movement once ride height has been set for the task.
Rivian pucks for tire service and rotation
This is where the puck earns its keep. Tire shops move fast. On a normal SUV, a tech can slide lift arms under a few common spots and get on with the job. A Rivian needs more care. The truck is heavy, the underside is flat, and the right lift points are specific. A puck makes the right spot obvious.
That saves time in a good way. The tech does not need to guess, the lift arm does not hunt around under the body, and you are less likely to find a bent trim panel after the job. If you use the same local shop for rotations, bringing your own puck set can make each visit smoother.
| Service job | What the puck does | Why owners care |
|---|---|---|
| Tire rotation | Keeps the lift arm at the jack point | Less guesswork during a routine visit |
| Seasonal wheel swap | Speeds repeated lifts at all four corners | Handy for winter and all-season sets |
| Flat repair | Lets the jack lift from the proper spot | Cuts the risk of underside damage |
| Brake work | Gives a stable contact point for longer lifts | Better for wheel-off jobs at home |
| Suspension work | Keeps lift force off trim and shields | Useful when the truck goes up more than once |
| Mobile tire service | Works with portable jacks used by service vans | No need to trust a generic rubber pad |
| Road trip tire issue | Makes the jack point easy to find and use | Good backup if a shop is unfamiliar with Rivian |
| Pre-purchase wheel check | Lets a shop lift the truck cleanly for inspection | Helps avoid a messy first look under the truck |
Do You Need To Buy A Set?
Not always. Rivian already built lift points into the vehicle, and the factory tire service kit on earlier R1 models includes the hardware meant for roadside wheel work. In those cases, the truck is already giving you the right way to lift it. If you are using the Rivian kit during a flat, stick with the steps in the manual.
A separate puck set makes sense in three common cases. One, you rotate wheels at home with a floor jack. Two, your local tire shop does not keep Rivian lift pads on hand. Three, you want a set in the frunk so no one improvises with a plain jack saddle against the underside.
That last point is the one many owners land on. You may never need the puck yourself, yet you still want it nearby for the day somebody else lifts the truck.
| Situation | Buy pucks? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You only use Rivian service | Usually no | The shop should have the right lifting gear |
| You use local tire shops | Usually yes | Your own set removes doubt at the lift |
| You change wheels at home | Yes | They work with floor jacks and jack stands |
| You keep the factory tire kit ready for flats | Maybe | The built-in Rivian hardware may be enough for roadside work |
| You share the truck with family or fleet drivers | Yes | A visible puck set leaves less room for bad guesses |
How To Use Them Without Damaging The Truck
The puck is not magic. It still has to be seated the right way. A half-seated pad can slip, and an off-center lift can scar the jack point cover or tilt the jack. Take a minute to line it up well before the weight goes on it.
- Park on firm, level ground.
- Chock the opposite wheel if one corner is coming up.
- Set the truck as Rivian directs for the job, including Tire Change mode when called for.
- Remove the jack point cover and seat the puck fully in the opening.
- Lift slowly and stop early to check that the pad is flat and centered.
- Lower the truck with the same care, then refit the cover.
Skip homemade stacks of wood, random rubber blocks, or “close enough” lift points. Those are the moves that turn a normal tire visit into a trim repair bill.
Buying Tips That Matter
Fit comes first. The puck should match the Rivian jack point snugly, not wobble in the opening, and sit flat on your jack or lift arm. A bright color helps too. Small black pucks disappear in a trunk bin and get left behind at shops.
- Pick a set made for Rivian R1T and R1S lift points
- Check puck height against your jack saddle depth
- Choose a material that will not chew up the jack point edge
- Buy a case or storage bag so the set stays together
- If you use a two-post lift often, get four pucks, not one
Common Mistakes That Cost Money
The biggest mistake is letting someone lift the truck by the flat underside because “it looks solid enough.” That flat area is not the invitation it seems to be. The next most common mistake is using a puck made for a different EV and hoping the fit is close. Close is not the goal here. Exact fit is.
Another easy miss is forgetting that a roadside flat and a shop lift are not the same thing. The factory tire kit may already cover you for one use case, while aftermarket pucks make shop visits or home service easier. Once you split those two jobs in your head, the whole topic gets much clearer.
What To Hand The Tire Shop
If you want a clean, no-drama visit, bring a short lift checklist with the puck set:
- Pucks or jack pads for all four lift points
- Wheel lock key if your wheels use one
- A note asking the truck to be lifted only at the factory jack points
- A quick reminder that the vehicle has air suspension
That is really what Rivian pucks are for tires: not tire magic, not a styling add-on, just a smart little lift pad that protects an expensive EV when the wheels have to come off.
References & Sources
- Rivian.“R1 Jack Standard Guide.”States the lifting equipment Rivian wants used for R1 vehicles and backs the need for proper jack-point contact.
- Rivian.“R1 Tow Operator Guide.”Gives Rivian’s wheel-change and lifting steps, including use of the jack points and Tire Change mode during wheel work.