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A toilet still rocks after the mounting bolts are snug
Slight movement at the base can come from an uneven floor, the flange sitting too high, or the toilet not being seated firmly. But tightening the closet bolts harder isn’t a safe way to sort out which one it is; too much force can crack the porcelain.
Does the direction of the movement help narrow it down? I’d also want to know whether it rocked before the bolts were tightened and whether there’s a visible gap under the base. If the floor is uneven, what’s a sound way to stabilize the toilet without overtightening or hiding a problem with the seal? And what signs would make lifting and resetting it the better call? A rocking toilet alone doesn’t tell us that the seal has failed.
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The direction may suggest where the base is losing support, but it can’t reliably tell you whether the floor is uneven, the flange is high, or the toilet wasn’t seated well. Those can produce similar rocking, so I’d treat direction as a clue rather than a diagnosis. Does it rock around one particular side or corner, or does the whole base seem to shift?
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