Are you one of those ambitious vehicle owners who no longer outsource the recurring work of changing car tires, but want to finally do it themselves? Then this article is the right place for you.
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Because here, we clarify some steps you take to switch to car tires and which tools you have to have ready.
Which tool do I need to change car tires?
In the first year of your ambitions to change yourself, you probably ended up spending as much money on the tool as you would have paid for changing tires.
But by the second or third time at the latest, these costs have been amortized again. The tools you need last for many years, and you can also use them to change your family or friends’ tires.
In the following, we have listed all the tools you need for changing tires :
- Jack for lifting the car
- Wheel cross for loosening the wheel nuts
- Torque wrench for tightening the wheel nuts after installing the car tires
In addition to these essential tools, the following tools can also help when changing car tires:
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- Work gloves for clean hands
- Wire brush for cleaning removed car tires
- Universal chalk or crayon for writing on the removed car tires
- Impact wrench for electric tightening of car tires
Store car tires correctly
After you have dismantled the old set of car tires and fitted the new car tires, you now have to take care of the dismantled car tires’ safe storage.
Clean car tires and check for damage
Before they are stored, they must be cleaned with a wire brush and checked for damage. If you have a water hose at hand, you can simply hose it off.
Check tread depth
Furthermore, you should always check the remaining tread depth of car tires before and after changing. If this falls below the mark of 3 millimeters for summer tires or 4 millimeters for winter tires, you have to replace them for safety reasons.
As the rubber of car tires can age, tires that are more than 8 years old should be replaced for safety reasons.
This is how you store car tires and rims correctly
How you store the cleaned and damaged car tires depends on the type of your car tires.
Is it a complete wheel, i.e. car tire
on a rim, these should be stored horizontally and stacked on top of each other. For this there is the so-called rim tree, which holds the tires in place and can also take a little weight off the tires below.
But if you want to store the car tires without the rim tree, you should increase the tire pressure by around 0.5 bar before storage to prevent pressure losses during storage.
If your car tires to be stored are tires without rims, then they can also be stored next to each other in a light-protected, dry room.
Tips for sufficient safety when changing tires
Since driving safety depends on a very large percentage of the car tires’ function, there are a few important things to consider when changing tires.
Tighten the wheel bolts and nuts
The wheel bolts and nuts really need to be tightened thoroughly after changing the car tire. Since they can loosen a little after a few kilometers, it is also recommended to tighten them again after about 50 to 100 kilometers.
Beware of the deliberate replacement of car tires
In some cases, such as heavy wear on the rear-wheel drive cars’ rear tires, it is advisable to change the car tires between the axles after 10,000 to 15,000 kilometers. However, the respective side of the car must always be adhered to.
For safety reasons, the car tires must never be exchanged individually, but only in pairs between the axles. The pair of car tires with the greater tread depth should be placed on the rear axle.
Never place the tires from front left to back right or front right to back left, and please not vice versa.
When should you go to the workshop to change tires?
Even if it is not at all bad that you simply try to change the tire yourself, in some cases, it is advisable to have the tire change carried out in a professional car workshop.
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
One of the most important reasons for this is the equipment with a direct tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). If such a feature is installed, a professional should change the tires to be on the safe side.
This can check the sensors on the tires and ensure that the correct tire pressure values are also transmitted to the control unit.
Re-ordering of car tires
Another reason, however, is that you have ordered new car tires from the car workshop you trust. Especially when it comes to car tires without a rim, it is better to have the tire change carried out by an expert.
Balancing for even wear
Furthermore, the tires should be balanced every now and then. Regular balancing ensures that the car tire is worn evenly and can therefore be driven on for longer.
Storage of tires
The fourth reason has to do with storage. If you don’t have enough space at home, or if you simply want to use the good services of the workshop you trust, you can also have the car tires stored there.
In this case, it is advisable to have the car tires changed here as well. Because, in addition to the free damage check or tire cleaning, there is often a considerable combined discount on the fee for changing tires.
Max Anthony
Max is a gizmo-savvy guy, who has a tendency to get pulled into the nitty gritty details of technology and cars. He attended UT Austin, where he studied Information Science. He’s married and has three kids, one dog and a GMC truck and a Porsche 911. With a large family, he still finds time to share tips and tricks on cars, trucks and more.
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