How to change a car tyre
When to change car
tyres ➤
Car tyre replacement guide ➤ How to increase car tyre life ➤ TOP automotive tips ✅
Tire replacing is as
inevitable as generational change. Tires eventually wear out, and to ensure a
safe drive, new ones should take their place. Find out when to change car
tyres, how to do it correctly, as well as how to extend their lifespan in order
to change them as rarely as possible.
When to change car tires
There are two main
reasons for a tire change: excessive tire wear and severe damage that may
affect driving safety and vehicle handling. In countries with obvious seasonal
changes, in which snow and ice are observed in cold period, tires are also
changed at the beginning of every season. But this does not apply to India and
other countries that have the same constantly warm weather as Indian. If you
have to use your car in temperate latitudes or northern countries, you will
have to change tires at least twice a year. If this is not done, tires will
wear out faster and driving will be unsafe.
What affects tire wear
Tire wear is affected by
four main factors:
- your driving style;
- weather and climatic
conditions;
- quality of the road
surface;
- tire care.
Accurate and attentive
drivers have to change tires much less frequently. The main reason for wear is
wheel bumps on all sorts of damage on the road, which are difficult to avoid if
you are driving hard. In addition, if you do not slow down when cornering,
often use sudden braking and start, this also leads to premature tire damage.
Heavy rainfall, extreme
cold or heat also affects tire wear. Here, unfortunately, little depends on us.
At the very least, try to use the car less often in bad weather.
The quality of roads is
another factor that is difficult for us to influence. Poor road surface with an
abundance of holes and irregularities will lead to tire damage many times
faster than weather conditions. But, again, try to drive as carefully as possible,
and you will minimize the damage from potholes.
On the contrary, the
quality of tire care is entirely in our hands. Below we will describe what
measures need to be taken to extend the life of car tires. In short, you need
to inspect them regularly, do balancing and alignment, monitor the correct air
pressure in tires, track tread wear.
What indicates the need
to replace tires
To begin, make a rule to
check tires monthly — this will save you from unpleasant surprises on the road.
In addition, be sure to check conditions before a long trip.
Now let's take a closer
look at signs that indicate that the tire needs replacing.
Each tire has so-called
wear indicators. There are different types, but all of them are designed to
signal the driver that the tire has lost properties necessary for safe driving.
Why is it dangerous? To answer this question, you need to understand what is
the purpose of the tire tread — a convex pattern on its outer surface. This relief
is designed to provide optimum grip, as well as to divert water and dirt,
making cars more stable. When the tread is erased to a certain level, road grip
deteriorates, car becomes less manageable, which can lead to dangerous
situations during driving.
Another important aspect that needs attention is uneven tread
wear, for example, when it is wiped out more on one side than on the other. Or
the tread of one wheel is erased stronger than the tread of another. The most
common cause of this phenomenon is wrong wheel angle. Therefore, having changed
a tire, be sure to subject your vehicle to alignment and balancing, two basic
operations, providing not only comfortable driving, but also the best condition
of tyre parts.
Other signs that show
that the tire needs to be replaced are: swelling on the side of the tire, a
puncture that caused blowing, damage longer than 6 mm, as well as damage to the
bead area, area adjacent to a wheel rim. In all these cases, the tire must be
replaced.
In addition to routine
inspection, pay attention to behavior of tires while driving. If you feel a
vibration, stop and inspect tires – most likely the problem is there.
How long can tires last?
Good tires, if used
carefully, last about five years. Of course, it all depends on how often you
use the car, so it’s better to focus on the car’s mileage. Experts say that
tires need to be changed every 40-50 thousand kilometers. If they are of low
quality, then every 10 thousand km. Watching your tires, you can determine
approximate duration of their life. In any case, even the most reliable tires
by the best brands with the most accurate use can not be used for more than 10
years. Also note that front tires are erased much faster than rear ones, mainly
due to the fact that they make turns. If the car is front wheel drive, then
they wear out even faster.
In any case, you should
regularly check the health of tires, because they are the key to safe and
comfortable driving.
How to change a car tire
Many drivers sooner or
later ask themselves a question: shall I change my tyre myself or should I go
to a wheeler? It is desirable that the replacement of tires is made by a
qualified professional at a service station. He will do everything according to
rules, in compliance with all necessary requirements. In any case, he is
responsible for his work. In addition, the price for this service is not so
high. If you do it yourself, then you are responsible for the result. However,
experienced drivers wanting to save time and money change tires with their own
hands. In some cases it is not possible to seek qualified assistance. Anyway,
it is worth knowing how to independently perform this operation in order to be
ready for any situation.
Removing old tire
So, if you decide to replace the tire by your own means, prepare a
jack, a wrench, a pump, two mounting blades and be patient. First you have to
get rid of the old tire. Using a jack, lift the automobile so that the wheel
can be easily removed, but not too high. Remove bolts with a key, then pull the
wheel towards you and, removing it, place it beside you so that the valve is on
top. Remove the nipple and allow air to escape from the chamber. After that,
you have to make a little effort and show some dexterity. Step with your feet
on the wheel to separate the side parts of a tire from the wheel rim. Once you have succeeded, take both vanes and,
thrusting them inside the tire, pull it out, beyond the limits of a disk. If
you have tube tire, remove the tube. After that, release the second side of a
tire, completely removing it. This operation requires great care, otherwise you
may damage the disk.
Installing a new tire
Before you proceed to
assembly of a new tire, examine it carefully, checking if it has any damage.
Also inspect the disk – perhaps it needs repair or replacement. If everything
is in order, get rid of the old balancing weights – you will have to balance
the wheel anew. Check if the size of a tire and a disk match. This should be
done when you buy a new tire in the shop (or purchase it online), but this will
not be superfluous before installation as well.
When installing the
tire, pay attention to special signs on a tire that will help you to do
everything correctly. In particular, you will find arrows that indicate
direction of rotation of a wheel, which is recommended by manufacturer. To
simplify installation, some craftsmen advise to put some grease on board of the
tire. But note: if you take too much grease, the tire may slip.
If you have successfully
removed the old tire, you already have an idea of how to put on a new one. It
is necessary to do the same, but in reverse order: using the blades, first put
on one side of the tire, insert the camera, if it is provided, then the second
one. Remember that every time a tire is changed, the wheel must be rebalanced
anew.
Things to remember when
changing tires
When changing tires, you
should always keep in mind mandatory rules, violation of which can lead to
serious breakdowns.
1. First of all, buying
a tire, pay attention to its size. It must exactly comply with specification of
the car. The allowable difference should not exceed two percent.
2. Check important
parameters such as speed and load indices. Recommended indices should be listed
in the vehicle manual. You can use tires in which indices exceed recommended,
but do not buy those which indices are lower.
3. It is also important
to consider tire pressure. It must comply with recommendations of manufacturer.
Note that these guidelines may differ for front and rear wheels. If you do not
adhere to the norm, the car can lose stability and tires can be damaged.
4. It is advisable to
change all 4 tires at once, even if only one or two are damaged. In extreme
case, replacement can be made in pairs — first, the front wheels, which wear
out faster, then the rear. But note that the interval between replacement of
the front and rear tires should be small — not more than a couple of months.
And yet remember, maximum driving safety is possible only if all four wheels
are changed at the same time. In particular, identical treads on all four
wheels are crucial. In extreme cases, they should at least have the same
thickness.
However, there is an
exception to this rule. You can replace one tire without changing others if
wheels are new and car did not have time to drive with them for a long
distance. As you understand, in this case, a newly purchased tire will hardly
differ from the others, so the risk of losing control is minimal.
Considering the last
rule, drivers sometimes have to remove tires in good condition from a car. You
do not need to throw them away. You can use them for spare wheels. Or sell to
other drivers so that they can use them on their spare wheels.
By the way, some
drivers, in order to equalize front and rear tire wear, change their places
from time to time. Thus, tires generally last longer and decay at about the
same time.
Pay special attention to
front wheels
You should pay
particular attention to front wheels. As it was already mentioned, these tires
become unusable faster, because when cornering they are exposed to increased
loads. Therefore, tire replacement usually starts with them. Please note that
tire wear is dangerous by itself, as it makes the car less comfortable to
drive. But it can cause even more problems. If tires on wheels were used too
much, it may cause the tire to break while driving. You can imagine consequences
of such damage, especially if it happens on the track during high-speed
traffic.
How to increase car tire
life
If you follow all rules
of using tires and try to drive carefully, your tires will last you long
enough. High-quality tires may remain good for years.
First of all, when
installing new tires, do not violate recommendations specified in instructions
for your car. This refers to tire sizes, load and speed indexes, as well as air
pressure inside it. Tire pressure should be constantly monitored. If it is
lower or higher than the recommended, it will lead not only to poor handling of
the car, but also to premature uneven erasure of rubber.
In addition to pressure,
tire wear also requires constant checking. If the surface of wheels is erased
unevenly, the tire will fail faster. By the way, uneven wear may indicate that
wheels require alignment. You should also do balancing regularly, in particular
after each tire change. Remember: alignment and balancing make the basis of
good functioning and long life of tires.
Everything else depends
on the quality of roads and on you. To make tires last longer, try not to
violate rules of careful driving: choose speed according to type and condition
of the road, try to notice defects of the road surface in time and slow down in
advance, avoid a quick start and sudden braking.
Listen to extraneous
noises and vibrations: timely repair of faults in tires will prolong their
life.
Avoid such common
operating errors:
● Simultaneous use
of tires of different models.
● Using tires on
damaged, warped or modified disks.
● Installation of
tires which speed and load indices are lower than required by car manufacturer.
● Long ride with
tires with pressure that is higher or, on the contrary, lower than acceptable.
● Using a spare
tire of a different size at speeds above 80 kms per hour.
In summary, watch
condition of your tires, do the alignment and balancing of wheels in a timely
manner, follow manufacturer's instructions, drive carefully and do car tire
replacement on time. Have a smooth ride!
