At the change of seasons it is always necessary one tire change to perform. This is for your own safety when the weather conditions change.

As a rule, a distinction is made between Summer and winter tires , which then have to be exchanged before the respective seasons. You follow the O-rule.

This states that summer tires from Easter to October. Winter tires, on the other hand, then from October to Easter. Should the weather conditions change earlier, the tires must also be changed earlier.

Changing tires yourself – is it worth it?

Some people shy away from owning one tire change to perform. It's not that difficult if you know the important steps and then follow them.

A Changing tires by yourself can be extremely worthwhile, because in the workshops you pay a lot of money for it, which you can save here.

What do I need to change the tires myself?

If you have one perform a tire change on the one hand, you need the appropriate spare tires.

You also need the following tools :

• a torque wrench
• corresponding socket wrench attachments
• Wheel wrench or wheel cross
• Rubber mallet if tires are stuck
• a jack
• Wire brush to clean the wheel hubs.

Change tires yourself - in steps

• Step 1 : Before carrying out a tire change, some measures must be taken for safety reasons. The handbrake must be firmly applied while the vehicle is in first gear. This is the only way to prevent the trolley from rolling away. When it comes to the ground, make sure that it is firm in order to be able to offer the vehicle stability. Choosing uneven ground can cause the jack to slip, which could result in injury.
• Step 2 : Now you can start changing the tyres. This is done using a process that works crosswise. First, the first screw in the lower area is loosened with one turn. Then you select the opposite screw and continue in the same way with the other screws.
• Step 3 : The vehicle must now be lifted using the jack. It is important to ensure that the jack is suitable for your own vehicle so that it can provide enough support. Depending on the brand, vehicles have different mounting points that must be taken into account. There are jacks that have a rail on which the vehicle rests. Other models were equipped with a plate. If you are unsure about this, a look at the car's operating manual will help you to determine where the mounting points of your own vehicle are.
• Step 4 : Now the jack is placed exactly at the pick-up point. It is necessary to fix the jack before lifting the vehicle. This should be raised so high that you can slide your hand under the tire. Now the screws are unscrewed. It is advisable to have a container ready in which to put the screws so that they can be quickly accessed later. First the screws in the lower area must be loosened. Because loosening the last screw also loosens the rim. Therefore, you should then hold them lightly with your hand to avoid injuries.
  You should then use both hands to loosen the rim.
• Step 5 : The tire can be removed. If this should be too tight, you can loosen it by lightly hitting the tire two to three times with a rubber mallet. Now the wire brush is used to clean the wheel hub. This gives the rim a clean contact surface when it is reattached.
• Step 6 : The new tires can be fitted. Make sure that the holes match the tires. When screwing in the screws, the cross principle is used again. You screw in the first screw and then choose the opposite side to continue accordingly. However, the screws are only screwed in and not tightened immediately. As soon as you have inserted all the screws, you can tighten them hand-tight with the wheel wrench.
• Step 7 : Now the vehicle is lowered with the jack until the tires touch the ground.
• Step 8 : In order to be able to tighten the screws properly, the torque wrench is used. It is fixed and the screws are tightened again working crosswise until you can hear a slight cracking sound.
• Step 9 : The vehicle is lowered completely with the jack. You should label the tires so that you can determine the position at which the tires were attached the next time you change them. Simple school chalk is suitable for this.
• Step 10 : There are also tire models that are referred to as directional. This means they may only be attached in one direction of travel. However, this can be recognized by an arrow which has been attached to the tyre.

Tire change costs in the workshop

At the tire change you have the choice between changing it yourself or using a workshop.

However, you should know that a Tire change in a workshop per tire will be at least 30 euros.

Conclusion

Anyone who owns a vehicle will usually use it in a variety of ways. Above all, the safety factor plays an important role in order to avoid endangering yourself or others on the road. Anyone who handles it responsibly also knows that a tire change depends on the season summer and winter is urgently needed.

Because when the temperatures and road conditions change, different tires have to be used. Changing a tire is easy, of course in a factory carried out, but then has to reckon with the fact that this will be associated with considerable costs.

If you decide to tire change doing it yourself can save you money. It's not that difficult if you know and follow the most important steps.

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