It is extremely important that you know when to change tires to avoid traffic accidents, so you must be aware that the vast majority of accidents are produced in adverse weather because the tire loses grip with the contact surface and therefore his resistance.
You may mistakenly think that the only or main reason to change the tires on your car is a puncture, but this is not the case, there are other reasons that require or would be good if they required a change of wheels or tires. Tire wear and punctures are the main reasons that lead you to change them; Of course, everything depends directly on the use.
If you drive for a long time or in a very careless way, this causes tire wear; consequently, you will have to replace them early. On the contrary, if you drive smoothly your tires will last longer, remember that the quality of the tire is also important.
In Spain there are many brands of tires on the market, you just have to choose among the best for greater safety and durability.
Instructions
We present one of the safest techniques to change the tires of your car:
- First, stop the car on a flat area.
- Be sure to park it outside of the vehicle circulation area.
- Then apply the parking or parking brake and indicate your position using the safety triangle.
- Remember to always carry in your car the three fundamental elements to change tires: the wheel wrench, the jack and the spare tire.
- You must keep these items in your vehicle in good condition and in an accessible manner.
- Subsequently, place the cat in the indicated place.
How to place the jack to change tires?
- Generally, the right place to place the jack is between the front and rear wheels, but it also depends on the model of your car.
- First, you should loosen the wheel bolts to reduce the torque, without loosening too much.
- Check the anchor point of your car. Vehicles in general have specific points for anchoring the lift.
- Look at the underside of your car where you will get a protruding edge of a couple of centimeters.
- On the edge, you will notice some specific points that fit perfectly with the riser.
- The anchorage is usually marked by two indentations.
- Position the jack and you’re done.
How to raise your car?
- You must use wedges or wheel stops so that when changing the tires you place them on the other wheels, preventing the car from moving when you lift it with the jack.
- Remove the wheel cover and loosen the lug nuts before raising the vehicle, following an X pattern.
- You must use the strength of your legs: stand on the key after inserting it into the nut.
- Take out the tire without putting your hands under the car; this is to prevent an accident in case the tool called a jack fails or is misplaced and rolls.
- Then put on the spare tire and position it.
- Next, lightly tighten the nuts.
- Lower the carvery slowly and carefully loosening the jack.
- When the tire is already in the contact surface, tighten the nuts with the wrench following the pattern in Xs (X).
- Finally, remove the wedges or wheel stops and store them in the car with the other items.
What do you need:
It is very important to have the following materials and tools to be able to change tires quickly and safely:
- Wheel wrench.
- The cat.
- The spare tire.
- A triangle that indicates that you are detained for security.
- Chocks or wheel stops.
Tips
Below we will give you some tips so that you can easily identify when to replace a tire:
- The most obvious reason to change a tire is the total loss of air due to a blowout, due to some object on the road.
- Another reason is the presence of punctures with objects left on the road, such as bottles, nails, screws, among others.
- We recommend that you frequently check the outside of your tires for any signs of wear.
- Excess tire wear can cause loss of grip.
- Tires do not have a set endurance duration.
- It does not matter when they were manufactured, a tire that has been in use for more than 5 years is recommended to be replaced.
- When a tire has been stored for a long time or placed on a car that has hardly been used, it crystallizes. This condition is also a very important indicator to change your tires.
- It goes without saying that crystallized tires must be replaced immediately because they lose grip.
- Another sign that you should check very carefully is the presence of cracks in the tire.
- You can also check the elasticity of the tread by digging your fingernail in. On the contrary, if it does not sink, you should change the tire.
- There are many circumstances that affect the life of the tire such as excessive temperatures and the material of manufacture.
- The tire must be adapted to the different climates of the geographical area where they are used so that they have better grip and durability.
- We recommend checking that the tread is not worn, measuring with a depth gauge.
- You can also measure the tread by inserting a 1 or 2 euro coin to check the tread depth of the tyres.
More tips
- Always carry a spare wheel .
- Tires have tread wear indicators, called telltales.
- If the witness reaches the same level as the tread pattern, it is time to change the tyres.
- You must check that the drawing has the same wear inside and out, if it is uneven, check the mechanical part of the car.
- Also, it is important that you verify that the tires do not have lumps or blisters on the sidewall.
- These defects can cause the tire to vibrate in the car and endanger the safety of the occupants of the vehicle.
- If you notice tears in the tread on your tires you should change them immediately.
- To change a tire you must take into account the inflation pressure.
- You can check the proper inflation pressure on the hood, inside the driver’s door or on the tire itself.
- You must check that the tire pressure is not higher than indicated as this reduces the contact surface reducing its grip and could cause accidents on the road.
- On the contrary, check that the tire pressure is not lower as it will increase its wear.
- In addition, you must observe that the air inlet valve is not cracked and that it has its cover in place to prevent dirt from entering it.
- If the valve is cracked, it is recommended to replace it because the air can be emptied from the tire.
- Always have a tire air gauge handy in your car.
- In case of adverse cold weather, you can attach snow chains to your tires.
How to choose the best tires for your vehicle?
- For urban use: these are designed with the safety and comfort of your car in motion in mind.
- Sports: they have better grip, shorter braking times and more extreme performance.
- Mixed and 4×4: they are used to obtain the maximum performance in extreme conditions.
- For professionals: they are designed to offer the greatest possible safety and durability in cars used as work vehicles.
- Special: they are designed to be able to continue traveling a certain route regardless of whether the wheel of your vehicle has suffered a blowout.
Best tire brands
The selection of the wheels that best suits your driving style and the requirements of your vehicle is very important. Below we recommend the best brands and best-selling models:
Bridgestone:
- Turanza-t001.
- Turanza-er-300.
- Dueler-hp-sport.
- Potenza-s001.
Goodyear:
- Eagle-f1-asymmetric-2.
- Cargo-marathon.
- Eagle-nct-5.
Michelins:
- Primacy-3.
- Energy-know.
- Agilis-51.
- Energy-saver-.
Continental:
- Ecocontact-5.
- Premiumcontact-2.
- Premiumcontact-2-e.
- Ecocontact-3.
Pirelli:
- Cinturato-p7.
- P-zero-nero.
- Belt-p1-green.
- P-zero.
Dunlop:
- Sport-maxx-rt.
- Sport-bluresponse.
- Sp-sport-maxx.
- Sp-sport-maxx-gt.