How to Change a Tire

Whether it’s a flare tire or worn-down treads, it’s always a good idea to learn how to change a tire. How often to change your car’s tires depends on many factors like how often you drive and how you drive, but there are also plenty of situations where you may find yourself needing to replace one or all of your tires. Read more with us below to learn how to change a tire, and aftward, learn more tire basics with our service center.

Changing Your Tires

You’ll need the right tools to get the job done and change your tires hassle-free: a jack, lug wrench, spare tire or new tire(s), and your owner’s manual. That’s it! Here’s our general step-by-step guide on how to change a tire:

1. If you’re on the side of the road near Stephenville, move to a safe place and turn on your hazard lights.
2. Wherever you are, apply the parking brake and wheel wedges under the other tires.
3. Remove the wheel cover or hubcap from the tire, then loosen the lug nuts.
4. Use the jack to raise your vehicle and remove the lug nuts.
5. Remove the current tire and mount the new or spare tire.
6. Tighten the lug nuts, then lower your vehicle back to the ground.

How Often Should You Change Car Tires?

Factors like how often you rotate your tires, how well your tires are made, and how you drive will affect how often you should change your car tires. Rotating your tires is generally recommended to help with a more even tread wear, and this can easily be done during your next oil change at our service center. Be sure to regularly check your tires’ air pressure so that they’re operating as intended for your vehicles’s proper mpg ratings.

How to Put Air in Your Tires

If all you need is to increase your tires’ air pressure, we have Abilene drivers covered. You’ll need an air pump or access to an air pump, an air pressure gauge, and to know what psi your tires should be. You can find many hand-held, rechargeable air pumps online. Just keep in mind that these aren’t generally recommended for larger vehicles. You can find the proper psi for your tires in your owner’s manual or on the side door of the driver’s seat (you usually have to open the driver’s door to see the required psi). You can also find an air pump at your local gas gastion, and these are usually free. Here’s how to add air to your tires:

• Park your vehicle by the air dispenser and ensure that the hose can reach each tire.
• Remove the cap on the tire valve of the first tire you’re adding air to.
• Check the air pressure in the tire by using your tire gauge. There are old-school air pressure gauge options and newer electronic readers that are often built into handheld air pumps. It’s helpful to check the air pressure at home, even if you head to the gas station to fill your tires. Tires can heat up when you drive and cause the air inside to expand. This can provide a false reading.
• Use the air hose to add small amounts of air in short bursts while checking the tire gauge after adding air. 

Remember to keep checking the tire gauge until you hit the right amount of pressure! It’s near impossible to get it right the first time.

How Many Miles Can You Drive on a Spare Tire?

You’ll want to get a new, permanent tire put on as soon as possible if you’re using a spare. These tires are not made for driving on for very long– rarely more than 50 miles– and you should never drive on them at high speeds. Your spare tire will say its specific limits.

Choose the Bayer Auto Group Service Center for Your Tire Needs

Contact our service team to learn more about your tire options in Comanche. We offer plenty of service specials to keep in mind when you’re considering regular maintenance on your vehicle!