As you know, today a car is not a luxury at all, but a real necessity, and sometimes quite acute. At the same time, modern vehicles undergo more and more tangible changes every year, improving in their configuration and getting more and more new opportunities. However, despite numerous innovations, motorists from time to time still have to manually perform some procedures that no on-board computer can handle. One of these activities is tire fitting. Not every car owner will dare to do this work with his own hands, many prefer to entrust their vehicle into the hands of service station employees. But in order to easily replace summer tires with winter ones or, for example, quickly remove a wheel in an unforeseen situation, there is no need to pay big money. It would be much more correct to learn how to do do-it-yourself tire fitting in order to be prepared for any breakdown and save a significant part of the financial resources.
But first, consider what tasks are assigned to the wheels of the car from a technical point of view.
The main purpose of car tires
The construction of these structural parts of the vehicle is tire, balloon and rubber. At the same time, tires perform a number of important functions while driving:
- they reduce and sometimes completely absorb the vibrations and shocks of the car caused by driving on rough roads, which is especially important for residents living in rural areas;
- force is distributed evenly, which contributes to a comfortable ride for the driver and passengers;
- thanks to the tires, the car grips the road much more reliably;
- the car does not rock from side to side, but moves smoothly.
Before considering in detail the features of doing such work as do-it-yourself tire fitting, you should study all types of tires for cars. In addition, these elements also differ structurally, which is also important to mention.
Design features and tire types
Not only professional drivers, but also ordinary motorists know that the choice of wheels is a very responsible task. Based on the structural features of tires, it is customary to distinguish the following samples:
- Chamber. Inside the tires of such wheels there are special rubber elements. In addition, the design also includes such details as the main carcass, tread, as well as the sides.
- Tubeless, that is, having an empty space between the rim and the tire.
If we talk about seasonal types, it is customary to divide tires intofollowing types:
- summer samples that should be used in dry and warm weather;
- winter tires equipped with a special tread pattern that improves the grip of the wheel with the road, which is essential in conditions of low temperatures and when the roadway is icy;
- all-season designs that can be operated in all weather conditions.
Why monitor tire pressure?
As you know, do-it-yourself wheel tire fitting includes not only repair activities. This also includes a procedure that should be performed regularly - this is checking the atmospheric pressure inside the tires. The safety of the driver and his passengers directly depends on the frequency of its implementation, since the air from the wheels gradually leaves, and this can cause an emergency.
The design of modern electric pumps usually includes a pressure gauge - a special device that helps control tire pressure. In addition, it is important to note that this short procedure will not only make the driving process safer, but also save some fuel, since the car consumes more fuel than required due to poorly inflated tires.
When do you need to change tires?
If we talk about what time of the year you need to remove the so-called summer tires, then everything depends solely on the weather outside. It is important to remember that the urban climate is somewhat different from the rural one, so on busy roads, equipwheels with winter tires can also be used immediately before the onset of cold weather. Approximate temperature indicators, signaling the need to "change shoes" - 5 - 6 ° C.
In turn, it is not necessary to change winter tires for summer tires immediately after the onset of the calendar spring. It is important that the temperature of about 9 - 10 ° C last for several days. But driving too long on studded tires is also not worth it: it is fraught with premature tire wear and can be dangerous in case of emergency braking.
Materials for tire work
Of course, every motorist should always have a minimum set of tools with him, like a wrench, heads of different sizes, etc. But if we talk about the procedure for changing wheels, then there is no such thing as the main do-it-yourself tire fitting device, here you need to have several tools:
- jack required to lift the vehicle;
- balloon wrench needed to remove wheel bolts;
- manometer to control pressure;
- pump (optionally a compressor) to fill the balloon;
- mounting blades, called mounts. This tool allows you to remove the tire from the wheel without any problems.
In addition, the use of a soap solution will facilitate the whole procedure (some car owners prefer to use silicone grease).
Dismantling a damaged wheel
BeforeBefore carrying out repairs, the tire must be removed from the vehicle together with the frame. For such an event, it is extremely important to have tools such as a jack and a spray bottle available. It is recommended to do all the work exclusively on level ground, and if there is some slope, then you need to put some kind of support under the wheel.
Next, the side on which the damaged tire is located should be lifted with a jack. It is not necessary to achieve a great height, it is enough that the tire is 3-4 cm from the ground. After that, using a balloon, you can unscrew the nuts and remove the wheel.
All this event also applies to such a procedure as tire fitting. It is very problematic for an ordinary motorist to draw up drawings of the entire work process with his own hands, therefore, in order for the repair event to pass quickly and correctly, one should be guided by the recommendations described below.
Tire change process
One of the main challenges that arises in the tire fitting process is related to the separation of the rim from the tire. To do this, use a special spatula, using its wide side. To make the whole procedure easier, it is recommended to pre-moisten the rim with a soap-based solution or silicone lubricant so that the parts glide better.
Do-it-yourself tire fitting is a rather tedious and sometimes lengthy event. As a rule, the speed of work depends primarily on the skills and patience of the performer.
After removing the old tire, the new productshould be put on the rim in the same way, slowly and with the help of two mounting blades.
Installing a wheel with a new tire
After equipping the rim with a new tire, the entire structure must be installed in its original place and all the bolts must be carefully tightened. When doing tire fitting with your own hands, you should take all the details very seriously, as the safety of further driving depends on it. It is best to start tightening the bolts from above and then move diagonally. This method of fastening will allow you to accurately center the wheel.
Complete the procedure only when the machine is completely on the ground. All bolts must be tightened as tightly as possible.
Thus, we can say that, when figuring out how to do a tire fitting with your own hands, you need to clearly follow all the recommendations, and then the result of the work will definitely be positive, and it will be difficult to determine that the whole procedure was performed by the motorist on his own even the most demanding service station employees.
