How Do You Change a Car Tire?

There’s no worse feeling than getting a flat tire on the Watsonville roads. If you ever need to change your tires but aren’t sure how – don’t panic! You don’t have to be an ace mechanic to know how to change tires. Learn how to change a car tire with the service center at Santa Cruz Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, so you can get back on the roads in no time.

How to Change Your Tires: Step by Step

How do you change a car tire? If you find yourself on the side of a Scotts Valley road due to a flat tire, then changing the tire is a simple process. The first thing you’ll need to do is make sure you have the right tools:

• Jack
• Lug wrench
• Spare/new tire
• Owner’s manual

Once you have the necessary tools, perform the following:

1. Move your vehicle to a safe place and turn on your hazard lights.
2. Apply the parking brake, and then put the wheel wedges under the other tires.
3. Take off the wheel cover or hubcap and then use the lug wrench to loosen the lug nuts.
4. Raise your vehicle with the jack so you can remove the lug nuts.
5. Take off the flat tire, and mount the new/spare tire.
6. Tighten the lug nuts on the new tire, and lower your vehicle back to the ground.

How Often to Change Car Tires

Now that you know how to change a car tire, you might be wondering how often you’ll need to change them to minimize wear and tear. The material of your tires and how often your tires are rotated will determine how often your tires will need to be changed. To get a better number of how often to change car tires on your vehicle, check your owner’s manual. You’ll need to get new tires if your tires have significant tread wear. Schedule service for tire rotations and more at Santa Cruz Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram near Capitola to make sure your tires are working properly.

Putting Air in Your Tires

Sometimes, your tire doesn’t necessarily need to be changed but just needs some air. You can usually find an air pump at any gas station. Once you’ve located an air pump, here is how to put air in your tires:

1. Park by the air pump close enough for the hose to reach each tire.
2. Remove the tire valve cap on the first tire.
3. Using a tire gauge, check the air pressure in the tire. It’s important to note that tires get hot when driving, which can cause the air inside to expand, giving you a false reading. To get a more accurate reading of your tires’ air pressure, you can check the pressure of your tires at home.
4. Use the air pump hose to add air in small amounts and check the tire gauge each time until the tire is at the appropriate amount of pressure.

If you’re unsure of how much air your tire needs, you can check your owner’s manual or look at the tire itself. Don’t have a tire gauge? You can get one and any other part you need at our parts store online at Santa Cruz Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram.

How Long Does a Spare Tire Last?

If you’re driving with a spare tire then you’ll want to get it replaced with a permanent tire as soon as you can. Spare tires are only meant to be temporary and usually don’t exceed 50 miles. They’re also not meant to be traveled at high speeds, and most aren’t recommended to travel at more than 50 mph.

Service Your Tires at Santa Cruz Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

Hopefully, you don’t have to wonder “How do you change a tire?” anymore. If you don’t feel safe changing your tires yourself, then our service team can gladly handle your tire service for you. Contact us for routine service or parts questions at Santa Cruz Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Santa Cruz.