How to Change a Car Tire

If you find yourself stuck on the side of the road near Metairie or New Orleans with a flat tire or tire that has low air, you may be asking yourself, “How do you change a car tire?” Well, we here at the Crown Buick GMC service center are here to offer answers! When life throws you a curveball like a flat tire, we want to be there to help you be prepared! With that in mind, let’s talk about how to change a car tire and how often to change car tires in general so you can be better informed about all things tire-related.

Here’s How to Change Your Buick or GMC Tires in 6 Steps

First thing’s first: if you’re going to learn how to change a car tire, you will need the right tools for the job. These include:

• A car jack
• A lug wrench
• A spare tire(s) or new tire(s)
• Your car’s owner’s manual

Once you have the following tools on-hand, actually replacing tire(s) on your car, truck, or SUV is pretty simple. Here’s what you’ll want to do:

1. Move to a safe place and put on your hazard lights.
2. Apply the emergency brake and place wheel wedges under the other tires.
3. Remove the wheel lug cover or hubcap from the tire, then loosen the lug nuts.
4. Use your jack to raise your vehicle, and then remove the lug nuts completely.
5. Remove the current tire and mount the new or spare tire.
6. Tighten the lug nuts, making sure you tighten them all a little at a time evenly, so the wheel is properly secured, then lower your vehicle back to the ground.

How Often Should You Change Car Tires?

There is not necessarily a set recommended interval in mileage for how often to change out a current set of car tires for new tires in Marrero. Often, tires can last up to 50,000 miles. But some cheaper tires may last half that amount. That having been said, tires should be replaced every six years regardless of how much they’ve been driven on because over time, the compounds in their construction begin to deteriorate, which can lead to cracking, crazing, flats, or even worse blowouts. You can make tires last longer within this time frame by getting regular tire rotations with your oil changes, though!

How to Fill Up Your Tires with Air

If you’re dealing with a low tire or your car’s TPMS light has turned on while on the road in Kenner or Slidell, then you’re going to want to fill them with air up to the PSI recommended on your tire or in your owner’s manual. Here’s how:

• Park your vehicle by the air dispenser (usually found at service centers or gas stations) so that the air hose can reach each tire.
• Remove the stem cap on the tire valve of the first tire.
• Check the air pressure in the tire by using a tire gauge. It’s helpful to do this at home, even if you head to the gas station to fill your tires because 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 each time.

Remember to keep checking the tire gauge until you hit the right amount of pressure! It’s almost impossible to get your tire filled 100% correctly the first time.

How Many Miles Can You Drive on a Spare Tire?

Compact spare tires, also known as donuts, rarely last more than 50 miles. What’s more, you should never drive on them at high speeds. Your spare tire should mention specific speed and usage limits, but most shouldn’t be driven any more than either 30 mph or sometimes 50 mph.

Crown Buick GMC Can Help with Your Tire Car Needs!

Now that you’ve had a chance to read all about how often to change car tires out and how to change a car tire, we invite you to contact us today if you have any questions remaining, like “What is tire rotation?” or “How do you repair car dents and scratches?“. We can’t wait to further assist you with your vehicle maintenance and tire care needs in Laplace!