It’s a common problem for car owners: Flat tires. You might think that it’s only expensive when they happen during a storm, but most flats are caused by simple wear and tear. That means you can fix them easily with some common items you might already have around your home.
But before you start changing your tires, there are a few things you should know.
The Different Kinds Of Tires
The first thing to learn is the difference between heavy-duty and light-duty tires. As the name suggests, heavy-duty tires are constructed with more material than lightweight ones, which means they’re better at handling heavy loads and higher speeds. They also last longer, but you should expect to replace them more often. Your best bet is usually medium-duty tires, which serve as a middle ground between the two.
The Reasons For A Flat
Of course, the main purposes of having tires are to provide traction and protection to your vehicle. When you start your vehicle, it should be equipped with properly inflated tires to give it better mobility and to prevent it from getting stuck in the mud or snow. If you go over a certain speed, like 10 mph, that can cause uneven wear and tear on your tires which, in turn, can lead to a flat surface. You’ll need to inspect your tires regularly to make sure they’re safe and properly inflated. You can even have a professional do it for you.
But other than that, you usually just need to make sure your tires are safe and intact by getting them checked by a professional at least once a year.
Tire Pressure
Just as important as the right tires are the right pressure. You should always check the pressure of your tires before driving on any surface. The pressure should be at a proper level for the type of surface you’re driving on. It takes a while to get used to checking your tire pressure regularly, but soon you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it all the time.
When Should You Change Tires?
Another important factor to consider when it comes to changing your tires is when. Most vehicles have a specified number of miles before they need replacing, so check the manual first to see what that figure is. Then you can work out a suitable schedule for when to change them. It might be a good idea to change them every other week to ensure they last as long as possible.
In most cases, it’s best to change your tires as soon as they start looking unhealthy or strange sounds are coming from them. The reason being is that if you let them get too low in pressure, they’ll start making funny noises and can even become completely unresponsive. This is dangerous and might damage your car if you drive on rough roads or in bad weather conditions. So pay attention to your tires and change them before that happens.
How Do You Change Tires?
If you’re changing your tires, it’s essential to know how. You don’t want to go about changing them the wrong way and end up causing damage to your vehicle or to yourself. Fortunately, there’s a right way and a wrong way to change tires, and a designated person (usually a mechanic) to do it for you. Follow these steps and do them safely:
- Turn off your car and remove all objects from the vehicle’s surface. Be careful not to let anything touch the car’s skin while you’re working on it. This can cause electrical shorts and serious damage.
- Locate the drain plug on the car’s tire and remove it. Be careful not to let any liquid touch the metal casing while you’re doing this. This can cause damage and corrosion.
- Loosen the lug nuts, one at a time, with a lug wrench. Be careful not to let any of the lug nuts come off while you’re working on them. This can lead to accidents if you’re not careful enough.
- Find the inner fender well on the vehicle and set it to the proper height. This will ensure you have enough clearance for the lug nuts and the wrench when you start turning them. You can also use a spirit level to ensure everything is level before you begin working on the tires.
- Check the tread on the tires and make sure it’s in good condition. Don’t go above and beyond what’s necessary – it will simply clog up the tires and lead to further damage.
- Use the right tools for the job. There is no need to waste your time with an oversized wrench or any other such tool that might simply cause damage. Instead, use the proper tool for the task at hand.
- Be careful when reconnecting the wires. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell which is the correct plug to join back together. In most cases, this is caused by a faulty connection somewhere along the way. So, make sure you fully understand where each of the wires leads before you start reconnecting them. This can prevent accidents and the unnecessary loss of electronic components.
- Inspect each of the tires’ wires and connectors for wear and tear. Tires can eventually develop a patina from long exposure to the elements. If you see a few spots where it’s starting to peel, it’s probably time for a change.
- Test the pressure of each of the tires before you leave the shop. Otherwise, you might find yourself driving on the wrong pressure all the time. This can lead to accidents and increase your car’s risk of overheating and explosion. It’s safer to overinflate them a bit than be underinflated.
- Take your time when reconnecting the tires’ wires. Sometimes, it’s easier to pull them apart and start from the beginning than to simply push them back together. In most cases, this is caused by corrosion or oxidation on the contact surfaces which make the pushback difficult. So take your time and be patient.
- Use electrical tape to hold the wires together. It’s not only useful for keeping them together, but you can also use it to bind them to the chassis or anything else that might be handy. In most cases, it’s better to use electrical tape than to simply pull them apart and try to reattach them. It’ll simply come apart again in no time.
That was a lot to take in, but now that you’re equipped with the basics of changing your tires, it’s time to move on to the fun part: customizing your tires!
Custom Tires
As the name suggests, custom tires are tires tailored for a specific vehicle. They’re very popular because they provide a unique look while enhancing the performance of your car. You might have noticed that many premium cars and trucks come with custom wheels already, but did you know that you can have the same look without paying extra? All it takes is a little bit of customization and ingenuity.
There are several different ways to customize your tires, but the most basic one is by throwing in some aftermarket pieces. This can range from simple things like adding decorative trim or writing some funny sayings on them to more complex transformations including fitting them with different sized tires or swapping out the inner tube and outer layers of the tire to make it go faster. It’s all about what you want for your car and what you can afford. Sometimes, it’s easier to just buy a set of wheels for your car and add the trim yourself, but if you’re looking for that custom look without the extra cost, you can get a sticker that’ll do the trick (just make sure you peel it off your window before you head out on the road!).
Where Can I Buy Custom Tires?
If you live in Sydney, you can visit Speedy Tyre Solutions in order to have your tires customized. They’re one of the best shops in the city and have been around for over 60 years. So if you’ve got a specific vehicle and you want a set of tires that match, this is the place to be. They also provide free pickup and delivery, and it doesn’t cost you a penny to get your car’s tires fixed.
If you don’t live in Sydney, don’t worry – you can have your tires customized in any way you want by visiting the nearest auto parts store and getting the necessary items to do it yourself. Be careful not to damage your vehicle while working on it though – that’s what repair shops are for.