How Long Does It Take to Change Car Tires
Almost every household in America has at least one vehicle. A significant number of households have three or more vehicles.
With so many cars on the road, most people are aware that cars need love and care in order to run efficiently. And one of the most important components of your vehicle to care for is the tires.
Your tires are the only component that is in constant contact with the ground. In order to be safe on the road, you need to stay on top of your tires’ health.
Wondering how long does it take to change tires when you need to replace or rotate them? Read on below to see if changing the tires is a job you want to take on, or if you’d prefer to pass that on to someone else.
How Long Does a DIY Tire Change Take
Many individuals try changing their own tires to save money. They’ll order tires online, or visit their nearest Wal-Mart and snag a deal on tires. Or they just try DIY tire rotation to extend the tires’ lifespan.
But if you don’t know how to change tires, this process can take much longer than you think. First off, you’ll have to spend time watching videos to see how the pros remove, rotate, and replace tires.
Then, you’re going to realize you don’t have the tools necessary to change tires. So you’ll have to head back down to the auto shop, buy a carjack to lift the vehicle, and a manual lug wrench or electric impact wrench to unscrew the bolts.
You’ll need to lift each side of the car. And you’ll probably want to do some cleaning and lubricating of the bolts and parts while they’re off.
DIY tire changing often takes about two hours the first time you do it, especially if you aren’t mechanically inclined. However, after doing it once or twice, the process gets much faster, and you might be able to do all four tires in an hour.
How Long Does it Take to Change Tires in a Shop?
Don’t have two hours to fiddle around in the garage? That’s where an auto shop comes in handy.
Auto mechanics remove tires on a daily basis. Plus, they have specific tools, like a dedicated tire machine to make the process fast and simple.
Auto mechanics in a shop can change a tire in 10 minutes or less. A full car of tires shouldn’t take more than 30 or 40 minutes for a mechanic to replace.
How Often Should You Change Your Tires?
Wondering when to change tires, and how often to do it? You can get a good idea of your tire’s health by performing the quarter test.
Stick a quarter, upside down, into the tread of your tire. If the top of George Washington’s head is covered by the tire tread, your tires have plenty of life left.
If the tread is flush with the top of his head, you still have some life, but you should plan to replace them soon. If there is space above his head, you need to replace your tires now.
Leave it to the Pros
So how long does it take to change tires? Doing it yourself can take over two hours the first time you try it. But taking it to your neighborhood mechanic can shave off about 75% of that time.
Wouldn’t you rather sit on your phone watching sports highlights while someone else does a better job?
Head over to our blog now to find other helpful articles like this, to ensure you keep your vehicle on the road for many years to come.
