Topic: How the heck do I put these things on?

[shoehorn]

I finally made my winter tire selection -- Nokian WRs -- and got them put on a set of rims.  Now...come spring time, do I have to get my summer tires balanced?  (Same question for the winters for the following winter).  And can someone let me know if there's anything in particular I should be aware of when changing the tires myself?  Do I need a torque wrench for the lugs or is "as tight as I can get 'em" good enough?  Why do you loosen the lugs before jacking up the car?  And why wait until the car is on the ground again before tighening them down?  

[Mdxtasy]

If the summer tires are already balanced, you can just shoehorn them back onto the car.  Just check the tire pressure and it should be OK.  Torque wrench is always good.  As for your comment of "good enough"....I would not trust that philosophy if my family was riding in that car.  

Tightening and loosening the wheel when it's in contact with the ground eliminates the chance that the wheel will turn on you when you put a lot of force on the lugs.

[capriracer]

And, yes, it is a good idea to find what the torque is supposed to be and use a torque wrench to get it right.

Too tight = broken studs

Too loose = wheels coming off

Both bad!!

[brian]

No, you do not have to re-balance either set.

Check the torque of the lug nuts again after a day or two of driving to make sure they haven't backed off.

[goldstone]

Shoehorn,

1/2" torque wrench is $40 at Princess Auto. No excuse not to buy one.

[morty]

As mentioned investment in some proper tools is a must. Things you will want are:

Hydraulic Jack
Jack Stands
Torque Wrench
Tire Chalks
Safe level area

Make sure you consult your owners manual to locate the proper jacking points on your vehicle before starting your installation. Also block the tires with the chalks to prevent the vehicle from moving when you have it jacked up.

You shouldn't require rebalancing of your summers unless you had a vibration problem before they were removed.

Good luck! If you dont feel comfortable doing the install yourself head to a local mechanic. Wont cost you much and it should be done right.



TireTrends - Get ready for winter!

[barrie1]

The wrong Torque can cost your life and major expences as well. Warped Rotors-Bad Brakes. This task has to be done Right. Probably around $20.00 at a tire Dealer near you.  Some will even store your Summer Tires for you.  

[brian]

They're called tire "chocks" actually and surprisingly hard to find unless you buy one of those jack kits that come with a couple, which I'd recommend.  I just use some chunks of 2x4.

Speaking about "chalk" though, I've recently started to number my tires with a tire grease pen to keep track of which tire is where for rotations.

In addition to what Morty recommended above, I would suggest an X shaped tire iron.  You're not supposed to use the torque wrench for loosening, and the wrench that comes with the car isn't enough sometimes.

If you choose to take them to a shop to install them, choose a place that hand-tightens the nuts.  A place like Canadian Tire will usually just zip them on and it will be too tight.

[morty]

Oh a little typo on my behalf...thanks for the correction. Like the idea of using tire "Chalk" to mark the position. This is something we use everyday, but never think of recommending it to the end user.




TireTrends - Get ready for winter!