Before changing to winter tires, remember to check the tread depth and condition of the blades. Everyone can teach themselves to change tires, but work requires concentration. If you are too impatient, your car or tires may even be damaged in the end. Nokian Tires Below are tips on how to change your tires correctly and easily.
When it's time to switch to winter tires, first make sure your tires are still usable. A common trick is the use of a two-euro coin to check the tread depth. Checking the DSI (Driving Safety Indicator) wear indicator, however, is much easier: the wear indicator found on all Nokian Tires' products is a series of numbers directly on the tire tread. If the tire tread diminishes, the numbers disappear gradually. The highest, still visible number indicates the remaining tread depth.
The tread depth is particularly important when driving on slush. On slippery roads it depends above all on flawless lamellae.
Monitor your tires
For winter tires without spikes, the grip is based on the tire tread and tread materials, so riders must always keep an eye on the fins and grooves of the tires. The handle is made possible by the sharp lamellar edges and a softer rubber compound. When the slats shut down, the edges are round and stiff rather than flexible, the tire has lost its grip.
In addition, most cars have front-wheel drive, they tend to get heavier and average engine power has increased. An aggressive driving style accelerates the wear of the tires in addition. Change the positions of your tires between the front and rear axles after every 6.000 to 8.000 kilometers, as the tires wear differently at different positions. Remember to always check tire pressure when changing tires.
Set the correct pressure in advance
The first night frosts are a good time to switch to winter tires. At this time shady, especially cool spots on the road can already be frozen in the morning. When changing tires, however, caution is advised: mistakes when changing can ruin your tires or even cause them to loosen while driving.
Martin Dražík, Product Manager at Nokian Tires Central Europe, points out that, for example, directional tires have a certain direction of rotation. The tire has an arrow pattern that always has to roll forward. If the tires are mounted in the wrong direction, they will not work as planned in demanding winter weather.
"It is important to set your winter tires to the correct tire pressure before changing tires. Sometimes people drive with freshly drawn tires directly to the gas station to check the pressure there. For example, if two tires are at very low pressure, both of them may be damaged on the way to the service station"Dražík says.
If your rims are attached with cone nuts, the cone should be facing inward. You should also make sure that the centering rings are appropriate to the position of the winter tires. Otherwise, vibrations will occur.
Although there are a few details to consider, you always learn the best way to handle tires when you try them out.
"Start by watching someone who is trained in tire changing. It is not rocket science"Dražík recalls.
However, if you still feel insecure, you should leave the job to a professional.
"With newer vehicles changing tires is more demanding - the tires are usually larger, which means that they take up more space and therefore require more power during assembly"Dražík says.
The customers of Vianor tire hotels receive an individual appointment proposal in good time before each season. A specialist then checks directly during the change also the condition of the tires. In this way, the driver can be sure that his newly wound tires are also in reasonable condition.
Tips for changing tires
- Do the coin test: Press a two-euro coin into the tread groove. If the silver outer edge of the coin is more than half visible above the tread block, you should replace your tires. The silver content is four millimeters wide. The minimum legal requirement for tread depth in Germany is 1,6 millimeters.
- All Nokian Tires products have the Wear Indicator (DSI)with which the driver can check the condition and safety of his tires. The safety indicator shows the depth of the main grooves of the tire, ie how much profile is left.
- Make sure you have a wrench, a torque wrench, and a good jack. The on-board jack is not intended for repeated tire changes.
- Refer to the owner's manual of the vehicle for the correct lifting points and the manufacturer's recommended air pressure. Winter tires should be pumped up 0,2 bar higher than summer tires.
- You need a solid, level platform for changing tires.
- If your car has alloy wheels, tighten the wheel nuts after 100-200 kilometers drive.
- All 6.000 to 8.000 kilometers you should rotate the tires rotating between front and rear axles. Therefore you should always mark the placement on embedded wheels.