Tire Change

Now that it is autumn, the change from summer to winter tires is important for many car owners. If you are not afraid of a little work, you can also exchange your summer tires for winter tires and vice versa, on your own. You only need a little skill and the right tools. A checklist can be found at the bottom of this page.

It is worthwhile to look at the manual of your vehicle. There you will find, for an example, the information regarding at which point you are most likely to use the car jack on your vehicle.

• Place your vehicle on a flat surface
• Pull the handbrake and put the car in park
• Loosen the wheel bolts (preferably crosswise) with the wheel cross
• Place the jack in the correct position. Now lift the car so that the wheel you want to change is just in the air. If you do not trust the jack, you can additionally secure the wagon with further support
• Once again remove the wheel bolts – crosswise. Turn the wheels so that the above-fitting screw holds the wheel to the end. Carefully pull the wheel forward
• If necessary, clean the support surface with a brake cleaner or a wire brush

• In many tires, the direction of travel is specified. Be sure to put the new wheel on according to the appropriate specification.
• Gently tighten the screws with the crossbars
• Lower the vehicle so that the tire rests on the ground as it is
• Tighten the screws firmly using the torque wrench. To do so, you must first adjust this to the manufacturer’s recommended tightening torque. The correct torque can be found in the manual.

Tire change checklist:

• Reflective vest
• Car jack
• Additional wheel with sufficient air pressure
• A good wheel cross
• Torque wrench
• Work gloves