April鈥檚 scattered hail squalls might suggest otherwise, but now is the time for your seasonal tire change. Where I work, we鈥檙e already several weeks deep into swapping over tires for those drivers who use two sets, which is roughly three-quarters of our regular clientele.
This twice-annual changeover makes for an exceptionally busy time for most in southern Ontario鈥檚 auto service industry, and at my workplace we鈥檙e currently booking new appointments for two and a half weeks from now.
In theory, if your summer tires are mounted on wheels, this task is well within the reach of a do-it-yourself-er. After all, it鈥檚 no more complicated than changing a flat tire, times four. Indeed, in 2015, I did a step-by-step piece on the procedure, and I鈥檝e talked about it many times in Wheels.
But I’ve changed my mind on this; while the average car owner likely can change over their tires, they probably shouldn鈥檛. They really should rely on a trained technician.
There are the direct and immediate safety concerns of having a level, solid surface upon which to work, a proper jack and stands to lift the vehicle, and some form of wheel chock or block to prevent rolling. The jack supplied with the vehicle is for emergency use and shouldn鈥檛 be relied on as a service tool. Are the lift points too corroded to trust?
While the vehicle is off the ground, checks of the suspension can be performed, and with the wheels removed, the brakes are exposed and can be inspected. Some might view this, with a skeptical eye, as an opportunity to upsell unneeded work, but in reality, even on a reasonably well cared for vehicle, things do wear or fail. Sometimes catching it early can prevent more expensive repairs later.
Both sets of tires can be scrutinized for age, condition and inflation. It鈥檚 normal for stored tires to lose some air over their six month down time, however an abnormally low tire (or tires) indicate(s) that further attention is needed. Worn, damaged, or aged-out tires (six to 10 years, maximum) should be replaced; this is the time of year many tire companies offer rebates on sets of four.
Ideally, the seasonal set of tires is marked as to where it came from so that they can be properly rotated when installed. The car鈥檚 hubs and the wheels鈥 mounting surfaces should be cleaned of dirt and corrosion, and the correct fasteners used to secure them at the manufacturer鈥檚 recommended torque. (For the DIY crowd: 鈥淕erman spec鈥 鈥 鈥済uten tite鈥 鈥 is not actually a thing. Too tight can result in broken studs and/or damaged wheels, not tight enough, well 鈥 separation can be a painful experience.)
have been mandatory equipment in the U.S. since 2008. Although Canadian regulations still don鈥檛 require the system, plenty of Canadian-market cars and trucks are fitted with the feature, and it鈥檚 becoming much more common in late model vehicles.
Operation varies by automaker and even model. Some systems will 鈥渓earn鈥 a new set of sensors or new locations as they鈥檙e driven, however many require some form of 鈥渢raining.鈥 In some cases, the procedure can be undertaken without the need for equipment beyond a tire pressure gauge and air pump, but there are several automakers鈥 models that require a tool that can program the individual sensors鈥 IDs directly into the vehicle鈥檚 TPMS module.
Without this “training,” the warning light may remain on and service messages displayed, or incorrect data provided 鈥 鈥渓eft front tire low鈥 could actually be the right rear, for example.
So, yes, you can swap your winter tires over yourself. But given the importance of getting even the minutiae correct, the opportunity to minimize repairs or catch potential problems, and just considering the complexity of the task, why would you?
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