How Long Does It Take Firestone To Change Tires?
If you are a motorsport fan like me, you have probably watched the Red Bull F1 team manage to replace all four tires in just 1.88 seconds. However, if you go to Firestone to change your tires, you are sadly not going to get the same treatment. So, how long does it take Firestone to change tires?
How Long Does It Take Firestone To Change Tires
A professional is able to do it in about 30-45 minutes for all four tires if everything is prepared in advance. Firestone is not able to change all four of your tires as fast as this if they have to separate the tire from the wheel because that can take hours. This only makes sense if you arrive at your appointment at the exact time and if they are on time with everything.
A mobile Firestone tire change typically lasts between an hour to an hour and a half. A single tire can be changed in about 10-15 minutes if everything goes according to plan. All in all, replacing a tire can take anywhere between 10 minutes and 10 hours, depending on who is doing it, how it’s being done, and where it’s being done.
How To Change A Tire?
- Find a safe place to do it
- Engage your parking brake and your hazard lights
- Loosen the lugs
- Lift the car off the ground
- Replace the tire and put on the lugs
- Lower the vehicle
- Finish tightening the lugs
Where Is It Safe To Change A Tire?
When planning on changing a tire, you first need to make sure that you are doing it in a safe environment. Given the fact that most people get a flat while driving, you will have to pull over and find a safe area in which you are preferably shielded from the elements. If you are unable to find one, at least find an area with enough space and level ground.
Do I Need To Engage The Parking Brake When Changing Tires?
You must engage the parking brake when changing tires, no matter if you are already on perfectly even ground. The reason why you need to engage the parking brake is not that the ground is not even, yet rather because the car will roll whenever you jack it up. Be sure to also engage your hazards, especially if you are at the side of the road.
When Do I Have To Loosen The Lugs While Changing A Tire?
You need to loosen the lugs before you jack the car up, otherwise, you will not be able to loosen the lugs at all. If you try to loosen the lugs while the tire is in the air, you will quickly realize that you have made a mistake.
How Can I Raise A Car Up To Change A Tire?
If your car comes with a spare, it also has to come with a jack that can be used to lift the car up. You can also take your car to a tire shop where they can raise the entire car with a lift if you are not 100% confident in using the jack. If you are changing all four wheels, you will have to do it one by one, or two by two if you are able to safely jack two tires instead of one via jack stands. Only use jack stands if you are on level ground!
How Do You Replace A Tire?
After you’ve successfully lifted the car up, now it’s time to finish loosening the lugs one by one and slowly taking the tire off the car. Be sure to place the tire horizontally in a safe area so it does not roll back onto the road. Take the new tire, remove the hubcaps and place it slowly and gently onto the assembly. Also be sure to put on the lugs, turn them, but don’t tighten them just yet.
When Do I Tighten The Lugs While Changing A Tire?
You need to first lower the car down with the jack. Be sure to do so slowly and gradually and let the tire support the entire weight of the car. Now you can remove the jack altogether and place it back in the trunk with your old wheel. To finish everything off, now it’s time to tighten the lugs to the correct level if possible. If not, just tighten them in order for them to be 100% snug, and later take the car to a tire shop for a retorque.
How Do Professionals Change Tires?
A professional tire change is more or less the same as the one we have already covered. However, the main difference here is that places like Firestone use sophisticated equipment which makes the entire task a lot easier and faster.
First of all, they use heavy-duty car lifts which can lift up the entire car in a matter of moments which means that changing all four tires is a breeze. Secondly, they don’t use traditional wrenches as all credible tire shops use impact or electrical wrenches which can remove a lug in seconds.
Most tire shops also do tire balancing while changing tires in order to properly distribute the weight of the car. Lastly, wrenches used in these shops typically tighten the lugs at the exact torque as listed by the manufacturer which means that retorquing them is not as necessary, but still a good thing to do after a while.
How Long Does It Take Firestone To Change Tires – Conclusion
A firestone tire change typically takes about 30 minutes for them to lift the car up, remove the wheels, mount the other set on, and balance it. If you are replacing just a single wheel, they are likely able to do it in 10 minutes or so. The truth is that they can probably do both a lot faster, but there is simply no need for that as they are keener on making sure that everything is okay rather than the time it takes to do it.
Either way, if you want to know more about other intricacies that surround tire replacements, be sure to read this.
