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A tire puncture is dreadful on the roads when you’re fairly close to home, but when you’re traveling long-distance, it can be your ultimate nightmare. Then it becomes a case of ‘how long does it take to change a tire because out on the open road it can be dangerous in terms of safety. If you only need the one tire changed, your car should be up and ready to go in roughly 20 minutes to half an hour. However, if you have more than one tire to replace, it may take longer.

In fact, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tells us that about 9% of car accidents have to do with tire issues and according to tire manufacturers, we should be changing tires every 6 years.

Basics of changing a tire

You NEED to know how to change a tire

Surveys reveal too, that not too many people have the knowledge to change a tire. They regard themselves as pretty clueless when it comes to basic mechanical skills. The truth is, with a lot of debris on the roads, tire punctures aren’t going away and anyone who drives a car should essentially know how to change a tire.

How long does it take to change a tire will depend on the vehicle model but if you are a car-savvy person, you can have it done in 10 or 15 minutes. On the other hand if you know how to change a tire, but haven’t done it for a jolly long time, then you may spend 20 , 30 or 45 minutes trying to get it changed – that is if you have all the right tools with you.

You Must have the right tire-change tools

How long does it take to change a tire at a tire service shop or garage is usually a job completed in about 20 to 30 minutes.  We’ve all watched F1 racing at some time or other, and for these professional drivers, when they come into the pits to change all 4 tires, it is done in the space of a few seconds before they roar off again.

If you hand your car in to have all four tires changed, they will be balanced and aligned. This is to avoid an increase in tire wear.

How long does it take to change a tire will also depend on you having the right tire-changing tools with you. Every vehicle should have a fully inflated spare tire, a jack, lug wrench and a car manual. If you are going on a long trip and any of these items are missing in your car, you should purchase them.

Every now and then your spare tire’s air pressure should be checked too to the manufacturers recommended PSI. There are also some other tire items that don’t automatically come with your vehicle but which can be useful to you when you have a tire puncture.

These are flashlight, gloves, and a raincoat. How long does it take to change a tire is certainly also dependent on the weather, as working in the rain with everything slippery can set you back.

The basics to change a tire

To change a tire, try to make sure your car is parked on a safe, flat surface. All passengers too should get out of the car. You will need to take out the spare tire and the jack and place the jack underneath your car close to the punctured tire.  On newer cars, there are dedicated jack points.

You’ll have to remove the hub-cap and loosen all nuts with the wrench and in an anti-clockwise motion. Once the nuts are loosened, you’ll crank the jack so lift the tire off the ground and remove the flat tire to replace it with the spare. The rime of the spare tire must be aligned with the wheel bolts and then it’s time to put on the lug nuts again.

Tighten the nuts and lower your car. Remove the jack and replace the hubcap. Put the old, deflated tire back into your boot and have it repaired.

Most times, punctures are the result of sharp objects in the road that penetrate the tyre and causing air to escape. Sometimes, if you are lucky, the nail trapped in your tire, acts as a plug and you can continue driving.

Get your punctured tire repaired

If you have a flat tire and you’re at home, get your car booked in as soon as possible because while a tire change can be a quick process, if you want all 4 done and balanced, the process can be longer. Make sure you remind them to check the punctured tire you put into your boot to make sure you have a decent inflated tire for next time.