Tire Replacement at Ames Ford in Ames, Iowa
Stay safe and maintain a good grip with a tire replacement from Ames Ford. You can prevent costly accidents and keep your family safe with this crucial service.
Why Tire Replacement is Important
How safe is a car if it can’t stop? Tires are an essential safety feature of your car. With a fresh set of tires, you can stop fast when you need it most. This is vital for times when driving conditions are slippery and less than ideal.
When You Should Get Tire Replacement
Tires usually last around six years or 50,000 miles driven on them. It’s especially important that you don’t use a set of tires longer than ten years. If your tread depth is low (you can check with a coin) or if you notice them slipping out, you’re in the market for a new set of tires.
The Tire Replacement Process
Here’s how your service technician replaces your tires.
1. Lift the Vehicle
You can’t remove tires bearing the weight of the car
2. Remove the Wheels
To do this, your service technician will loosen the lug nuts.
3. Deflate the Old Tires and Take Them Off of the Rim
A tire changer helps make this possible
4. Put the New Tires on the Rim and Inflate
Sealing the valve stem in place is an important part of this step
5. Balance the Tires
Your service technician will use a tire balancer to prevent uneven wear
6. Reinstall the Wheels
The lug nuts are tightened to put the wheels back on
Cost of Tire Replacement
Because there are so many tires on the market, the cost of a new set of tires can range between $50-$1000 each. The cost of labor is a little simpler, and it ranges from $50-$30, depending on how many tires need to be replaced. Luckily for you, we’re not trying to gouge you on the price of tires at Ames Ford. You can get tires at only $5 over cost!
Questions to Ask Your Service Technician
Make sure to be as detailed as possible with your service technician regarding the type of tires you’re interested in for your new vehicle; there are many options to choose from. How you typically drive and what you intend to do with the car can help inform this decision. Always tell your mechanic about other issues you have with your vehicle while you’re at it.
Signs of a Quality Tire Replacement
If you notice that stops are quicker than before and things feel significantly smoother, you’ve experienced a proper tire replacement. However, if you notice especially a vibrating feeling when you drive, chances are the tires weren’t properly balanced when they were replaced. This is a sign of a shoddy tire replacement, but there can be others too. If anything else seems fishy about your tire replacement, it may have been a shoddy job.
Caring for Your Vehicle After Tire Replacement
If you have your tires rotated on a regular basis, you’ll be prolonging the lifespan of your tires by evening out the wear that your tires incur when they make contact with the road. You can look at this uneven wear yourself to determine whether it’s time for a tire rotation by looking at the tires, or by sticking a coin in the tread to get a rough measurement.
Contact Our Service Department in Ames, Iowa
Ames Ford has a wide range of tires to choose from and expert mechanics to handle the job. We’re prepared for a wide range of auto repairs and happy to serve the Ames community. When you’re ready, you can schedule service online, give us a call at 515-233-1913, or stop by when we’re open.