Instructions for Wheel Change
Changing Winter and Summer Wheels Yourself
Twice a year, motorists have to change their winter tyres and summer tyres. Changing tyres, i.e. fitting new tyres on the rim, is best done by a professional in a workshop. If, on the other hand, you change the entire set of wheels, you don't need much apart from a knack for tightening screws, good instructions and the right tools.The most frequently asked questions when changing wheels on your own revolve around the tools and how to use them, as well as the sequence of the work steps: What tools do I need to change the wheel? What torque is necessary when changing tyres? Are there differences when changing wheels with aluminium and steel rims? What do I need to pay attention to when changing a wheel?
Change Wheels Yourself in 8 Steps
1. Handbrake and Gear
Apply the handbrake and engage 1st gear. On automatic vehicles, the selector lever must be in "P". In addition, secure the vehicle with chocks on the wheels to prevent it from rolling away. The car should stand on a level and firm surface for the wheel change so that it cannot slip off the jack when jacked up later.
2. Loosen Wheel Nuts
Place the jack exactly at the intended jacking point and check the fit again after a first careful jacking. Using a telescopic ratchet, loosen all wheel fastenings (wheel bolts/nuts) crosswise by a quarter turn. A rim spanner may be required (see owner's manual, do not use an impact spanner!). Then jack up the vehicle.
3. Remove Wheels
Raised to the correct height using the jack, unscrew the loosened wheel nuts and remove the wheel. The loosened bolts can be ideally stored in the magnetic trays.
4. Clean Wheel Hub
Roughly remove dirt from the dismounted wheels and mark the position of the wheel on the vehicle with chalk, stickers or valve flags for the next change. Remove rust and dirt from the wheel hub with a wire brush before fitting the new wheel.
5. Check Tread Depth
A minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm is prescribed by law. With a lower tread depth, the tyres lose grip on the road, especially in wet conditions. Therefore, a tread depth of 4 mm is recommended for winter tyres and 3 mm for summer tyres. Tread depth can be measured quickly and easily with a tread depth gauge. However, if it is determined that the tread depth is no longer sufficient, the professional in the workshop must take over: either have new tyres fitted during dismounting or have the replacement noted for the next change.
6. Mount Wheels
Place the new wheel on the wheel hub, paying attention to the running direction indicated on the tyre, if this is given. If the wheel is fastened with wheel nuts, place the wheel on the stud bolts. Then hand-tighten all wheel studs crosswise.
7. Tighten Wheel Nuts
Tighten the wheel fixings with a torque spanner 40-200 Nm. The torque spanner is required to tighten the wheels to the specified torque (see owner's manual). Wheel fasteners must not be tightened too loosely or too tightly. Aluminium rims in particular can quickly be damaged if the torque is too high, thereby endangering driving safety.
8. Check Tyre Pressure
After changing the wheel, check and adjust the tyre pressure. The prescribed tyre pressure can be found in the owner's manual or on the sticker in the door frame on the inside of the fuel filler cap. After 50 km, retighten the wheel fasteners with a torque wrench.
