After how many kilometers should you change tires?

It is hard to say clearly because the rate of tire wear depends on many factors. Tread loss speed is most affected by the conditions in which we drive our car and our driving style. For example, a veterinarian using his car mainly in rural areas, where the quality of the roads is usually very poor, and a large part of them are gravel or ordinary wertepy will have to change tires much faster than a commuter using the highway network. Another factor is our driving style. If you start from under the lights with a screech of tires and entering a corner you feel the car falling into a slight skid, you will quickly “roll” your tires. Tire replacement should really be cyclical.

What are the other causes of tread wear?

The biggest culprit is usually the incorrect suspension geometry. If our car struggles with the problem of unbalanced or misaligned wheels, it will significantly affect the life of the tires. Another very common reason is poorly selected air pressure. Too high tire pressure means that the tire deforms less, which causes the tread center to wear out much faster. If the pressure is too low, the tire sticks to the ground more, which causes abrasion of the side parts of the tire and significantly increases rolling resistance. This in turn translates into greater friction and causes a higher temperature, due to which the rubber loses its mechanical properties faster.

When should we change tires?

According to Polish law, the tread thickness must be at least 1.6mm. However, experts agree that this value is far too low. According to tests carried out by the German organization ADAC, the minimum safe thickness is 3 millimeters (for winter tires this value is 4 mm). It is also worth remembering the year of tire production. It is assumed that it should retain its properties for about 10 years, but practice shows that it is better to change them every 5 – 6 years. We are sure then that the tire is fully functional and will not disappoint us at the most unexpected times.

How much does tire replacement cost?

Tire replacement is a must because of our climate, which drivers and car owners face twice a year. More and more people are choosing universal all-season tires, but the fact is that they are not suitable for long distances or driving on mountain roads. Thus, 90% of drivers still change tires every season.

Every season there are also different rates associated with changing tires, mainly due to inflation and rising labor costs. Thus, changing tires from season to season seems to be becoming more expensive.

Vulcanization – responsibility and experience

Vulcanization is a department of our website that works completely separately. Specializes in tire substitution, tire quality control, balancing and wheel alignment as well as inspection and wheel alignment.

The work of the vulcanizer would seem relatively simple, nothing more wrong, he is responsible for:

• checking the technical condition of tires and informing the customer about the technical condition,
• proper assembly and disassembly of the tire,
• checking the technical condition of the rims,
• balancing the entire wheel,
• Tighten the screws properly using a torque wrench.

The responsibility that rests on the vulcanizer specialist results from your safety. Our service makes every effort to ensure that the work is done professionally.

How much is tire replacement? We can confidently say that the cost of replacing tires on our website is really very competitive.

Professional equipment and experienced crew

What characterizes us as a car service and vulcanizer is professional equipment. We are talking about both devices and tools. Wheel geometry is set on professional optical and 3D devices.

Vulcanization is carried out using an appropriate balancer and calibrated torque wrenches. The crew are experienced service technicians who can reliably and reliably approach their duties.

Changing tires together with wheels. Advantages and disadvantages.

Tire change gear ratio – how best to do it. Many people, not wanting to queue at the vulcanization plant and trying to save some money, put all the tires around. There is nothing wrong with it, if we like to do DIY from time to time, but experts still recommend making wheels, which for obvious reasons we will not be able to do in a home workshop. Another issue is the need to store a set of wheels, so if you live in a small bachelor, it can cause you some problems. Backyard replacement of wheels is ruled out by the car having a TPMS (tire pressure sensors). After such an exchange, we will most often be greeted by an error on the dashboard saying about the failure of this system, which can be cleared only with the help of special tools.

Setting the wheel toe-in after tire replacement.

A very important issue after replacing tires, on which definitely not worth saving, is balancing the wheels. Poorly balanced wheels will contribute to faster tread wear, increase fuel consumption, and in extreme cases can cause an accident. If the mechanic does not ask us to balance the wheels, it is worth asking him yourself, so that we can be sure that we will not encounter any of the above problems.

Tire change gear ratio in a car workshop.

If you replace the wheels yourself, you may encounter a problem in the form of heavy screws to unscrew, which, as a result of normal operation, tend to clog. Similarly, when tightening them, when without a torque wrench it will be hard to screw the wheels with the proper force. The above problems are eliminated by a visit to a local mechanic who, with the help of specialized equipment, will quickly replace and balance our wheels. A very practical service that we can often use is the option of storing tires in a workshop warehouse. Thanks to this, we save space at home and we do not have to wake up, and the tires are stored in optimal conditions for them.

What is wheel geometry?

It is nothing more than the mutual position of the wheels and individual suspension parts towards each other. It is responsible for what driving characteristics our car will have, how it will stick in corners, overcome obstacles and how it will behave during sudden braking. It depends mainly on the wheel settings in relation to the driving axle and the angles at which individual suspension components are mounted. If the wheel alignment is set correctly, they will be gently directed inwards.

Which device measures convergence?

What is wrong with wheel alignment?

Incorrectly set geometry causes premature tread wear, which is why unevenly worn tires are one of the first signs of this problem. Another symptom is
automatic deviation of the car from the track. You can check this by releasing the steering wheel on a straight road. If he quickly changes direction, we can be pretty sure that
we have been affected by this problem.

What to do in case of convergence problems?

The best idea would be a visit to a reputable mechanical plant. Our car will be subjected to a wheel alignment test, followed by qualified specialists
will restore them to the correct settings. The cost of such a service is not excessive and is usually about PLN 100 gross. Even if nothing disturbing is happening with our car, according to the experts’ recommendations, we should conduct a convergence test at least once a year, the more so because the condition of Polish roads is conducive to automatic suspension dysregulation.

What does the replacement of the brake fluid give and why is it so important?

The condition of the brake fluid directly affects the operation of the brakes, which directly translates into the safety of us and other road users. We often remember to regularly check and replace pads and discs, and at the same time we forget to replace the brake fluid, which ensures their proper operation.

Why does brake fluid lose its properties over time?

Most passenger cars use brake fluid DOT 4, which is hygroscopic. This means that it naturally absorbs water, and this strongly deteriorates its properties. In extreme cases, this can lead to a situation in which the brake “collapses” and the car almost completely loses braking force, so it is worth replacing it regularly. Periodic brake fluid replacement should the above marking be used.

How much does changing the brake fluid cost and how often should it be changed?

It all depends on whether you want to do it yourself or prefer to give the car to the mechanic. In the first case, you should buy the fluid recommended by the car manufacturer (the cheapest ones start from just PLN 17 per liter) and ask someone for help. When starting the exchange, we must lift the car and remove all the wheels. Then unscrew the cap of the expansion tank and drain the old liquid with a syringe. After completing this operation, pour the newly purchased preparation into the container. The next step is to unscrew the vent valve and connect to it a rubber tube with a bottle into which we poured the previously poured liquid. Inserting the tip of the rubber tube into a container with liquid prevents air from entering the entire system. Then unscrew the breather, and a second person at this moment pumps the brake, thereby getting rid of the remnants of old fluid. When the color of the liquid clearly changes color, we turn off the vent. This operation must be carried out for all wheels. It is important that we regularly check the amount of fluid in the expansion tank, as too little of it will lead to air in the system. If we prefer to leave this task to professionals, then we will have to pay an average of PLN 80 to PLN 130 for this service.

Which workshop lift is best to buy – new or used?

As your car workshop expands, you can think of equipping yourself with more professional equipment, including a workshop, car and motorcycle lift. However, is it better to choose new or second-hand equipment?

Advantages of the new workshop lift

The main advantage of new equipment over their used counterparts is the presence of guarantees and technological advancement. The new workshop lift will be able to lift more weight in less time, while consuming less energy. Of course, its individual parameters depend on the model, but they will always be better than with used equipment.

Another advantage of buying an unused workshop machine is the presence of certificates and compliance with standards that a reputable car service will provide. By selling original parts and devices from well-known brands, such as Nassau, Hofmann or Twin Busch, we are sure that the workshop lift purchased is fully functional and can be used without worrying about a quick visit to the repair center.

Wheel balancer – balancing on an automatic balancer

Nowadays, any valuable tire service will have a wheel balancer next to the tire changer. These two devices can be considered the most important in such a workshop. Each device usually has several configurations to be able to let the user choose the best variant for themselves. In the case of balancing machines, semi-automatic and automatic balancing machines are distinguished.

What is the main difference?

It just so happens that buying a semi-automatic or automatic balancing machine will differ only in the comfort of use. Both types of machine will do their job in exactly the same way.

The automatic balancing machine is equipped with special sensors, often laser and electronic measuring arms, which means that the user does not have to manually enter data on the console of the device. It follows that semi-automatic balancers will already require manual data entry into the computer to be able to balance the wheel correctly. This is not a big time difference, but such electronics more often determine exact numbers than people with the help of apparatus. However, it should be noted that even despite the use of automation, sometimes a small correction of the value by the machine operator will be necessary.

Differences further down

It is worth mentioning that there is still a division of balancing machines into those used for proper balancing of wheels from passenger cars or trucks, the difference is important because for larger ones you need more specialized equipment.

There are so many specialized and thoughtful machine configurations here that the user buying a semi-automatic device can in the future independently expand it to the automatic status – buying even the necessary modules. Such modules include even additional measures.

Winter and summer car tires – what you should know

A car ready to drive weighs about 1.5 tonnes these days. Increasingly, it is powered by an engine exceeding or equivalent to 100 hp. Suspension designs are becoming more and more complicated, and security systems are supervised by electronic systems and many others … but nevertheless, a large part of our safety is guaranteed by four rubber tires, whose contact surface with the ground does not exceed the size of two A4 sheets.

Many drivers do not realize how choosing the right tires affects their own safety. The question is, what tires should you choose?

Winter tires and summer tires

About thirty years ago, summer or winter tires were not distinguished, they were just tires. About a decade later, the intensive development of the automotive field began, where more and more innovative solutions appeared, cars became more comfortable and it seemed that the automotive industry was at the peak of travel safety. This was not entirely true, after all, tire manufacturers took the matter into their own hands and a broadly defined division into winter and summer tires was created.

So how can they be distinguished?

The first differentiating factor is the composition of the compound from which rubber is made. Rubber in summer tires has excellent elasticity at a temperature of about 7 degrees Celsius, and at lower it becomes hard as stone. The winter tire is distinguished by high elasticity at lower temperatures, however when the temperature rises above 7 degrees it becomes excessively soft, which reduces grip and drastically accelerates tread wear.

The second factor is tread pattern. The winter tire drains water better and “bites” into the snow thanks to the channels, while the summer tire has larger tread blocks, which makes it less resistant to rolling.

Tire change can be described in the following table:

Tires include all-season or all-season tires. The main difference is a much better quality compromise compared to standard tires. The catch, however, is the much higher price of such tires.

The same should be mentioned about the existence of directional or asymmetrical tires, but before buying them, it is worth contacting your local garage. These tires because they are specifically adapted to selected types of cars and can improve their performance.

Replacement of engine oil and filter in the car

The right oil ensures the car’s engine works properly, significantly reduces friction of internal structural parts and protects it against corrosion. The oil filter prevents harmful contaminants from entering the engine. Both oil and filter should be changed from time to time.

How often should these components be replaced?

Car manufacturers recommend oil change, of course it is strictly dependent on the properties, oil viscosity such as 15W40, 10W40,0W40, 5W30 … approximately every 10-30 thousand kilometers traveled. In addition, time plays a great role, it is recommended to change the oil once a year, exceeding this deadline can negatively affect the further operation of the vehicle engine. One should also not carry out one operation without the other, i.e. change the oil without changing the filter or replace the filter without changing the oil, except in the case of minimal oil loss its topping up.

Important advice is never to mix oils. Likewise, you should not use diesel oil for a gasoline engine, and vice versa.

Oil change with a filter is a seemingly simple matter, but it should not be underestimated. It is strongly recommended that you allow professionals to replace these accessories.

Do not underestimate the oil-related indicator, it will disappear 90% after adding oil to the tank.

What is the cost of changing the engine oil and filter?

Replacement of the filter and the oil itself is relatively low in relation to other consumables. Replacement of engine oil, only the service costs between 30-50 PLN, and replacement of engine filter from 17 to 20 PLN. After adding the price of engine oil and filter, the price of the service will be around PLN 150-300.

How does the engine oil change?

The oil pan can be emptied in two ways. The first is pouring content through the trigger, gravitational method. Second – oil extraction with a device commonly known as a suction device. When the engine is empty, new oil is added inside. This should be done every time because a clogged cartridge can lead to a drop in oil pressure. This will cause poor lubrication of engine parts and their faster wear and a gradual decrease in power.

Summary

Regular oil and filter changes and the use of high-quality products will extend the life of the engine and allow it to work optimally. Relatively low cost can maximize the life and performance of the most important component in every car.

Wheel geometry – convergence setting

Setting the wheel alignment is an activity that should be remembered by every driver regardless of the experience behind the wheel. Ensuring proper wheel alignment is not only increased driving comfort, but also an ergonomic approach to tire tread wear. Regardless of safety issues, of course, wheel alignment is one of the most important factors that determine whether we will reach our destination unscathed.

Why is wheel geometry a cyclical activity?

Alignment of the wheels relative to each other changes as a result of continuous operation of the suspension components, due to entering a larger hole or too fast passing through the release threshold, etc. The reason for the re-implementation of the geometry should also be interference in the steering system in the form of tire replacement. It must be taken into account that after a major accident damage a car may never restore the correct wheel alignment. The reason for this may be even the slightest curvature of the chassis when the car was hit by a wheel.

Phenomena when the wheels are not set correctly

At a time when the geometry is not set correctly, there may be:

• Failure to keep the right track of the car straight and pulling the steering wheel to one of the sides,
• Acceleration of tread wear of some or all tires in an unbalanced degree,
• Reducing the life of suspension components and the steering system,
• Increasing fuel consumption by additional resistance of uneven tires while driving,
• Reduction of driving comfort due to the driver’s notorious need to correct the lane.

It is recommended that wheel alignment be done every year or when you feel driving discomfort.

Where can you do the wheel geometry for your car?

Wheel geometry is handled by specialized garages or authorized service centers of specific car brands. There is no physical possibility to set the geometry on your own without special equipment. It is estimated that the average cost of such a test and wheel alignment is in the range of PLN 110-160.

The wheel alignment test / setting will correctly adjust, among others:

• Coasting angle
• Wheel angle
• Tilt angle of the front wheel kingpin
• Rear wheel tilt angle
• Rear angle of convergence
• Differential angle of steering mechanism
• Vehicle height at the back and front
• Wheel offset (e.g. in sports cars)
• Lower and upper ball joint settings (e.g. in pickups)

Will a wheel balanced on one balancer have different results on another?

Many questions arise around the use of wheel balancers from various companies at short intervals. The answer to the question is also unambiguous and consists of many factors, also not entirely known. It is worth noting that the description is more inclined to thesis than to claim.

First of all, we must consider the balancing method that the manufacturer specifies. In this industry there is still a phenomenon of patenting, so theoretically every manufacturer should come up with his own way of balancing a wheel with his own machine. The method’s patent also involves the making of the machine – here the technological advancement of the machine, the quality of the materials from which it was made.

What else?

In addition to the above elements, the method of precise location of places for placing weights will also decide, the tire itself along with its quality, employee competence and can be exchanged so de facto indefinitely. The result of so many inaccuracies is the denial of our thesis – a wheel balanced on one balancer then checked on another it will show the result not the same but similar within the specified error limit. It can be + – 5g on steel rims, and on aluminum rims from 5 to 20 grams assuming that the rim is not skewed and has no undesirable protrusions.

Many companies have similar solutions, thus balancing on their products would give similar results. However, such similarities are not presented to the public in advance for commercial and industry reasons (often a solution can be a business secret). For this reason, it is also not possible to determine whether a wheel balanced on a A wheel balancer will have a similar or the same result as on a B wheel balancer.

However, this should not be a surprise, just like everything working with other devices, such as tire changers. There, many factors also contribute to a correctly mounted tire.