Wheel replacement
When changing a wheel, the direction of rotation of the tire should not be reversed, even if the tread pattern is non-directional, as rerunning the tire causes increased wear.
If the front tires are noticeably worn, it is recommended to change them with the rear ones.
Always fit the less worn tires at the front when replacing.
When changing wheels, take care not to damage the paintwork of light alloy rims.
Tighten the wheel nuts gradually, crosswise.
For light alloy wheels, use only chrome-plated cap nuts.
Tire break-in
New tires have a smooth outer surface, so they are subjected to break-in. The initial break-in wear makes the tire rougher.
The first 200 km of the car should be driven very carefully (especially on wet surfaces).
Wheel balancing
Wheel balancing is done to compensate for uneven weight distribution. When driving, the imbalance makes itself felt in the form of vibration, which is transmitted to the steering wheel. Steering wheel vibration due to wheel imbalance occurs in a certain speed range and disappears when the speed decreases or increases. Wheel imbalance can cause damage to joints, steering and shock absorbers. Be sure to balance the wheels after 20,000 km of the car or after any tire repair.
Spare wheel
The spare wheel can be installed on both the front and rear axles. The car is equipped with a full-size spare wheel.
Tire pressure check
The check is carried out with a special tire pressure gauge. Check pressure only when tires are cold.
Note: The air pressure should only be checked when the tires are cold. The tires can be considered cold if at least three hours have passed since the car was stopped, or if after a long parking of the car you have driven a distance of no more than 1 km. After the car has run a distance of several kilometers, the tires have time to heat up and the air pressure in them increases by 30-40 kPa (0.3-0.4 kgf/cm2) compared to the cold state. This is not a malfunction. Do not reduce the air pressure in warm tires to bring it to the nominal value that is set for cold tires. Otherwise, the tires will run at reduced air pressure.
The frequency of checks is once a month or when servicing the car.
It is advisable to check the pressure before long trips, since at this time the maximum temperature load on the tires is reached. When driving long distances at high speeds and under-inflated tires, more energy is expended to deform the tire, causing the tire to overheat, and the profile ply or even rupture may occur.
Wheel storage
After removing the summer or winter wheels, you need to find a suitable place to store them. For this, a dry and dark room is best suited, the temperature in which does not exceed + 25°C. If the temperature is too high or too low, the tires will be covered with microcracks, which will reduce their service life. Make sure that the tires do not lie closer than one meter to the source of space heating.
Keep gasoline and lubricants away from tires as they can corrode tires.
When changing wheels seasonally, mark with chalk the direction of rotation and the installation location of the removed tire or wheel: PP - front right, PL - front left, RR - rear right, ZL - rear left.
If the seasonal kit consists of tires with rims (pic. 14.5, A), then the best option would be to hang the wheels by the central hole of the disk or stack them on top of each other (well). Beforehand, you can pump them up a little. It is impossible to store rubber separately from the disks: under the weight of other rings, the bead and lower treads are deformed, the grip will deteriorate, the tires will wear out quickly and unevenly. Tires without rims (see fig. 14.5, B) stored upright (on the floor or shelf), about once a month they must be turned around the axis. If there is a chamber inside the tire, the pressure in it must be significantly reduced. Separately stored cameras should not be crushed and folded, as this leads to the formation of folds, and then cracks. Before storage, you can sprinkle the tires with talcum powder so that they do not stick together.