Changing a tire on a passenger car may be a simple task, but the process is nowhere near as simple when changing a semi-truck tire.
Changing a tire on a passenger car may be a simple task, but the process is nowhere near as simple when changing a semi-truck tire. Due to the equipment involved and the sheer weight of the truck, dispatchers often need to be called when a tire needs to be replaced. The best course of action when you have a flat tire is to find a truck stop to have your vehicle serviced. But if you can not get to a truck stop, it is possible to change the tire yourself. Here are the steps to changing a semi-truck tire.
Unfortunately, tire blowouts are very common. Luckily you have some options if that happens on your route. You can contact dispatch to find the closest truck stop and tell them you are on your way there with a flat tire. Or, you can attempt to change the tire yourself on the side of the road.
Semi-trucks have several tires and can allow you to reach the nearest truck stop without any problems on the road. Truck stops are usually located about every 40 miles on the highway. Luckily, you will not have to drive too far on a flat tire.
If you are driving in a remote area or are otherwise too far from a truck stop, you do not want to be driving on a flat tire. If you’re in a situation where you need a tire change, it might be better to do it yourself.
Most truck drivers keep a tire changing tool handy to break the seal that keeps the tire in place and stops the air from escaping. Once the seal is broken, you can remove the tire without lifting it. You will also need to remove the lug nuts. After the lug nuts are removed, take the damaged tire off the axle and put the spare tire in its place. But commercial tires can weigh up to 300 pounds. So, you will have to use a jack to lift and place the tire onto the truck. Once you place the new tire on the axle, just replace the lug nuts, and you are ready to go.
As stated, it is crucial to be safe when performing any kind of truck maintenance on the road. If you feel you are out of your comfort zone, there is no shame in calling for roadside assistance.
Whether you are looking to upgrade your fleet to tow trucks or simply interested in the latest trucking technology, you can rely on Baltimore Freightliner-Western Star. We have provided top-notch service for the trucking industry for 30 years and would love to assist you in buying a new top-of-the-line truck, finding the specialty parts you need, or repairing your truck. Give us a call toll-free at 800-832-7278 or locally at 410-685-4474, or contact us online. To find out more about what we are up to, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Tags: Freightliner, freightliner repair, truck tires
This entry was posted on Friday, August 13th, 2021 at and is filed under Truck Parts .
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Saved Items
Edit Your Profile
A tire can only take you so far without proper maintenance. Keep your truck tires in peak performance at every stage with proactive truck tire service. GCR truck and tire service repair minimizes costs and keeps you profitable by addressing issues before it’s too late. Find the nearest location to you and discover how GCR can help keep your business rolling.
FIND A STORE
Come into a local GCR dealer and get the highest quality service on routine maintenance, flat repairs, and alignments. Our network of stores offers the following pricing. Contact a local dealer for more specific details:
Dismount, Repair, Mount, Install on Vehicle
Check store listings for specific capabilities
Check store listings for specific capabilities
Check store listings for specific capabilities
Check store listings for specific capabilities
We know that you can’t always plan ahead for service.
Don’t worry, we can come to you to perform maintenance or fixes. Learn more about our emergency services here or call 1-800-541-TIRE (8473).
8am-5pm Mon-Fri
1-hour minimum
5pm - 8am Mon-Fri, Sat, Sun & Holidays
2-hour minimum
Services included in the hourly rate at no additional charge: Dismounts, Mounts, Flat Repairs, Inside Duals, Installation of Valve Stems*
Schedule Commercial Truck Maintenance and Inspections
Take the strain out of your routine and let GCR visit your yard to examine and maintain your fleet. Because driving thousands of miles magnifies even the smallest problems. Misalignments shorten tire life and reduce fuel efficiency, and irregular tire wear can produce pricey problems. Our advanced diagnostics and tools will spot the small issues before they become big headaches.
Semi-TruckWheel Torque
Proper torque is essential for moving those heavy loads.
We invest in the latest technology, including BlueTork™ torque guns, to ensure your equipment meets its exact torque specifications for peak performance
Tire Disposal
Taking out the trash is never fun. With old scrap tires, it’s a lot more than a quick visit to the junkyard. Don’t stress over researching local requirements, keeping up with changes or dealing with potential fines for improper disposal. Our GCR Tires & Service teammates will dispose of your tires and can guarantee all requirements in your area are met.
Federal Annual Inspections (FAI) Service
Make sure your truck is safe and passes the test with our FAI service. We’ll help prepare you for inspection and perform the inspection. The process typically takes less than an hour and is intended to set you up for success. Our review includes, inside and out equipment cleaning, as well as pre, during and post-trip inspections to assess problems.
We’ll make sure you know inspection procedures, how to secure shipments correctly and proper placement of name and USDOT # on your truck. We’ll help keep you safe and on the road.
Management Programs
Routine air pressure checks make all the difference with commercial truck maintenance. It’s an easy way to improve driver safety and your bottom line. You can avoid irregular
wear and save money on fuel and parts just
by properly inflating your truck tires and correcting small imbalances. Saving money through proactive truck tire service?
We think you can roll with that.
Programs
Improve your fleet’s fuel economy and extend the life of your tires with GCR’s semi-truck tire service offerings. Our staff reconditions old wheels, mounts and fixes mismounted or unbalanced tires, and provides a customized wheel program for your specific fleet. Give your truck tires the support they need and maximize uptime while you’re at it.
CASING BUYBACK PROGRAM AND ISO
CERTIFIED BANDAG RETREAD TIRES
Tires are the No. 1 maintenance expense for most fleets, but they're also an opportunity to cut costs where it matters. We buy back or retread worn casings* to save you money. We can also determine if your wheel casings can be repaired to save you from buying new tires. Learn more about our retread tires and how our services can help your bottom line. We offer a complimentary GCR Plus 60-Day Warranty on our Bandag retreads.
Having a profile lets you save preferred tires, technology, services and dealerships. Enjoy access to exclusive offers and easy login to all Bridgestone Commercial websites.
Create a Profile
Get the most of out of this visit to Bridgestone Commercial by signing in now.
Password
Forgot Your Password
Recipient Email Address
Press "Enter/Return" or "Space" key to validate your email.
Only valid emails can be added. You can share with multiple people.
Subject
Message
Optional
Send a copy to sender's email address
This site uses cookies to enhance your user experience. By continuing to browse our website, you agree to use these cookies. For more information on what cookies we use and how to manage these cookies please visit our Privacy policy
OK
Chat with us, powered by LiveChat
Changing the wheel
How to change the wheel in the trailer yourself?
Need to know:
Operating sequence:
Important
Use only suitable bolts to attach the wheel. Otherwise, the next time your trailer moves, you may lose the wheels. Also, before putting the wheel, it is worth getting rid of traces of corrosion. In no case should the bolts be lubricated with oil. When changing a wheel, the trailer should not be disconnected from the machine. Although, opinions differ on this issue. Since the trailer is single-axle, only the jack will become the fulcrum for it. It turns out that if you disconnect it from the car, no one knows about its further actions. Definitely, being attached to the car, the trailer will become more stable. By the way, on the Internet you can even find articles on this. So, experiments were carried out when the trailer was with and without a car. So, in the first case, after the trailer was put on the jack, it did not move. But the detached trailer was not so stable. Therefore, the support wheel should be reinforced with additional stops.
They will prevent the trailer from moving. It is believed that if the trailer is on supports, you can disconnect the car. After all, when the trailer is raised, the suspension springs will expand. Accordingly, it will be more difficult to raise the trailer from this. It happens that if you first raise the trailer, and then try to disconnect it from the car, then the hitch will completely jam. It is possible for the vehicle to move. If the trouble happened on the way, then the trailer is not disconnected from the car. Whether it is easy to replace the wheel yourself is up to you. You know how to do it.
Experiments show that the degree of patency of special equipment, including tankers, can be dramatically improved. For this purpose, twin (double or dual) conventional road-type tires, the size of which is selected based on the maximum load capacity on a solid road, are replaced with special single tires, which have a large profile, and use a pressure adjustment system in them.
For the first time, the installation of single tires from a scientific point of view was explained during the creation of the ZIL-157, the first off-road vehicle (not increased).
The experiments that preceded the appearance of this car led to the conclusion that it is possible to increase the cross-country ability of a wheeled truck (flatbed, tractor, dump truck). ZIL-157 on the sand had a cross-country ability no less than a tracked vehicle, and its cross-country ability on different types of soil and on snow significantly exceeds that of any previous generation vehicle with increased cross-country ability.
The installation of tires, the set of which includes large diameter discs and load capacity, solves the problem with the lack of ground clearance for special equipment and increases its cross-country ability. This option is usually needed by trucks and special vehicles that require maximum performance in heavy road conditions, where the traditional two-row rear bogie or axle tires make it difficult to travel on a haul road, off-road or snowy road in northern terrain.
| Double busbar |
| Single busbar |
Single row tire with large diameter and considerable width. They also have such an important feature as a change in internal pressure depending on the conditions on the road. This implies the possibility of doubling the load capacity of the tire at a limited speed.
The use of special tires with a large diameter and profile with adjustable internal pressure allows, on weak soil, to significantly reduce the pressure in them to a value at which the operation of the tires is accompanied by significant deformation. As a result, the area of contact between the wheels and the soil increases significantly, the value of the specific pressure that the wheels produce on the ground decreases, and the depth of the track and the degree of resistance to movement also decrease.
During the rolling of the wheels on the deformed tires, the compaction of the soil in the rut and the adhesion of the wheel to the soil improved. These are decisive components in improving traction and increasing the cross-country ability of the truck.
Thanks to the installation of a single tire, it is possible to maintain the load capacity with a sharp rise in ground clearance while improving patency, including due to off-road aggressive tread.
The use of high-profile tires results in a change in the truck's off-road characteristics:
Please note that the replacement of the tire set also requires the replacement of the rims. Even in the case when the size matches, discs with higher strength and load capacity are installed instead, usually collapsible and composite.
In the case when the rear axle of the truck allows the use of both double and single tires on the rear bogie, with different dimensions between the wheels of the front and rear axles, it is possible to use different tires in different climatic and road conditions on one vehicle. With the help of such a technical solution, it is possible to independently select and install different wheels, taking into account the season, weather conditions and operating conditions. For example, in winter, when the road has a hard surface, it is advisable to use a dual-tire tire, which allows you to save fuel, while during a thaw it is possible to use a single-tire tire, which increases the vehicle's off-road capability.
Question: What is needed to install single tires instead of double tires?
Answer: We need car rims, bypass tapes and tires themselves.
