Tyre changing season – top 10 consumables How to choose tyre service and car repair tools

Winter is coming. Lines of cars standing at the gates of your tyre service are about to begin. Are you ready for it? We’re not suggesting that you won’t handle it but it might be a good idea to think about tyre consumables beforehand. 

Be sure to check our latest guide on pre-season purchases. We’re sure you know what to buy…but how about a quick reminder? Read this article so you won’t miss on any of these! 

Tyre consumables – for the season

What tyre consumables you should have before the season? Here is a list of products you need to have: 

• wheel weights (clip-on and adhesive) 
• valves 
• tyre mounting paste + brush 
• tyre bags 
• tyre marking chalks 
• tyre markers 
• wheel weight pliers and scrapers 
• adhesive removal
• ring for glue removal 

How to choose these materials? What should you remember about? Let’s think about it. 

Wheel weights

For the winter, it would be a good idea to get more clip-on weights. After all, many drivers take off the ALU rims, as they are afraid they may get affected by the harsh conditions. This means, you should get some more clip-on (knock-on) weights. 

Weights for ALU rims

Most drivers use steel rims. Yet, there are some who have their spare ALU rims, just for the winter. This means, you should consider having some clip-on weights for ALU rims, too. After all, there are still ALU rims where you need to use clip-on weights. Like some Volvo cars. 

Adhesive weights are just another category. And it won’t hurt to have a larger stock of them, too. 

Tyre valves 

This is another must-have for the season. How many of these should you buy? Consider how many cars you’re going to work on during the season. And – buy some more. Just in  case. If the winter comes out of the blue, more cars might be coming to your tyre bay. You don’t want to miss on clients (and their money) , do you? 

Why change tyre valves?

You know it’s important. But for sure you still got clients who don’t want to pay for that. So, here’s a couple of arguments for them. 

Why should you replace tyre valves during every tyre change? Remember that the valve retains its features through the first few months after mounting. Basically, it’s about half a year. And the more kilometers cars do, the worse the valve’s condition. 

What’s harmful for the rubber? These are:

• ozone from the air
• heat from the surroundings
• heat coming from the brakes 

The valve can get damaged due to a range of factors, too. These include water, salt or other dirt. They may get inside during inflating or pressure checking. 

Tyre mounting paste and brush – don’t forget! 

They are just so obvious that you can easily forget about them. Choosing a tyre paste look for the products based on water. Why is that so important? 

Oil-based pastes can be harmful for both the rim and the tyre. The oil causes a quicker wear of the rubber and rim corrosion. 

Ease of application is another thing. Good tyre mounting pastes are just single structures. Also, you need to keep the paste in the right conditions. If not used, it should be kept in temperature higher than zero. This will let the paste retain features. 

Brush for paste

Would you need a new one for the season? Well, after using it for some time, it might require replacing. Putting the paste on all the time, pushing it against the tyre – a brush costs a few euros so why bother using an old one? And don’t forget that a new brush means better working comfort. 

Tyre bags

Would you put dirty tyres in the customer car’s trunk? Well, that won’t be too good an idea. Even washing the tyres won’t let you remove all the dirt. So, if you don’t provide your clients with tyre bags (for free!) it’s about time you start doing it. After all, the price is low and it’s a standard for most tyre bays to give out these.

How many tyre bags would you need? Well, for 1 car you will need 4 bags. Obviously, one bag sized 62 cm fits 2 tyres (up to 16”) but…it’s better to get more bags than run out of them in the middle of the season. Besides, it just looks better when every tyre is put in a separate bag. 

Tyre marking chalks 

Another important thing. Would you imagine working at a tyre service without a chalk? It’s obviously a great thing for marking the position of tyre in the car. And outside the season it would be useful too. For instance, for marking the damage in the tyre. 

And you can choose from a wide range of chalks. There are red, yellow, green and white ones. 

How about a marker? 

A chalk can get broken. For instance, when it falls down. It also leaves dirty residue on the hands. So, if you are looking for a solution to provide an easy-to-read and durable writing on a tyre, a tyre marking pen can be a great idea. Prices are comparable to tyre chalks but you can also use them for writing on:

• glasses (like car windows)
• bumpers
• metal
• plastic 

So, as you can see, a tyre marking pen can be used for other surfaces too. And the writing won’t disappear, even when it is long exposed to water. 

Pliers and scrapers 

These are another two things that you need to have during the tyre changing season. They cost a few but they will let you take the old weights off the rim. For instance, the pliers are able to take out the weights of the rim. A special ending means a secure grip over the weight. 

And there are pliers that allow for much easier weight mounting. The other side of the pliers has something like a hammer – which means much easier weight installation. And in case of adhesive weights the pliers could be useful too. Special teeth make it easier to cut weight in parts (if you take it off a tape, that is). 

Removing the adhesive

How about an adhesive removal? Well, some tapes are so strong that taking them off could be challenging. And then we get an ugly-looking rim. To remove them for good, you should use a special spray for adhesive removal. 

All it takes is spraying it over the surface with the residue. It needs emphasizing that these adhesive removals do not cause any scratches or any other damage on the rims. 

What about an impact wrench? 

This is another useful thing for the tyre changing season. After all, it has to work like crazy everyday. So, it might be a good idea to inspect it a bit. 

And another impact wrench won’t hurt, too. For instance, if you look to hire another person for the season. Also, the upcoming season is a great moment to reconsider buying a more powerful wrench.