How to change a tire
This month our challenge with #LesSchwab has been to #DriveSafer and we have learned so much! We kicked things off by learning how to change a tire, a goal that both of us have had for a long time. If you missed the video, you can watch it here and learn how to do this in a couple of minutes. Bookmark the video so you will know where it is in case something should happen to your tires at some point.
Both of our husbands are incredibly helpful and tend to take care of most of the car matters in each of our families. However, we are at a point in life where we actually want to know what is going on and how we can help. It feels really good to be confident when it comes to our cars and how to take care of them.
We also learned about winter driving safety while visiting the Bountiful location of Les Schwab, which we highly recommend. The manager Rhett is highly knowledgable and the store is extremely well kept and gets you in and out quickly. Les Schwab has 28 locations across the state, so no matter where you are they can help.
How do you put on snow chains?
Rhett showed us how to put snow chains on tires. I thought it was going to be a long 20-minute process that was complicated and hard to replicate. With older snow chains years ago you had to lay them down on the ground and literally drive over them to put them on. I am happy to say the process has gotten so much easier and Rhett showed us how to put the chains on in under one minute! So simple and so helpful if you are ever in the situation where you need them. I know there are some die-hard skiers out there and chains on your tires can help you get up the canyon when they are required and you won’t have to miss out on the fresh powder! We will be posting the simple how-to put on chains video to our social channels later this week.
The snow is not stopping soon
This winter we have received a ton of snow here in Utah, this has made me so happy to have snow tires and all-wheel drive. I highly recommend that that be your first step towards a safer driving experience if you do not have good tires on your car. They make such a difference and allow you to safely travel in weather of all kinds. You can check the tread on your tires by using a penny in between the tread lines to see how much the tread has actually worn down. At Les Schwab they will also do a free check if you want a professional opinion.
A few tips for making your tires last longer
Did you know when your alignment is off you are not only wearing out your tires faster but also getting worse gas mileage?! I had no idea. Les Schwab does free alignment and brake checks. It is a good idea to do this every 6 months or so. Especially if you have a road trip coming up and want the car in tip-top shape before traveling. I know many people are traveling for the long President’s Day holiday so it is definitely something to keep in mind.
How to know when your alignment is off?
How can you actually tell if your alignment is off? There are some tell-tell signs. For example, my older well-loved car in college always veered to the right. I was young and naive and had no idea that this was something that had to do with the alignment of my car, I thought it was just a quirk that had come over the years. Thankfully in newer cars that have sensors, they will alert you when there is a problem with your brakes or alignment which is so nice!
Don’t forget to compile an emergency kit
Yet again, I just have to say I am so grateful to be doing this challenge with you all! A few of my favorite things I have learned so far are how to change a tire (like I mentioned at the top of this post, watch the one minute video, I promise you will not regret it) and how to compile a proper emergency car kit. If you missed the post on emergency kits make sure you check it out here. Thanks as always for joining in on these challenges and offering up your own great advice and wisdom, we are learning so much!
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