If you own a car, you will eventually need to change your tires. As a resident of our busy, modern world, you’re likely concerned with just how much time that will take out of your schedule.
So, how long does it take to change tires? If you’d like to find out, keep reading this article to see what I learned on this topic!
How Long Does It Take to Change Tires?
Changing a single tire takes about 10 minutes. For all four tires, however, the time is closer to 30-45 minutes. However, a professional can change a tire in as little as 5 minutes. Note that this doesn’t take into account the waiting that often occurs at auto car centers, which can expand the time from 45 minutes to 5 hours.
If you’d like more information for how long it takes to replace and re-align four tires, how long Walmart’s tire service takes and more, keep reading for more facts and tips!
How Long Does it Take to Replace and Re-align 4 Tires?
Generally speaking, a tire alignment alone takes about an hour (this fact is true whether or not you’re driving a two-wheel-drive or a four-wheel-drive).
However, there are many factors that can affect the amount of time replacement and realignment can take. If anything needs replaced, this will lengthen the time (and the cost) considerably.
For instance, if your tires are too worn, then they can’t be aligned safely. Similarly, if your suspension system needs to be updated, the time will also increase.
Replacing four tires takes about five to fifteen minutes of actual work. If a professional meets you on the side of the road, this is probably about how long it will take you.
With that said, getting roadside assistance does mean that you have to wait for the professional to get to your location. Therefore, you can expect to wait at least an hour for them to get to you and change your tire.
However, if you’re getting your tires completely replaced at an auto care center, you can expect closer to 45 minutes to 5 hours. Oftentimes, your car will not be first in line when you arrive. Therefore, your car won’t start to get worked on right away.
In total, you can expect a 4 tire replacement and alignment to take about 1 hour and 45 minutes to 6 hours at an auto care center. If you have an appointment, however, this time can be cut down substantially, while arriving unexpectedly will result in a longer waiting period.
How Long Does It Take to Change 4 Tires at Walmart?
Typically, this installation is extremely fast. Walmart doesn’t usually have a huge line, so it takes about 45 minutes to get your tires changed in most cases. However, you will need to wait longer if there is a line.
Note, though, that this isn’t counting an alignment, which is often recommended when you change your tires. You can, of course, avoid the alignment, which will reduce the time and cost.
With that said, you can expect your tires to wear unevenly and your car to drive uncomfortably if you avoid the alignment. For this reason, an alignment is highly recommended to most users.
How Long Does It Take to Change Tires and Rims?
If you need to change both your rims and tires, you can expect the service to take a bit longer than just a regular tire change.
As mentioned above, tires will take about 45 minutes to 5 hours at an auto care shop, though there are many factors that go into this expected time. For instance, if you have an appointment, you can expect it to take less time.
If you just walk in, though, you’ll likely end up waiting longer due to the number of people in front of you, which can take a considerably long time if there are many cars ahead of you
Changing rims should only take about thirty minutes, and when done alongside the tires, it may take even less time.
In a professional shop, different people may be working on the tires and rims at the same time, which can also shorten the time.
In the end, the time can vary widely depending on exactly what’s going on. Therefore, your best bet is to look up time estimations for the exact place you plan on going, as this will provide you with the most accurate information.
How Long Does It Take to Change Tires at Costco?
Getting tires changed at Costco largely depends on how many people are there compared to cars. If you’re behind a lot of people, you may have to wait for your turn, and how long this takes depends on the number of cars in front of you.
Once attendants start working on your car, it will take one person about an hour, assuming that they’re experienced, while those who aren’t experienced may take closer to 1.5 hours or even 2 hours.
In contrast, if you’re the only car in the store, then the service may only take 20 minutes, as you’ll have multiple people working on the same car. When you have four people working on each tire, your wait time will be cut in half at a minimum.
However, note that if you order tires from Costco, they may take as long as 5-10 business days to arrive. Therefore, you’ll be waiting a week or more before you actually start the tire installation process.
How Long Does it Take to Change Tires at Discount Tires?
There is not very much information out there on how long Discount Tire takes to change tires. For the most part, this store requires an appointment, which may be why there’s little information on walk-ins.
In fact, Discount Tires states that most tire changes are complete within a day or two.
It’s expected that the actual tire change takes about 15-20 minutes per tire, which would put changing four tires at around 45 minutes to 1 hour. However, there is no telling how long you’ll need to wait before someone actually touches your car.
How Long Does it Take to Change Tires at Firestone?
Typically, it takes Firestone about two and a half hours to get you in the door and back out again.
However, each tire can be replaced in as little as 10 minutes per tire. It simply takes a bit for them to arrange the paperwork and move you through the system.
As well, you’ll likely be waiting behind at least one person, which will extend the time you’ll need to wait as well.
To know more about tires, you can also see our posts if you can change tires without a jack, what are highway tires, and also if you can replace run-flat tires with regular tires.
Conclusion
For most people, it takes about ten minutes to change a single tire, while changing all four tires usually takes around 40 minutes. However, changing tires may take as little as 30 if it’s done by a professional.