After months of riding around on their Power Wheels, it’s official: the toy’s tires just can’t take it anymore. As your child’s Power Wheels struggles to make it down the driveway, you may be asking yourself what you can do to improve its drivability. Thankfully, just like with real cars, you can replace your Power Wheels’ tires.
Replacing your Power Wheels’ tires involves a simple, step-by-step process that you can do at home with basic household tools. Below, we will describe in more detail how you can change your device’s tires. In no time, your child will be enjoying the freedom of the open sidewalk.
Steps for Replacing Your Power Wheels’ Tires
Before we go any further, we want to emphasize your child’s safety. After changing out your Power Wheels’ tires, we encourage you to take the toy for a test drive before putting your child in the driver’s seat.
Now, if you want to change out your Power Wheels’ tires, you can do so by following these steps:
Remove the Tire’s Plastic Cap
Focus on the tire that you want to replace. You will notice that there is a plastic cap in the center of the wheel. You can take a paint can opener to pop it off.
Remove the Steel Ring
Once you have removed the plastic cap, take a pair of pliers. Grip the steel ring around the nut and turn it to the left.
Remove the Hubcap’s Central Nut
You will now need to deal with the nut in the middle of the wheel. This is called a “push nut” because you will need to do some finagling to remove it.
You can take a half-inch drive ratchet to remove the push nut. While you can remove it using a different tool, doing so could strip the nut, which could be a problem later on down the road.
You may need to apply pressure and put the ratchet at an angle to twist the nut off the axel. If you have problems getting the push nut off, you could remove it by using the end of a flathead screwdriver.
Remove the Old Power Wheel
At this point, you should be able to twist the tire off. You should just have the bare axel rod. From there, you can slide the new tire on.
Reattach the Nut and Steel Ring
Now, you’ll essentially repeat the steps you just did but in reverse. Once the new wheel is on the axel, take the nut and gently hammer it back into place. If you can fasten the steel ring over the nut, that’s great! However, many YouTubers and instruction guides online say that this is not entirely necessary.
Alternative Steps to Replace Power Wheels’ Tires
Depending on what type of Power Wheels car you have, you may need to follow a slightly different set of instructions.
- For instance, your vehicle may come with a plastic cap that obscures the center nut. In this case, you would need to take that component off to change the tire.
- Other models do not come with push nuts, meaning that you cannot hammer the component back in place. In this situation, you may need to use a wrench or ratchet set to reattach that piece.
Considerations Before Replacing Power Wheels’ Tires
Although Power Wheels are all similar in design, their parts are not interchangeable. For instance, the wheels that fit the Power Wheels Hot Wheels Racing ATV may not fit on the Power Wheels Jurassic World Dino Racer.
When in doubt about what wheel fits your child’s Power Wheels, consult your user manual. You will need to take the following into account when selecting the right wheel:
- The size
- Thickness
- Diameter
- Tread
You will also want to make sure that the tire you are replacing is made of the same material as its counterparts. For instance, if all of the other tires are made of plastic, then you do not want to go with a rubber tire. This could set the vehicle off-balance and make it difficult to drive.
When Is it Time to Replace My Power Wheels’ Tires?
It may be time to replace your Power Wheels’ tires when:
- The outer part of the wheel is cracked or bent.
- The tread has started to wear away, making it difficult for the tires to get traction.
- The Power Wheels is off-balance or leans on one side.
- The tire has run over something, like a nail.
When you need to change the Power Wheels’ tires will depend on many things, including the terrain on which the car travels and how often it is used.
Conclusion
Replacing your Power Wheels’ tires takes some patience, but if you follow these steps, your child will be back in the driver’s seat in no time. If you have any concerns about replacing your Power Wheels’ tires for whatever reason, you can learn more about your customer support options by clicking here.