change your own tires

[geo]

want to change your own tires?
i bought a manual tire changer from harbor freight. i didn't buy the motorcycle attchment cause i see where others don't even use it.
if anyone is interested, i can put up a link to a page that has a tutorial on changing tires on the harbor freight equipment.


UPDATE: 6-14

you do need the motorcycle attchment. it is what holds the rim. seems the articles i was reading didn't use the whole setup and made it sound like they didn't use any of it. now i got an approxamatly 1200 mile ride the end of this week ( weather permitting) and have to change a tire totally manually. poo

[Matthew]

I love that thing man....sniff sniff

Best $35 I ever spent.
Just make sure and mount it solid;)

post away.

[eight_heads]

yeah, i'm interested, just paid about that to have the dealership mount a tire for me

[Matthew]

I break valve stems easy on my car. Well they kinda of crack and leak. Curbs I guess.


n e ways it has probably saved me 100s to have it done for me. Done it a dozen times or so. But with it I can break just one side of the bead lose and no worry about balance change.

http://viragotechforum.com/phpBB/viewto ... re+changer

[Quack]

Matthew, wouldnt it be easier to stop using the Bralle Parking Technique? Rubing your tires on the curb to make sure you are close enough also is hard on the sidewall, and they are all ready thin enough.

[Matthew]

Problem is I don't do that and plus I buy the real short rubber ones. They can't rub.... But its the only thing I can think of. Other then they are just cheap.

Just changed two of them not long ago.
Have considered going to steel.

[sbrogden]

If you don't have the space or the need for the tool from Harbor Freight (now on sale for $50), consider this small bead breaker from Dennis Kirk - http://tinyurl.com/jk7xc

This is what I picked up and it works like a champ. I use a couple of 2x6 boards under my wheel to keep the disk safe and a couple good tire irons. A small one-time expense can safe lots of money in the long run.

And it takes less than an hour to put new tires on.

[visitor]

Hmmm, what do you do about harmonic balancing - if your putting different tires on?

...& if your are gonna get someone to balance them, is it that much more to have them mount the tires?

I can understand if you're not changing your setup, but...

[grazingazer]

if you want a cheap bead breaker just set the wheel on mother earth...a 2x4 on the bead...a car jack on the 2x4...a car on the jack and jack away

EDIT: remove valve stem before attempting

[sbrogden]

I use PJ-1 sealer and balancer in my tires. Have not had a leak or out of balance tire in the many years I've used it.

[pursang]

if you want a cheap bead breaker just set the wheel on mother earth...a 2x4 on the bead...a car jack on the 2x4...a car on the jack and jack away

EDIT: remove valve stem before attempting

[ff/medic]

I should have put my own on, it would have been better then getting robbed at the tire shop...they charged me $65.00 for putting 2-tires on!!! I was pissed off!!!

[sbrogden]

Hard knocks are the worse way to learn. Unless the tires have been set for a long time and basically glued to the rims, changing your own tires is not that difficult.

Easier on a shaft bike than one with a chain or belt.

[grazingazer]

Hard knocks are the worse way to learn. Unless the tires have been set for a long time and basically glued to the rims, changing your own tires is not that difficult.

Easier on a shaft bike than one with a chain or belt.

Hard knocks are the worse way to learn. Unless the tires have been set for a long time and basically glued to the rims, changing your own tires is not that difficult.

Easier on a shaft bike than one with a chain or belt.

hard knocks are the worst way to learn but the lessons they teach are remembered longest

[Fingerpick]

I juswt changed the back tire today. Blroke the beads with 2 adjustable C clamps (screw is on a slide that opens up to about 6 inches).

Had to back of the screw and reposition the bars a couple of timesbut it did the job. Used a jack handle and a piece of ground rebar to work the tire off.

[sbrogden]

Glad you were able to get your tire off. It's really best (on the tire and the wheels) if you use tire tools rather than rebar and such. Ain't too expensive and last a long time. I still have the tire irons I bought 20 years ago. Used them yesterday to mount new tires on my XS850. Only bummer was I had to take the wheels to Discount Tire to inflate them, as my little pump did not have volume to pop the beads into place.

[geo]

put new tire in back window of car with windows up and sun beating down on it and installation becomes a snap!

[grazingazer]

awesome answer geo

[Mopar]

Only bummer was I had to take the wheels to Discount Tire to inflate them, as my little pump did not have volume to pop the beads into place.

Take a comealong or even a ratcheting tie down strap and wrap it around the diameter of the tire and crank it down. By compressing the tread you expand the sidewalls out, making it easier to seat the bead with a small compressor. Also helps to make an airtank out of an old propane tank. You can use the small compressor to gradually fill the tank, then WHOOSH release the full tank back into the tire.

[PaulSwany]

Check out this youTube video on tire changing... I'm gonna try it!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XArpY_hSdk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUfYs30x5eU