- Joined
- Aug 18, 2010
- Posts
- 10,135
- Reaction score
- 9,474
- Location
- North East Texas
- First Name
- Shawn
- Truck Year
- 1982 & 1985
- Truck Model
- K10 Extra Cab w/ Proper SWB, & 85 K5 Blazer
- Engine Size
- 454 BBC, & 383 Stroker
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I was just given some steel tubing today. Could you use a old brake drum to hold the tire and wheel? I've seen the duck head thing. I've seen a video on YouTube and the guy made a few upgrades, and his wife was able to change a tire. I like your idea of just building my own.I've had one for decades, as is,it's junk, if you can weld you can make a better one. I've upgraded all kinds of stuff on mine,just to make it functional. The bead breaker doesn't work 90 percent of the time so I had to adapt a bead breaker from a different manufacturer. The mounting bar. Ha forget it, it dismounts fine but you will be prying your new tires on with tire irons.. Mine is very functional now but it is no where near what it was when I got it. Now I can break a bead everytime,dismount a tire and remount any tire without having to pry them on. I'll try to find pics and put up comments so this will be edited a bunch. Keep checking back. Okay could only attach 5 pics,I made probably 6 different mounting bars none worked great. The bike carrier,turned into duck head works best. The bead breaker is a Speedway wide foot bead breaker,with back bar removed and a piece of chain and strap to replace the back bar. The round wheel looking pic with the hook is a pic of the head of an old Milton tireman tire bar,I bought, it works decent,duckbill on a stick,way better than the harbor freight bar. The bulldog tire lever,absolute junk,140.00 dollar junk. So the only part of the harbor freight tool I use is the upright. I've drilled holes in the round plate to bolt my wheels down. So if I were to start all over, I'd take a piece of scrap pipe weld a plate on bottom to bolt it down and a plate in the middle to bolt wheels to. Then I make a duck head mount and buy a speedway bead breaker. P.S. it was on that wood when the previous owner threw it away,because it was junk.
Yep,I think a brake drum would work,or a rotor from a hub and hat style rotor and hub.Id be half tempted to dig a hole like for a fence post and just set it in the ground in concrete,weld a plate to bolt the wheel to,done. 1 would drill 2 holes all the way through the pipe close to the bottom 90 degrees apart to stick pieces of steel rod thorough. Stick the rods through( cut off chunks of old factory tire tools) that would keep the pipe from twisting in the concrete.I was just given some steel tubing today. Could you use a old brake drum to hold the tire and wheel? I've seen the duck head thing. I've seen a video on YouTube and the guy made a few upgrades, and his wife was able to change a tire. I like your idea of just building my own.
I made a ball joint spreader out of a short galvanized nipple, and two bolts & washers that fit close to snug inside the nipple. I did that because the lower ball joint wouldn't budge, and actually ruined the LCA after 10 hours of hammering. I thought for sure it would pop loose, nope. Heat, nope. Make shift spreader, it popped loose within a seconds of getting it on there and turning the nut & bolt.Had to get a new whammer cuz I broke my old one wailing on a buddy’s LCA’s trying to get his BJ’s to let go
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I was happiest drilling holes and bolting the wheels down. They stay in place better and you don't have to worry about scratching them up. 2 bolt holes for 4/6/8 lug wheels 3 for 5 lug P.S. the slotted hole where the pin went I use that as 1 hole then another straight across for 4/6/8 lug 5 lug I use it for one hole then another left or right and one splitting the difference across from those 2.Started upgrading the HF tire changer.
I tried one of those spreader tools and.....broke itI made a ball joint spreader out of a short galvanized nipple, and two bolts & washers that fit close to snug inside the nipple. I did that because the lower ball joint wouldn't budge, and actually ruined the LCA after 10 hours of hammering. I thought for sure it would pop loose, nope. Heat, nope. Make shift spreader, it popped loose within a seconds of getting it on there and turning the nut & bolt.
The left LBJ on my '90 R2500 Burb came right out with the OTC removal tool. The right one....it came out with the tool too...in four pieces, after making loud noises like 44 magnum going off near my head. Pressed the new ones in, and drove the truck for several years after that. Replaced the upper control arms a couple years later, but other than that it was good. And went down the street straight!I tried one of those spreader tools and.....broke it
This was the worst, most stuck balljoint I've ever run across
I told my buddy never again. Next time he needs BJ's, he better buy the whole ass arm or don't call me. If a whole loaded arm is available, that's what I buy for my stuff. Screw pressing a BJ out anymore if I don't have toThe left LBJ on my '90 R2500 Burb came right out with the OTC removal tool. The right one....it came out with the tool too...in four pieces, after making loud noises like 44 magnum going off near my head. Pressed the new ones in, and drove the truck for several years after that. Replaced the upper control arms a couple years later, but other than that it was good. And went down the street straight!
Since I had already ruined the LCA, my only option was anything that I hadn't already tried. I actually felt bad for the church goers, and neighbors, as I live near two churches. 10 hours of banging, prying, heating, trying not to get angry, and finally had to accept defeat that day. I don't know where my makeshift spreader is now, but I will be either finding it or buying new pieces to make a new one when I rebuild the '81s front end. Not dealing with hammering the LCA again.I tried one of those spreader tools and.....broke it
This was the worst, most stuck balljoint I've ever run across
I made a ball joint spreader out of a short galvanized nipple, and two bolts & washers that fit close to snug inside the nipple. I did that because the lower ball joint wouldn't budge, and actually ruined the LCA after 10 hours of hammering. I thought for sure it would pop loose, nope. Heat, nope. Make shift spreader, it popped loose within a seconds of getting it on there and turning the nut & bolt.