Mounting tires at home

[Ricko1966]

I've been struggling with a harbor freight manual tire changer for years, it is not anything like what I thought it would be, bought it way before you could walk in a harbor freight store, wouldn't have bought it if I could have seen it in person and wasn't paying the freight to send it back.Ive used a good manual changer and the harbor freight one, is not a good one. I've seen all the vids on YouTube about modifying them etc. Did the duckbill thing, blah blah blah.
Then I saw the r and r bead breaker video and saw how easy that guy did them.No distributors in the USA that I could find,so I bought the speedway tire mounting kit, all would be good except the feet that push on the tire are too thin and welded on,well the feet bend, so that sucks, found the All-Star bead breaker that has a different foot design,so that solves that problem.
I am undecided whether to drill a hole in my work bench for a threaded rod and piece of plate, spare tire hanger style, to hold the wheels down or build a tyre pliers style post to hold them probably going the tyre pliers route on a reciever hitch that way I can take it with me.

Anyways watch the videos, Google search the part numbers and videos I've listed I think it will be cheaper and you will be happier than buying a harbor freight unit and modifying it.



Manual tyre changer 4:52 video YouTube. Aug 5th tyrepliers

R and R bead breaker demo Adelaide caravan 2:57 video 2018 Apr 7th 2018

Speedway Motors. Tire removal kit 9162007

All-Star performance. 44028

I have tried to add pics from my phone but can't, so I've given enough info that you all can look this stuff up.

I'll bet Rusty knows how to link all those pics and video's.

Got all the links to work they are down a few posts

 

[bucket]

One day I'd like to have my own pneumatic tire changer. And a spin balancer too. But until then, I just make do with a high lift jack to break beads and tire bars to do the removal/install.

I'll wait for Rusty to view what you are talking about

 

[Vbb199]

I do the same thing, if in a pinch, take sawzall to old tire, cut the bead, remove, soapy water and prybar, slip on replacement, then the starting fluid and lighter.



Kaboom, mounted.

 

[Ricko1966]

How do you cut the bead without cutting the rim?

 

[Vbb199]

How do you cut the bead without cutting the rim?

Carefully i guess haha

 

[idahovette]

When I sold my shop, I kept my Snapon overpriced balancer, sold my tire machine and bought a better one. Tilt back but no other fancy features. Also kept my 2 post hoist and my Hunter alignment machine, old but works well. Also bought a BendPak scissor lift to help with the alignment. The one thing I miss the most is my pit that I had for the front end work, shoulda put one in my new shop! I'm to the point where I couldn't bust tires down manually and the tire shops seem way to expensive now!!

 

[bluex]

We have a tire changer an a balancer so we could do tires at the shop. I hate the damn things, I don't know how people do that all day everyday....

 

[78C10BigTen]

My dad had one of these to pop beads and then tire bars n hammer to remount. (How i learned). Now ive got an old school coates machine at work i can use.

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Spee...Y9aJ9dQEhqtl1Cv3fkEEH6PkdqUkhIsRoCOL8QAvD_BwE

 

[Ricko1966]

My dad had one of these to pop beads and then tire bars n hammer to remount. (How i learned). Now ive got an old school coates machine at work i can use.

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Spee...Y9aJ9dQEhqtl1Cv3fkEEH6PkdqUkhIsRoCOL8QAvD_BwE

That's the tool I was referring too.I bent the foot part it's too thin. The other one looks very similiar but has a thicker base.Ive done them everyday except cutting them, jacks, manual breakers,slide hammers, putting a ramp on one side and driving up it, other than the good machines I've used, nothing tops this for ease and cash outlay

 

[Dmack]

I guess I have low standards. I've had the harbor freight tool for probably 10 years and used it more times than I can remember. Yes, the bead breaker sucks, but I like not having to work on the ground. It was well worth the $40 I spent on it.

 

[Ricko1966]

I guess I have low standards. I've had the harbor freight tool for probably 10 years and used it more times than I can remember. Yes, the bead breaker sucks, but I like not having to work on the ground. It was well worth the $40 I spent on it.

I bought mine in 00 or 01 and have used the heck out of it I'm sure I've done 100's of tires with it. I've never once been able to pull a tire on with the mounting tool, like the tyre pliers video or the good manual machines I used in the 80s and 90s .In the r and r video I referenced, he's not working on the ground he's working on a table.Yes the H.F. bead breaker sucks!!! That's what put me on the mission to find better stuff, I fought a trailer tire for at least 20 min trying to break a bead still had 3 more to go and 4 for my truck.Look at those videos I referenced, I think welding a piece of square stock over the H.F. Mounting bar would make it work right, but the r and r guy makes a table and spoons look like the best buy for someone who doesn't have anything yet.

 

[Ricko1966]

Oh yea. Dmack in case you hadn't thought of it when you are using the H.F. machine when you go to do the second bead, push it down then clamp vice grips on the rim the bead will rest on the vice grips handle and make mounting way easier.

 

[Ricko1966]

Well got all the links up check them out, even found one.I didn't know about which is the tyre pliers bead breaker,similiar to the all star breaker. I think 5 bucks worth of scrap metal an old brake rotor and 5 minutes with the welder and I can copy the tyre pliers mount.

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This bead breaker has a weakness in that the foot that pushes on the tire is too thin and welded to the body, I bent mine, but speedway took care of it
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-
Motors-Tire-Install-Removal-Kit,340158.html

This one has a better design where the tool meets the tire
https://allstarperformance.com/bead-breaker-w-adjustable-arm-all44028/

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If the wheel were held to a bench with a piece of all thread and a spare tire hanger, or as I plan on doing it a tyre pliers style mount but with a removable center post, the need to stand on the wheel would be eliminated.

 

[Dmack]

Oh yea. Dmack in case you hadn't thought of it when you are using the H.F. machine when you go to do the second bead, push it down then clamp vice grips on the rim the bead will rest on the vice grips handle and make mounting way easier.

Yeah, I have used vice grips since chasing the bead the first time I used it.

 

[Ricko1966]

Yeah, I have used vice grips since chasing the bead the first time I used it.

You watch that tyre pliers mounting vid yet? See what I'm thinking about about using square stock to make the H.F. bar work for pulling on beads?