Home tire changers?

[R7]

I have a question for any of you guys that change your own tires. I'm trying to get set up so i can mount and balance my own tires and pretty much have everything covered except for a good bead braeker. What are you'z using?? I'm looking for something simple and portable. I've found a little tool in the competion accessories book part# SG-BB for $40, anyone use this or ever tried it? It looks like it could be a pain in the ass to use by the picture..

I also found a bead breaker in JC Whitney for $70, it's a little bigger than i wanted to tote around but sure looks like it'll do the job, and fairly easy at that.
In all reality, i could probably make something myself to do the job

So far i've already ordered the Pro Wheel balancer, a box of stick on wheel weights, tire irons, and some rim savers.

I've got 6 of my own tires to change within a month or so, so at $25 each and a few saved trips to the dealer, should pay for itself in no time

[need4speed]

Hey Mark,

I once heard that you could use a big "C" clamp to get the job done.

[KevinB]

Hey Mark,

Someone put this link up a little while back, www.tireqwik.com

Kevin

[wastedincome420]

Originally posted by need4speed
Hey Mark,

I once heard that you could use a big "C" clamp to get the job done.

Yup I think that the best and most compact method.....A big C clamp works great
I have used this method on both my vrf and other bikes too. Its cheap and very easy to use

[R7]

I thought about the C clamp thing, more of a pain in the ass than i care to try IMO Plus it'd take like a 20" C clamp to change a quad tire.

Kevin, thanks for the link, kinda wish i had asked before ordering the other parts.. I ordered the bead breaker from that link, looks far better than the one in JC Whitney and it's quite a bit less

Thanks for the help

[BlueLightSpecial]

A few years back I ordered floor mats for a Honda Civic and J.C. sent me one of those bead breakers as a mistake and I was more than happy with thier screw up. I use it at least every other month for tire swaps or flat patches on freinds tires.

[KB]

I made one with the 2x4 lever method. Works mint. I order the nice 16" tire levers and went to the Auto parts store and picked up a piece of heater hose and sliced it down the middle and cut it into 6 inch pieces to use as a rim protector. Total cost was about 2 bucks.

I'm still working on the balance method.

KB

[legalspeed]

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/tire-changing-doc.html

[R7]

Originally posted by KevinB
Hey Mark,

Someone put this link up a little while back, www.tireqwik.com

Kevin

Let me tell ya, this guy has to be the WORST online person i have ever delt with. Been almost 4 weeks sence i ordered the tools and paid in full for them. I still do not have them A week ago, i finally asked for a refund, a day later his reply is, i would give you a refund but my son has shipped them already... My reply simply said fine, give me a tracking number Still haven't heard from him and still no tools

[Stoneman]

Originally posted by rmbbikes
I made one with the 2x4 lever method. Works mint. I order the nice 16" tire levers and went to the Auto parts store and picked up a piece of heater hose and sliced it down the middle and cut it into 6 inch pieces to use as a rim protector. Total cost was about 2 bucks.

I'm still working on the balance method.

KB

Balancing is the easy part. You can use jack stands and get great results. I did this for a coupla year, and never had a problem...

Balancing m/c tires/wheels is a piece of cake. Keep in mind that unlike cars, there is no offsett with m/c tires/wheels. Everything's on a center line...

PM me for more detail. But it takes all of 5 minutes to do...

[KB]

I have been reading how to do it. I have to mount a new rear soon I'm going to give it a shot.

Thanks Jay.

KB

[Stoneman]

n/p, mang. If you use the jack stand method, you may hafta put blocks of wood under the stands to get the clearance required. And leave as much as possible on the wheel when you do it (sproket, rotors, etc...)

[stoinkythepig]

I use a big bench vise to break my beads. So far so good on about 40 tires...

I balance my tires but have found that you don't need to be anal about it. Stick on weights seem to be getting harder and harder to get, don't know why...

One tip on balancing, check the balance of the wheel with no tire and no weight on it before you mount the new tire. It's rare, but occasionally, the heaviest part of the wheel is not where the valve stem is. You align the red/white/yellow dot(s) on the tire with the heaviest part of the rim, inc ase you were unaware.

[Stoneman]

I balance my tires but have found that you don't need to be anal about it.

That's what I was trying to say...

Stick on weights seem to be getting harder and harder to get, don't know why...

Lockhart Phillips sells 'em...

One tip on balancing, check the balance of the wheel with no tire and no weight on it before you mount the new tire. It's rare, but occasionally, the heaviest part of the wheel is not where the valve stem is. You align the red/white/yellow dot(s) on the tire with the heaviest part of the rim, inc ase you were unaware.

Car wheels too. I've noticed that the last couple (cage) tires I've had mounted, the 'dots' were no where near the valve stem. That was the same thing they told me when I mentioned it to 'em in my 'know it all' sorta way...

[R7]

Hmmm, i filled out a complaint form on PayPal before i left for work today and by the time i get home, i got a full refund from the guy I guess he took the time to read that one

[sandman]

i used to use an old style bumper jack that was modified to fit the bumper on my truck. a hi-lift jack can also be used. i'd put the big base on the bead and jack the truck up, it broke the bead down every time. now i use a four post vehicle lift.

with a vehicle on it i just lower it onto the bead.

[sandman]

i've never had to balance a tire. i just line up the dots and leave the weights alone that are already on the rim.