berg76
1/2 ton status
Has anyone used the tire changer that Harbor Freight sells (ITEM 34542-3VGA) for 70 bucks. Im thinking of getting to mount 36x12.50 and some 35s. Will it get the job done?
CK5
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tire changer
- Thread starter berg76
- Start date
I've looked at it and was unimpressed. It looks like it would be OK for mounting 13-inch Honda tires, but it doesn't look like it would last very long with truck tires. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Then I found a place that will dismount tires for me for $2 each, so I don't wrestle with that any more. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
It' works. My buddy has one that he mounts to his car trailer for after ride repairs. The bar for poping the lip on it is a little weak. Sleave the bar and it does ok. It isn't easy but it works. THe bead poper does not have enough reach to deal with a tire over 31 inches. Have top pop the bead with a high lift.
I have broke one down by hand with crow bars. It's a real pain in the butt. Around here if you roll a bead your about guaranteed to get 20lb of mud in it and they get $30-40 to clean one out at most tire shops IF they will do it at all. If it's the same where you are it's worth getting if you do that often.
I have broke one down by hand with crow bars. It's a real pain in the butt. Around here if you roll a bead your about guaranteed to get 20lb of mud in it and they get $30-40 to clean one out at most tire shops IF they will do it at all. If it's the same where you are it's worth getting if you do that often.
mount them yourself /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif The key is SOAP!!
In the last few month we've mounted my cousins 38.5" SX's, my buddies 44" TSL's and a set of 37" SSR's /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
Get a tire spoon and you good to go, they sell them at most truck stops.
Set the rim down on th gound run a bead of liquid soap around the very edge of the wheel and around the lip of the tire. Wet it with water (gets it more slippery) set the tire on there and jump on it, that first part is the easy part /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Do the same with the other side, except put soap on the INSIDE of the lip of the tires and wet it....
You can usually get it to go all they way on except for about the last 8-10", then you get the spoon and there you have it! Takes about 30 minutes for the set, but its 'fun' and if no one is open when you want them mounted, you gotta do what you gotta do /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Better than spening the $40 these people want to mount them. They told my buddy with the 44s' they wanted $65 to MOUNT them. So we got out the soap and tire spoon and went for it! /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
And when someone sees you jumping with your knees on a tire you always get that 'WTF are you doing NOW??" /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif
In the last few month we've mounted my cousins 38.5" SX's, my buddies 44" TSL's and a set of 37" SSR's /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
Get a tire spoon and you good to go, they sell them at most truck stops.
Set the rim down on th gound run a bead of liquid soap around the very edge of the wheel and around the lip of the tire. Wet it with water (gets it more slippery) set the tire on there and jump on it, that first part is the easy part /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Do the same with the other side, except put soap on the INSIDE of the lip of the tires and wet it....
You can usually get it to go all they way on except for about the last 8-10", then you get the spoon and there you have it! Takes about 30 minutes for the set, but its 'fun' and if no one is open when you want them mounted, you gotta do what you gotta do /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Better than spening the $40 these people want to mount them. They told my buddy with the 44s' they wanted $65 to MOUNT them. So we got out the soap and tire spoon and went for it! /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
And when someone sees you jumping with your knees on a tire you always get that 'WTF are you doing NOW??" /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif
Mounting tires is easy. I've mounted a lot of 35-inch BFG's at home. It's DISmounting them that is a real pain the the a$$. Once the bead is locked onto the rim it doesn't want to let go. That's when a tire changing tool is your friend.
Yup, or a bead buster hammer/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif On one of the 36" Dick Cepeks we did, good gawd it was a biiaatcch!! I would have bet money there was a tube in there. There was NO air pressure left in the tire, and could still could not get it to bust a bead. after beating and jumping on it for about 15 minutes it FINALLY let loose!! It was almost like the tire was permanently bonded to the wheel /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Like I said...soap is your friend....makes all the difference in the world when mounting them!
Like I said...soap is your friend....makes all the difference in the world when mounting them!
berg76
1/2 ton status
Thanks for the input. Looks like Ill save that 70 bucks for some new goodies for the blaze... /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
75-K5
3/4 ton status
My friend works for a Freightliner dealer here in town and he tells me the mechanics there have a trick where they put the rim either on top of or below the tire, coat the inside of the tire with WD40, then throw a spark on the whole thing. The tire just sucks the rim right on there.
Yeah, you have to have them mounted first though....just put one side of the rim up agains the bead, the other side that is away from the bead...shoot a few shots of starting fluid inside the tire and light it and BAM, youve got the bead set/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif I dont recommend this /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif but it works VERY well...then you just air up the tire as normal/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
I have heard lots about the starting fluid and match method. Usually followed by "But I probably wouldn't do it" or "I don't reccommend this". But I've heard from people that have actually done it and they all say it's the $hit. On the history channel on Modern Marvels, I think it was, they had a show about four wheelers and they showed these dudes in Greenland or Iceland or something wheeling on glaciers and thay actually showed them using this method to seat the bead. I don't know if they slowed the tape down or what, but it wasn't like BANG!!! it was more like THOOOMP. No violent explosion or anything. I think it's always "not recommended" so that joe schmoe doesn't go blowing himself up with a can of starting fluid. But for folks like us who know their way around a torque wrench, I think it's a cool trick to know. As long as you take the obvious precautions when you do it like:
Dont do it while:
roasting marshmallows at the campfire
you or someone else is smoking
you are working at the fireworks factory
you or someone else is lighting farts on fire
etc.
I've used starting fluid as propellant in my 'tater cannon for years now, no problems, makes taters FLY out of the 1 1/2" barrel!! I'm definitely going to try it next time I need to seat a bead. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
Dont do it while:
roasting marshmallows at the campfire
you or someone else is smoking
you are working at the fireworks factory
you or someone else is lighting farts on fire
etc.
I've used starting fluid as propellant in my 'tater cannon for years now, no problems, makes taters FLY out of the 1 1/2" barrel!! I'm definitely going to try it next time I need to seat a bead. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
Yup, exactly...works well...but you know there is always some jackass that sas "SWEET", then stands two inches away and will blow is face off /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif
I actually like the lighter and can blowtorch...with the little 10" extension on the can (the one for hard to reach places). Load the tire with the starting fluid, stand back...light it up from 2 feet away and good to go.
Yeay, its more of a THOOOMP...unless you spray to much starting fluid in there /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif Then the fawkin 44" tire jumps off the ground /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif
I does work great though!!!
I've used starting fluid in the potato guns too! And Aquanet. 4" chamber and 2" barrel....most people probably never thought a potato could fly 75-100 YARDS!! /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
I actually like the lighter and can blowtorch...with the little 10" extension on the can (the one for hard to reach places). Load the tire with the starting fluid, stand back...light it up from 2 feet away and good to go.
Yeay, its more of a THOOOMP...unless you spray to much starting fluid in there /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif Then the fawkin 44" tire jumps off the ground /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif
I does work great though!!!
I've used starting fluid in the potato guns too! And Aquanet. 4" chamber and 2" barrel....most people probably never thought a potato could fly 75-100 YARDS!! /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
JoeAngelicchio
1/2 ton status
[image]http://photo.starblvd.net/jangelicchio/1-2-3-1065386360?m=0&pg=0&ro=1&co=2[/image]
Can always build one of these.
Can always build one of these.
berg76
1/2 ton status
well it took us about an hour to get my 36s mounted. We used the starting fluid trick to set the beads. After the first tire jumped off the ground we had neighbors out asking if everything was alright /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif These are my first set of swampers... jeez they are loud /forums/images/graemlins/ears.gif I like
I have used the starting fluid trick many times,although I agree in the wrong hands this information can be very harmful!.We have to use that method of inflation on the front-end loader/forklift at the junkyard my friend works at nearly everyday! If not for this trick,I'd never get any parts!.He has also discovered that if its very cold out and the diesel doesnt start,you can usually get it going by dropping burning newspaper down the air intake while cranking!! /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif /forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif /forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gifalso that the TECH tire products co. makes jumbo size tire patch plugs that look just like passenger car ones on steroids(1-1/4 inch diameter with a 3 inch head on then)they look like mushrooms(or elephant dildoes!)--great for those big holes you get when driving over the usual scrap in a junkyard.At 125 bucks for six,their not cheap but its cheaper than 400-600 bucks foe a new tire,and why buy new if you only run over more metal everyday?.Its a pain to jack up a 10 ton loader and spilt the rims and install the plugs(a few of his cutomers watched in horror as he hole-sawed a 1-1/4 hole in the tire while I held it upright!),but once they were in they worked great--now only 3 more to go.I couldnt beleive how many regular car type tire plugs he has stuffed into large holes(I'm talking 15 or 20!! /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif)and they actually work for awhile!Junkyards are educational and fun! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif P.S.Different brands of ether have different flamability--always test a small amount first!! We have found the Prestone brand and Thrust (solder seal Gunk co.)brand to be much more explosive than some of the dime store stuff for a buck a can.! /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif
