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What do you use to change tires?

4

4x4shortbed

1/2 ton status
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Feb 2, 2006
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Location
Douglas County, OR
My friend and I are thinking that we should get set up to change our own tires. We are keeping the local tire shop busy and are thinking we need to do it ourselves to save money and time. I looked online and found some inexpensive manual ones but they only list up to a 16" wheel but we'd like the option of changing 16.5"er's too since they are common on 3/4Tons. Also they say only up to a certain size tire(12.5x16), not nearly enough for a big offroad tire like a 44"!

So we're wondering- what you guys are doing to change 'em yourselves? We would like to make it a little easier than a couple tire irons, some type of machine & hopefully not spend more than $500-$600......

Thanks- John
 
I use my buddy's shop and his machine and do them myself. :D It's nice having several friends who own auto repair shops here in town.

Keep in mind that the larger the tire is the easier they are to change by hand with a couple tire bars. The biggest thing to remember is you MUST take the tire off the front side of the wheel, they WILL NOT come off the rear side without tearing the tire in half.
 
4x4shortbed said:
So we're wondering- what you guys are doing to change 'em yourselves?
Thanks- John
Click to expand...

I'm sure there are lots of different ways. But what works for me is:

1. 8lb sledge hammer
1. 4 foot pry bar
1. 2 1/2 foot pry bar

Remove valve out of valve stem, lay tire flat, break bead with hammer, flip tire over break other bead. Then take smaller pry bar, tuck under bead, lift over rim, lay pry bar across the face of the rim while the end is still under bead. Stand on pry bar with one foot. Take second pry bar and insert it next to first bar under the bead, and lift bead up and over rim, and keep working around rim. Take small "bites" at first to get started, then as you get more of the tire over the rim you can move the pry bar farther down the rim. Once you get around half the tire over rim, the rest pops right over. Reach in with small prybar and grab the inner bead and repeat.

I can dismount all 4 of my 37s on 17inch rims this way in about 30 to 40 min.

To install, I take some hand soap, (currently I have a large jug of dial) put soap on your hand or a rag, and rub it all over the tire bead. The flop tire over rim, if it doesn't slip right over, place your knee on the bottom of the tire (the part closest to your body) making sure bead is under rim lip, then lean forward on tire, and press tire over rim (like doing a push up) repeat knee and "push up" to do the second bead.

To air up, I took a air valve used for airing up a tire, and removed the innards, so it is straight through "hollow" stand tire up, press down slightly on tire and air it up, pop the beads on, the install valve.

I can usually install and inflate the 4 tires in about 15 min.

This is just how I do it, I'm sure others have different and better ways, but it always works for me each and every time. And saves me a butt load of money not having a shop do it.


Oh, and as for the size of the bars, there's no particular reason for those sizes, they are just the bars I have, and I don't feel its necessary to go out and buy fancy "tire bars" if you take your time, and be patient a regular ol pry bar works just fine. I have probably done this at least 60 times and have never damaged a rim, bead or tire yet ;)
 
2 tire spoons one buddy and a little time. To remount well I like fire so ether be my prefered method you know after you get the tire on the rim of course

Other than that I use Wal Mart
 
I drive on the tire to break the bead, drive off and get to spooning.


Its really no fun what so ever so the mexican tire shop less than a football field away is great at 5 bucks a tire..
 
I'm with Shawn. There are so many little tire shops around here it's not worth it to change your own tires. They'll do it for a little cash FAST (compared to me doing it).
 
Avery4jc said:
I'm with Shawn. There are so many little tire shops around here it's not worth it to change your own tires. They'll do it for a little cash FAST (compared to me doing it).
Click to expand...


the local tractor place will even do them for a bag ful of 1 dollar burgers:D
 
supersize75k5 said:
the local tractor place will even do them for a bag ful of 1 dollar burgers:D
Click to expand...


Oh good times right there I used to get whatever tires I wanted dismounted mounted balanced siped just about anything for a sixer of the cheapest beer I could find
 
I grew up with an old school tire machine in my dad's shop... Pneumatic to break the bead and walk around it with a bar to take it off the rim...

I've broke down and remounted hundreds of tires on this thing since the '80s...



I'll never break them down by hand, my time is worth a lot more than what it costs at a used tire place to have them do it for me... I also watched a buddy years ago get hit in the mouth with a tire spoon and lost a couple teeth...


I will advise that you find a space to mount the machine, if you go that route, and make it outside... It sucks doing it outside, but you don't need to use it very often...
 
We used tire spoons and a hi-lift jack under the front bumper of my buddy's F250 for a good while. Then we went in together on a manual tire changer that works pretty good. We had to modify the mounting head on the handle and replace the handle with some stronger material, but it does a good enough job for farm trucks, offroad trucks, and lawn tractors. We have a little more work to do, it has taken the inner edge off the bead on a couple tires we've put on with it. :doah:
 
coats manual tire changer, 3 star, love em (if you have one in good shape ill buy)

Love the old manual tire machines, dad grew me up on them havent changed yet.
 
I'm going to try doing it the way you do it(sheoldeblaze) and see how well I do.....thanks for the writeup :D

Has anyone here used one of those "ebay special" manual tire changers? It says up to a 16" rim and a 12.5x16 tire....I'm wondering what a guy would have to do to modify it to go to a 16.5" rim and 44" tire....?

Thanks for all the info guys :bow:

-John
 
after taking the tire off the axle, i remove the valve stem, lay the tire under the rotor, and slowly lower the jack so the rotor comes down on the sidewall right next to the rim (make sure the lugs don't hit the rim). the curve of the rotor does a good job of pressing the bead away without cutting the sidewall. we tried this out in the woods one day after i got some mud & debris stuck in the bead causing me to lose air. we tried running over the sidewall w/ my friends bronco, but it wouldn't break it loose. i've done this a few times now (35" bfgs on 15/8 rims) w/out any problems.
 
i dont think a regular tire machine will do bigger then a 38 inch tires. i ran those for a while and the tire machine barely got to the rim.

check craigslist for one of those old style tire machine. a body shop i was at had one. basically you set the tire on top of it and then the bead breaker comes from the bottom. pretty cool set up
 
Changing Tires

I got tired of supporting my local tire shops and got my own "used" tire machine off craigslist $50.00 and been changing my own ever since....

I counted one time all the tire's at my house on everthing I own came up with 53 tire's!!

If I need new tire's balanced I put em on and get them balanced at Big O for $5 each... Watching craigslist for a balancer....:D
 
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