Anyways, anyone here do their own tire changes? I'm looking for a bead breaker - I can't do the two 2x4-mount-to-your-wall method, as I don't have a garage, or anything to mount it to for that matter.
The 'c-clamp' type I've seen only works up to 160 width tires.
I have a Manual Tire changer from Harbor Freight, but can't find it on the website. It works great I've changed several sets with it. I really doubt it your body weight would break the bead.
Also heres a version of the 2X4 trick that doesn't need a garage.
I know you don't have a garage but I'm going to throw this out there regardless...
Check out the harbor freight tire changer with MC attachment. It's cheap and sometimes cheaper when on sale and is more than sufficient to work full MC tires. I've changed no less than 10 tires with mine in the last 4 years for numerous people. You will want to upgrade the Bar and add some paint protection to the clamps but its still a great setup for someone who wants their tools to pay for themselves quickly and only changes a few tires per year.
I bolt mine to my garage floor when I need it and store it in the rafters when its not in use.
Most people either make their own balance stand and stick on lead weights or use some sort of internal bead media...others do nothing and claim to have no problems<<<that's what i'll try with my next set.
I've used dynabeads in my last 3 sets of tires on the 919 and tiger.
I know you don't have a garage but I'm going to throw this out there regardless...
Check out the harbor freight tire changer with MC attachment. It's cheap and sometimes cheaper when on sale and is more than sufficient to work full MC tires. I've changed no less than 10 tires with mine in the last 4 years for numerous people. You will want to upgrade the Bar and add some paint protection to the clamps but its still a great setup for someone who wants their tools to pay for themselves quickly and only changes a few tires per year.
I bolt mine to my garage floor when I need it and store it in the rafters when its not in use.
The HF tool with a Mojo lever works well, look up the Mojo (bar or lever, don't remember), they have the wheel protectors for the HF tool too.
You can buy the wheel protectors for the HF unit from them too. I went in with a few friends on the HF unit and the Mojo, I have not used it yet but my friend has done 4 tires with it and it works well and it has a bead breaker built in.
That mojolever looks pretty slick, but $100 is pretty steep for a steel bar with some nylon blocks. I coated the bar that came with the HF unit with plasti-dip. It works great didn't mar the wheel at all, and it was $5.
I use this same method but use jack stands with an aluminum rod about the same diameter as the rear axle. I think as long as its pretty level you are OK. I have changed 8 or 9 tires for my bike and used this method with no issues. Here's my set-up:
That mojolever looks pretty slick, but $100 is pretty steep for a steel bar with some nylon blocks. I coated the bar that came with the HF unit with plasti-dip. It works great didn't mar the wheel at all, and it was $5.
The Mojo is longer than the HF bar and I'm told the way it's contoured at the ends makes the process much easier. I'll compare both in person soon and report back.
I made may own bead breaker. It works like a charm.
The one tip I will add is: just before you take the rear wheel off your bike do a nice power brake burnout. Get the center of your rear tire nice and thin. While the wheel is still on the bike take your carpenter's knife and spit that old tire right down the center. Now you don't have to mess with the valve core, and after you break the beads, you can just pull the old tire right off. (one half at a time)
I built the 2x4 box like Maryland Mike, and use the breaker bar (2x4) under the trailer hitch of my 4wd truck. I always hand balance with the axle and a spare set of bearings with the seals removed on the Hornet. The rear BMW has no axle so, I run the Met.Z6 as is, Good at 145mph.
The C-clamp type that only goes to a 150 series, grind the two pinchers off about 10mm on each side.
The small Harbor freight breaker for $25 takes only 5.3 inch wide rims. May or may not work on a 180 series, but, can be made to work if you take the top piece and drill 2 more sets of holes about 1/2" -3/4" closer to the breaker end.
Works everytime. I've been using one of these for 9 years now and it shows no signs of getting worn out. And unlike most of the other options listed above, this will fit in most everyones lugage incase you plan on repairs or replacments on long trips.
Hey guys..... the Harbor Freight tire changer is no longer made.... I looked into it. For sure --- if you don't modify the HF changer.... its a tire scratcher...
I do agree though --- that its the leverage bar that makes the difference.... the Mojo Bar is nice --- and so are the Bar's from No-Mar.
I said F-it this spring......spent $650 on a Classic No-Mar tire changer..... LOL, in 2 weeks I've already changed 5 sets of tires for friends at $50 --- I'll have it paid off in 2 months. The nice thing about the No-MAR..... is the Bead Breaker, tire holding Dog-Blocks, and Mount/De-mount bar all have a type of plastic on them that won't scratch your rims......some of the other changers..... if your tire spins on the rim holders while trying to change your tire --- it peels the paint right off the lip of the rim. This won't happen with the special No-Mar dog blocks.
BTW ---- Harbor Freight still sells their Static Tire Balancer.... with their 20% off coupon... I got mine for $30. It works to 1/16 OZ......... which is way past what you really need to worry about. (Commercial machines balance to 1/4 OZ) I figured I'd try it out.....and I'm still using it, instead of buying the No-Mar balancer. Works great.
There is a cheaper changer out there that No-Mar now makes.....its called the Cycle-Hill tire changer it has the same NO-MAR bar and hardware..... they're selling for around $400 and come with a good amount of tools.
Here's the Cycle Hill Changer....
This bar is what keeps from scratching the heck out of your rims....(This is the 'Classic' no-mar bar....the cycle hill bar is exactly the same with different paint)
this is the cool part..... both the cycle hill and the No-Mars can be mounted to a trailer hitch and taken to the track....
THAT ..... IS ..... AWESOME !!!!! ..... iWant !! ... I could make a friggin FORTUNE around here JUST by changin motorcycle tires !!! .... everywhere around here charges $60 a tire on the bike and about $40 off the bike ..... there's not other choice around here except doing it yourself ...
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the No-Mar's are on sale right now.......$50 off for the Classic (basically, Free Shipping).....and $100 off the Ultimate Kit that includes the balancer.
I would be doing even more changes if there wasn't another guy on the other side of town doing the same thing.
the No-Mar's are on sale right now.......$50 off for the Classic (basically, Free Shipping).....and $100 off the Ultimate Kit that includes the balancer.
I would be doing even more changes if there wasn't another guy on the other side of town doing the same thing.
Ahhh man ... nobody and I mean NOBODY around here except for frikkin Loewer Lawn and cycle, and Alexandria bikeworks touches bikes at all .... it sucks when you need work done that ya can't do yourself .... they can be kinda high on their prices sometimes ... :\ ... honestly they're so overpriced on some things, you could really just make a frikkin killing around here with stuff like tire changes and simple maintenance work (oil changes, sprocket changes, etc) ...
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... Never take life too seriously ... Nobody gets out alive anyway ...
Sounds to me like you have a new business opportunity. In Grand Rapids.....theres several dealerships, quite a few guys working out of their homes, and many just doing stuff themselves...... and I'm STILL BUSY.
You figure......if you have a small circle of bike riders......figure 10 bikes......2 sets of tires a year.....thats 20 changes @ 25 EA........ $500.
You should be able to re-coup the cost of the changer by the end of the summer by just taking care of your friends tire changes alone.
What I've also found out is.......changing tires is the 'Gateway Drug'. It gets people in your doors..... and THEY WILL call you the next time they need some maintenance or mods done.
............. *scratches chin* ............. Agh you're killin me here man ! lol ..... if i even had the money to cover the tire changer set up there I would SO do this ... i live to work on my bikes !! ... and I've done a few things to friends bikes for beer and stuff .... just never really considered doin it for anything other than a favor to friends ..... looks like i need to start saving ...
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... Never take life too seriously ... Nobody gets out alive anyway ...
Yep.....there's no doubt that with the right technique.... The job can be done with a 2x4 bead breaker and a couple spoons.
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It can, but if I was doing a lot of changes and I had the room, I would get a No Mar. Those are nice.
On my last rear tire change (PR2), I was able to get the new tire on the rim with no tire irons. I used a strap to compress the tire (pull the beads together) at the 6 o'clock position ,lubed the beads and rim with Pledge and the tire slipped right on by just pushing down on it. I was pleasantly shocked as getting the second bead on is usually the hardest part.
You need to check out the No-Mar tire spoons. If you had 1 or 2 in addion to normal spoons, you could use them for that last bit of tire bite --- and significanly reduce the chance of scratching up your rims....
No-mar stuff are nice for sure.
However if you don't want to invest too much because you don't change tires very often, Tropicana juice can and $10 tire iron will do the job without leaving a mark on your rim.
No-mar stuff are nice for sure.
However if you don't want to invest too much because you don't change tires very often, Tropicana juice can and $10 tire iron will do the job without leaving a mark on your rim.
watch the vid
That's how I do it, and exactly where I learned it. He has vids on installing and balancing too.
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as getting the second bead on is usually the hardest part.
Linear Mode
