On Mon, 9 Mar 2015 18:01:59 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

Today my wife called and said she had a flat on her car. Well at least the weather was not bad. So I went to her and put on the spare dinky tire and then followed her home. She had run into a pothole that was filled with water and it had ruptured a spot on the sidewall.

So the logical thing to do would be to go to a tire store and get a new tire mounted. But the last time my wife bought tires she brought home two of the old tires. And they were actually in good condition. Do not know why she had gotten new tires, or for that matter why she brought two of the old tires home.

So I took the damaged tire off the rim. I used to have a bead breaker, but that was one of the tools that did not make it across the country. Harbor Freight has them on sale for $50. Such a deal. So I used a hydraulic jack working against the trailer hitch to break the bead. Not the best tool, but the tire was already junk.

So does anyone have a better idea for a bead breaker? I am thinking of beating a lawn mover blade into some sort of shape with some bits welded on that I can use with a hydraulic jack . The bead breaker that I had took too much room to store. And it is not like I used it very often.

After the beads were broken I used large screw drivers to get the tire off the rim. Here again there must be a better tool. But still a tool that does not take a lot of room to store. Any ideas? Large screw drives are a bunch of work.

And after mounting the new old tire, there was the problem of getting the beads to seal. Several years ago, I watched a guy changing a truck tire. He had a service truck equipped to service large trucks. But he could not get the new tire to seat on the rim. Finally he borrowed some starter fluid and sprayed into the tire. Then stood back and threw a match at the tire. Big poof and it was seated.

Me, I made a little tool instead. I connected a air quick disconnect to a 3/8 ball valve and then to a tire air chuck. I then removed the little bit that acts to seal the air chuck when not being used. With the tire valve core removed, I held the air chuck on the tire valve and opened the ball valve. And that worked. So I did not have to use starter fluid.

So what do you people use for tires. Inquiring minds want to know. I am sure most of you use the tire store, but some of you must live in the boon docks .

Oh yes, I used some spray vegetable oil on the tire bead and wheel rim. Like PAM, but the cheap stuff from Walmart. Handy to have around. I use it for anti spatter when welding and for general lubrication where I am not concerned about it getting gummy. Also for snow shovels to keep snow from sticking.

Dan

I do pretty much as you do. Shrug Ive got a forklift to break beads
with. That being said..2 of the 3 tire shops here in the small town I
live in, are owned by friends of mine and I do the odd repair for
them now and again. Service air compressors, change the oil every so
often, fix the odd electrical issue. So having tires changed doesnt
ever cost me anything , nor does the occasional good used tire...and I
keep a couple spare tires on rims, inflated ..for each vehicle I own.
But I have the space...shrug

Gunner

"At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child,
miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied,
demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless.
Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats."
PJ O'Rourke