On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 23:45:12 +0000 (UTC), Frank Baron
wrote:
I have a question about mounting and balancing tires at home that didn't
come up when I was researching this problem. If you have never mounted or
balanced your own passenger-car tires, then you won't know the answers
(most likely) but if you have, you'll know because you must have solved
this problem.
I have the Harbor Freight Pittsburgh Manual Tire Changer HF item #62317
which is mounted in concrete so that it is stable.
That tire changer comes with a "bead breaker" but the bead is just not
breaking when I used it today!
http://i.cubeupload.com/f8FCTC.jpg
I also bought a couple of Harbor Freight item #61603 Pittsburgh 24 in.
General Purpose Tire Irons.
http://i.cubeupload.com/7q7Tq0.jpg
The problem is that the harbor freight tire changer bead breaker just seems
to slip off when following the instructions.
http://i.cubeupload.com/7CdvVu.jpg
I would be glad to use the the Harbor Freight item #67403 Tire Bead Breaker
with Swan Neck:
http://i.cubeupload.com/Qcg2YR.jpg
But it doesn't come with instructions.
Have you used these goose-neck bead breakers on passenger tires?
Which way does the goose-neck go?
a. It can't fit under the rim with the finger pointing up, and,
b. It can't fit under the bead with the finger pointing down.
So how did you use this bead breaker anyway?
m It's a pretty mediocre bead breaker - and even a good one often
needs to be applied to several points around the tire to knock it
down. The (cheap) breaker sometimes needs to be tied with a twisted
rope to keep them against the rim.. Helps to have it adjusted properly
too.
You are really going to need to change a lot of tires to pay for the
equipment with the money saved by not having someone else do it, and
I'll bet you ruin a few tires in the process.
If you are doing it yourself because you don't trust tire shops, "rots
'a ruck,"
If you want instructions, look at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7yz9twasEU
or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUas5LIY_ok
As an apprentice mechanic in the sixties I changed hundreds of tires
with a commercial quality manual changer very similar in concept to
that machine - got it down to about 4 minutes a tire to strip and
re-install a typical 14 or 15 inch bias ply automotive tire - about
16 minutes for a full set of 4 - including removing and installing the
wheels on the car (not including putting it up on the hoist or
removing hub caps/wheel covers)
Not a whole lot faster with the air powered machines that took it's
place, but a whole lot less sweat!!!.