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Tyre Changing at home


mickeyw

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Don't get me wrong as I am all for making stuff for free.

But have you factured in your time in the cost calculation or does the fun of it cover that?

I have a Sealy tyre changer which cost £60 new and works a treat (OK the locating peg needs adjustment), for that price it's not worth making one.

There you've hit the nail on the head. Fun and satisfaction of taking an idea and adapting/improving on it for your own use.

Anyway I can't use one like the Sealey as I've nowhere to bolt it down.

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I have never found it a problem using tyre levers, especially if you can get hold of some decent lube. As for putting them back on i just use a copper/hide hammer.

At the risk of showing myself up as an absolute tool, i attempted to try and make a video to show how I change my tyres at home. Its a tiddle poor effort I sound like a muppet but you might get some idea from it? And yes i know there's loads of bits missing but its the best i could do at the time.

:blush: will.

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Nice little bitta film there Will.

That's pretty much how I've done tyres in the past, a physical job, especially when it's a warm day and you have a few to do. I must say that I've never had one come off quite as easily as you. Fortunately most stiff walled cross-plys have all but disappeared.

I did like the throwing the tyre on the first bead bit, sure looked an easy way. Maybe I'll try that one day just to satisfy my curiosity.

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i find the hardest is pumping them back up even with the valve core removed ive been looking at making/buying a bead seating tank tried putting a 205/80/16 onto a modular last week took me ages to blow it up ratchet strap didnt work borrowed a bead seater tank less than a minute ive just trying to justify the 150 quid,chris.

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Not trying to teach grandma to suck eggs or anything BUT putting tyres on and off the rim with tyre levers shouldn't take much physical effort at all once the bead is broken. Just make sure you keep the opposite side of the tyre in the well of the wheel and most Land Rover tyres will almost fall off the rim. As I said earlier, with most rims, it's more about technique than force.

Putting the tyre on the rim with washing up liquid as lube can normally done without levers at all, assuming the wheel has a decent well in it.

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that was a great video - sort out the wind noise and I'd be a brilliant teaching aid.

Just one question, how do you get the bead to seat again? You didnt show it and I dont understand that bit - is it just the air in the tire that pushes the rubber out to the edges of the rim and locks it on?

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that was a great video - sort out the wind noise and I'd be a brilliant teaching aid.

Just one question, how do you get the bead to seat again? You didnt show it and I dont understand that bit - is it just the air in the tire that pushes the rubber out to the edges of the rim and locks it on?

yeah good vid will, not seen the trow on method before either.

To seat the bead you just need to air it up, I've seated tons of tires just using my TMAX 12v single cylinder pump with the valve core still in, you just have to make sure the bead is sitting evenly on the well and on it pops, otherwise you can use the singed eye brow method :)

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One more point about fitting and pumping up: if you are worried about the tyre coming off at low pressure, or the wheel spinning in the tyre: dont use any soap while fitting. I have always done without, which will reduce the tendency to come off/spin. I never had problems for the bead to seat.

Dan

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Tightening a rachet strap around the thread of the tyre will also help squeeze it down to help reseating a bead.

If part of the bead won't seat then bouncing the tyre with that point on the ground can help pop it into place.

LR tyres are relatively easy....you should try something with a 30% profile. :blink:

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Cheers chaps.

To seat the tyres i just pump them up without the valve core in. They usually pop on with a fair old twang and its safe to say dont place anything or anypart of yourself near the bead.

If its a particularly difficult tyre to seat, say a skinny 750 on to a 7" wide rim and your compressor isnt man enough then you can 'blow' them on. I usually use petrol, it only needs a very small amount and it goes with one hell of a bang but its very effective :ph34r: needless to say suitable extinguishing equipment is vital.

Will.

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off the rim with tyre levers shouldn't take much physical effort at all once the bead is broken

Dave,

you should have had a go at pulling them 265 machos off my disco steel rims round at Dave Willards. They were seriously 'ON' and wanted to remain 'ON'.

no amount of lube helped and hard physical brute force was needed. Refitting them to the eight spokes was a doddle though. So maybe its disco steelies as well as disco 2 alloys that are a bugger. :(

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Dave,

you should have had a go at pulling them 265 machos off my disco steel rims round at Dave Willards. They were seriously 'ON' and wanted to remain 'ON'.

no amount of lube helped and hard physical brute force was needed. Refitting them to the eight spokes was a doddle though. So maybe its disco steelies as well as disco 2 alloys that are a bugger. :(

^^^ you are not alone. I have had a heck of a lot of trouble getting some old and manky 205s off Disco I steel rims before now.

Glad it's not just my weedy arms then :lol:

My experiences are more akin to Nick's and Andy's

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