steve200TDi Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 With my Comp Safari racing, getting a puncture could be a common sight on race day and getting it sorted at a garage afterwards is a pain and a added expense! So I've been thinking about getting some form of tyre changing machine for a while now. I bought two tyre levers a while back, but just trying to change a tyre on the garage floor with your Dad standing on it isn't ideal, safe or easy! I thought about one of the old school tyre changing posts with a bead breaker would be good and wouldn't take up too much space in the garage. I then thought about buying a full on tyre changing machine, getting a cheaper one, but it'll take up so much space and wont get used that often. I went back to the tyre post idea.....you could buy a brand new manual tyre changer for £35 but I think it'll break the first time you use it! Last week an old school manual tyre change with a tyre lever and bead breaker came up on ebay locally and I thought I'd put a bid on it as I quite fancied it. The tyre levers along are £40 each so I thought it was worth it. I put a bid in of £55 and soon won it for £52! This was how it looked when I collected it. the chap (and advert) said it hadn't been used for many years and so would need a bit of a rebuild! He also talked me through how it worked. I knew there was a bead breaker and that the tyre sat on the top and was held in place by a locking pin. What I didn't realise was the bead breaker also held the wheel in place. As you can see in the photo to use the bead breaker you take it away from the lower bracket to use, but then the ram also pushes down on that bracket and pulls the central pin down to clamp the wheel in place. ( Hope that makes sense). I didn't know that it did this until the chap told me, so I was well impressed when I collected it! I proceeded to strip it down and give it a quick wire brush and clean all the dirt and cob webs off of it. The valve block just needed cleaning and freeing up, the cylinder worked fine and the central post that sits in the central tube needed freeing of too. Once it was all back together the plan was to bolt it to my trailer and have a play. Then if it worked I would then go about painting all the parts properly and make it look pretty! As luck would have it the bolt holes lined! So I was already to have a go. I had a wheel and tyre that the bead was already broken on so I used this first. So I used this end to remove the tyre. This end seems to be so much easier that a flat tyre lever and the bar is a lot stronger than the levers as the bar was not flexing! I then refitted the tyre just for practice. It took a while to get the right technique, but should get easier over time and I'ver ordered some of the proper tyre lube/soap/paste stuff so that should make it easier still. I then had a go with the bead breaker. In the past when I've used a high lift jack to break the bead it's always been a nightmare of a struggle, but this made it look easy! None the less I ended up with a garage full of wheels and tyres off rims. I can now mounted the tyres onto discovery rims to match that of the racer! All in all I'm well happy with my purchase and will strip it down again for some paint and relocate it on the trailer in a neater position over the winter. Steve 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L19MUD Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 I have changed well over a hundred tyres with one of those! Once you get the knack of it they are really quick and easy. My number one tip would be lubrication I often just used to use a weak fairy liquid solution put on with a brush, the key is for it to have lots of bubbles by scrubbing the tyre with the paintbrush. If you don't do that it just runs off and does not really help. The bars you have and the technique sounds spot on. Another tip if you are doing tubeless tyres is to take the valve inner out before you pump it up as the increased speed of air going in helps it seat on the bead. Then quickly put the valve back in before losing all the air Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve200TDi Posted October 20, 2017 Author Share Posted October 20, 2017 Thanks for the tips, yep the bar is so much easier over levers. Yep, I know the core tip and also I learnt about fitting the valve tool to the inner tuber when fitting the tyre so the valve does get lost inside the tyre! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornish Rattler Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 To me the old fashioned way was laying the wheel and tyre on the floor and once the all air was out of it if any you used tyre leaver's to remove the tyre from the wheel and the same again when refitting / changing tyres, that's the way I last did it back in the early 70's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 neat bit of kit, useful tool for your needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotts90 Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 I've got one of the eBay specials, think it was about £40...I did buy one of those wheeled and nylon coated tyre levers which once you have the knack is pretty efficient. Did a full set of swap overs on the L200s, all alloys without a single mark. It's the clamping on the cheapie models that does the damage but the main goal is to stop it from spinning while working the lever around the rim. But of practice as said above and it's just as quick as a powered changer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeyw Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 Nice find Steve. Did you bump into my fabrication during your research? Anchored to the tow car. https://forums.lr4x4.com/topic/47119-tyre-changing-at-home/?do=findComment&comment=445941 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve200TDi Posted October 22, 2017 Author Share Posted October 22, 2017 Thanks Mike, yes it did pop up on my searches. I think just having the wheel bolted/clamped down makes it so much easier. Then having the right tyre lever (like you have and the one that came with mine) makes it easier still. My tyre past/lube should come on Monday so I can get some tyres fitted next week and see how easy I can make it! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeyw Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 Are you going to use tyre 'soap' or a liquid lubricant? I bought some stuff, rather dubiously named 'Rim Ease' when I was fitting some rear tractor tyres. I found it dried out quicker than I could fit the tyre, so had to keep reapplying. Still a much better solution than washing up liquid. I've not yet tried the soap/paste bucket like most tyre shops use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve200TDi Posted October 22, 2017 Author Share Posted October 22, 2017 Yes, I read the same thing about it drying/evaporating before the tyre is fitted. Hopefully the stuff I've bought won't do that! I've bought this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TYRE-FITTING-CREAM-WITH-FREE-BRUSH-PREMIUM-LUB-PASTE-SOAP-TYRE-CHANGER-/272424866362?hash=item3f6dc9923a:g:k8kAAOSww5hZJqTk There's also a tyre wax you can buy which apparently works better on run flats which states that it does not dry out: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TYRE-FITTING-MOUNTING-WAX-WITH-FREE-BRUSH-PREMIUM-LUB-PASTE-SOAP-TYRE-/272424864608?epid=698982179&hash=item3f6dc98b60:g:KPEAAOSwfpVZJqMR I'll report back this week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 Looks good. But won’t you still have to have them balanced by a tyre place? Then again I had a new set of BFG tyres fitted to mine last month by a garage in Oban and only after they’d done so did they reveal that they had no means to balance wheels of that size. I prepared for a wobbly drive home to get to a proper garage but to my surprise they are perfect as they are, right up to 70mph at least! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve200TDi Posted October 22, 2017 Author Share Posted October 22, 2017 47 minutes ago, Retroanaconda said: Looks good. But won’t you still have to have them balanced by a tyre place? Then again I had a new set of BFG tyres fitted to mine last month by a garage in Oban and only after they’d done so did they reveal that they had no means to balance wheels of that size. I prepared for a wobbly drive home to get to a proper garage but to my surprise they are perfect as they are, right up to 70mph at least! Yes, I don't bother getting them balanced. I've had no trouble racing with them. It's so bumpy you don't need to worry! With road tyres, yes I would hav to get them balanced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotts90 Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 It's definitely a cash saver though, local tyre places can be a bit awkward at fitting or doing swaps if they're not supplying tyres. They'll then charge about £15 per tyre. I wasn't too bad as my mate did most of mine for beer tokens but now he just balances them for me I just pay for the weights used...which on my KM2s and more recently the AT3s on the L200 required a load of stickies to balance up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 I just take my tires over to my friendly mate with a tyre machine and a balancer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwhacker Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Very nice piece of kit. I went down the manual changer route, couldn't find one like you have picked up i'm so jealous. With the manual type you just can't break the bead. My bead breaker leaver bent and the hi lift can do it but so iffy. Good luck with your new toy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve200TDi Posted October 24, 2017 Author Share Posted October 24, 2017 2 hours ago, bushwhacker said: Very nice piece of kit. I went down the manual changer route, couldn't find one like you have picked up i'm so jealous. With the manual type you just can't break the bead. My bead breaker leaver bent and the hi lift can do it but so iffy. Good luck with your new toy. Keep an eye on ebay and I'm sure something will turn up, like mine did! Tyre changing tomorrow, hopefully it's not raining and I'll get some progress pics up. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zim Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 We've got a similar one to what you have above and like you say, it's easy to use. We also have a piece of H beam concreted into the ground, sticking up 4 ft. A LR hub welded to the top with a piece of 2" pipe through the middle. Works the same as the air one above pretty much, but we've got a home made bead breaker that slots around the 2" pipe and is adjustable in height. (the manual air one you have pictured above, will battle to fit a wide wheel in the bead breaker). Similar to this google image : G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Davies Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Nice find Steve, I too looked for one for several years but in the end bought a cheap one off ebay, I had to weld some extra strengthening bits to it, particularly the bead breaker arms but now handles LR rims just fine, very jealous of your find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missingsid Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Good bit of kit, my one is fully manual, no air ram so I am jealous. I am supprised at the need to remove the valve for seating, I have seated a tyre using my spare BMW electric pump. When I swapped my Clio tyres I never balenced them and they were fine, I have never balenced the LR tyres as any mud just throws them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 As for balancing, have a look a something like Dynabeads etc. They worked great when I had an equivalent in my old 33" BFGs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwhacker Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Or keep an eye out for the old school balancer with the bubble on top. Sure would be a nice addition to the tyre department and it would fit in well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve200TDi Posted October 26, 2017 Author Share Posted October 26, 2017 Yes, removing the valve just speeds up the inflation, takes less time! Right, so the tyre past is blue! And 5kg will last me a lifetime! So wheel on. Tyre paste applied to rim edge and tyre. Tyre pushed on to the rim. Using the flat tyre lever to ease the tyre over the rim. Now it's on. I didn't apply the paste to this sides tyre edge, because I would get covered in it while fitting the inner tube (which I nearly forgot!) Inner tube fitted and held in place by the valve tool and tyre paste applied. Tyre edge pushed on and tool fitted Making sure the tyre is in the well of the wheel start sliding the bar round. Then lift the bar up and tyre should pop in. I've noticed on some tyres I've had to lift the bar up to help the tyre on and slide the bar round and repeat. Now it's seated and I can inflate it! Job done! The blue paste seem to work well and does stay on the wheel/tyre and doesn't evaporate, so a good choice made! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwhacker Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 Can i ask why you don't go tubeles. You probably know this but you can get patches plugs and mushrooms on the net and all the goodies for the home puncture repairer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve200TDi Posted October 27, 2017 Author Share Posted October 27, 2017 17 hours ago, bushwhacker said: Can i ask why you don't go tubeles. You probably know this but you can get patches plugs and mushrooms on the net and all the goodies for the home puncture repairer. They all had tubes originally fitted, so I guess they may have punctures. It's true if I did repair them or get new tyres I could go tubeless as I don't know if there's much advantage been no tubes or tubes?! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 Less weight in a like for like tubeless wheel and tyre? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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