Flickr image "changing tire" by Crazy Boot
Have you ever un/mounted car tires on a wheel without special tools?
I've seen it done in pics like the one above (and in YT videos) and have always wanted to try it, just out of curiosity. I'm happy to report that last evening I succeeded in unmounting two 14" tires, using even less sophisticated equipment than the dudes in the above pic.
(Note the fancy manually operated bead-breaker in the lower right!)
Unsuitable Tools I Used:
- 1 small & 1 medium crow bar (tire irons)
- 1 large screwdriver
- a medium size mallet
- a ~2.5 foot length of 4x4 (bead breaker)
- soap & water
- 1 operational car (to break the bead)
Instructions (made up, based on watching 5 minutes of a YT video):
1) Deflate the tire. Open/remove valve.
2) Break the bead: I laid the wheel face up on the driveway & laid the 4x4 on the tire like a ramp, with the tire end close to but not overlapping with the rim edge.
3) Drive one wheel of a car up the piece of 4x4 until it's near the end of the 4x4. (A stout 2x6 might be better to distribute the car's weight across a wider section of the bead)
4) Smack vigorously on the deformed tire with the mallet until the bead breaks. (I tried just driving the car directly across the tire in question, and while is squashed it, it didn't break the bead.)
5) Flip the wheel over and repeat steps 2-4 to break the bead on the other side of the rim.
6) Lube the beads & rim with LOTS of soapy water (multiple times during the next steps)
7) Work the bead into the smaller diameter center channel of the wheel, so you will be able to...
8) Use the tire irons to pry the bead over the rim of the wheel. Repeat for 2nd bead.
Observations:
I haven't even mounted the replacement tires yet and I can say doing this without proper tools is a giant hassle.
That last step is by far the hardest part. It wasn't hot out, but I was sweating from the effort and sometimes saying bad words, like when the soapy tire irons slipped and fell out several times and I almost stabbed my own arm with one of them.
It took me 15-20 minutes to struggle to unmount each tire, which is entirely too long if you've ever watched someone do this efficiently in a tire shop.
Conclusion:
You would have to be flat broke and/or stuck in the middle of nowhere for this to appear to be a good idea, vs. just paying a shop to do it.
But it is doable, with incorrect tools, some gumption, and a general disregard for personal safety.
Exception: my late neighbour has an old tire changing stand bolted to the floor of his shop with a set of big pry bars designed for the job. I've seen him use it. If you're changing a lot of tires, possibly worth the investment. Maybe I should ask his widow if I can use it.
Motivation:
I'm mounting some LRR Dunlop Enasaves...
On the 14" wheels from the Swift GT parts car I junked last year...
So I can compare their rolling performance against some Insight Bridgestone RE92's and the stock Goodyear Invicta LRRs that came on the Firefly. EG. along the lines of...
From: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...e92-19126.html
Only I'll be using the Firefly this time (because R.I.P. ForkenSwift).
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PS: will update this post if/after I manage to mount the new tires on the rims using the same inadequate equipment.