Tire Changing: DIY tire machines, gadgets, and apparatus

[ionbeam]

Perhaps we should start another thread - "DIY tire machines, gadgets, and apparatus - show us what you have, what you did, and what you know."

So far I have been using old school blood, sweat & tears tire changing technique. Probably 40% - 50% of dealers in New England won't install tires they didn't sell, a rant for a different Forum Topic. The ones that do install tires punish you for not buying tires from them and want between $60 - $90 per tire. So I change my own tires.

As I am now a bit over 40 I may consider a tire machine of some sort. It takes up a lot of space to store for use only once or twice a year.

Tools:
16" car spare tire mounted on rim, the brake rotor just fits inside the rim and the motorcycle rim sets on the spare tire rubber.
3 Motion Pro 15 inch double compound curved tire irons and sometimes I use some 8 inch irons that I have from years past
1 almighty big C-Clamp to break the bead (not recommended but works for me)
? gallons of tire lube & spray bottle
heavy plastic sheets I cut from bottles for rim protection from the tire irons
sun shine to heat the new tires
scrubbies to clean the bead area so the new tires seat on the bead area and don't leak
tire weights in various calibers
FJReady's balancer
Air compressor
(gloves, band aids, sweat band, fluids for drinking and wife on speed dial)
I will be looking into some kind of 'bead buddy' to keep the tire from going in/out of the rim during removal and install

Set the motorcycle wheel & tire on the spare tire to hold it. I put a small board bridging the rim on one side and across the rubber only on the other, apply the C-clamp and crank. POP. Once you have the technique it works fast and effective. Repeat on opposite side. Clean the bead area of the rim after the tire is removed.

Insert the plastic sheets in three places fairly close together, between the tire and the rim. Use tire irons to pry the top side bead out, move the irons around the tire. Use tire lube.

Key to making the job easier to both remove and install the tires is to keep the free side of the tire in the center of the rim, it make all the difference in the world, especially for difficult tire models. My wife likes working on things with me, she is my tire center-r assistant and doubles as my 'bead buddy'. (After earning a degree in Architectural Engineering she went to work as a line assembler for GM because it paid so much more and enjoyed building cars.)

Repeat the second side. Use tire lube.

Retrieve the front tire from the sun location Check the tire rotation direction and rim orientation. Installing the front tire, use lots of lube and aggressively slam the tire on the rim. 90% of the time the first side will go on without tools. Sometimes the second side will also go on without tools. Use tire lube. Place the plastic pieces between the rim and the tire. Apply irons. Sweat.

Retrieve the rear tire from the sun location. Check the tire rotation direction and rim orientation. The tire goes on similar to the front, but both sides will always have to be levered on. Sweat. Bleed. Swear. Know when to take a break and come back a short while later. If there is one thing I've had to learn, and it has been one of the most valuable things I've learned, is when it's necessary to take a short break when things aren't going well.

I may come back and add more to this later.

And I did. Air compressor added to the tool list for John d.

[wheatonFJR]

I like DIY tar changing.

I paid for the Nomar with my own um, two hands.

I change the tar, using the Nomar, with my own two hands.

If I can do it, anybody can. I still say "doggone it" every now and then, but I don't rupture tendons, pull muscles, or dislocate joints.

It's #BungieBallsStupid not to have a good changer iffen yer up in years and gonna do this for as long as we want to ride.

[John d]

I can relate to Ionbeam's method, but I would have added an air compressor to the list of tools. Not much fun blowing into the valve.
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Okay, I'm sure you use one .

[Hppants]

I've spooned tires on other bikes, but only tried it once on the FJR. The front tire nearly put me in hernia surgery.

Thanks Iobeam for starting this discussion. I have no doubt there will be much to learn from it.

[ionbeam]

...I would have added an air compressor to the list of tools...

Yup, air compressor. Purchased mainly for car work; 8 hp, 30 gallon tank. Brutally loud but will produce 400 ft/lb in my impact air gun. BBBrrrtttt. Either it comes loose or shears off, every time The impact function is great, I almost never shears off a bolt but beware, always use impact grade sockets! I have found a large number of jobs I use the compressor for. If I had it to do over again, I'd opt for a 240VAC, piston & belt drive compressor since my garage is wired for 240VAC.

I have a clip-on air chuck that works without a Schrader valve installed in the tire stem and it has a lever for ON/OFF air control. Set the tank pressure for 40 ft/lb to 60 ft/lb with the regulator. Clip on the chuck, and press the lever. BAM! There is an instant blast of air pressure that always seats the tire on the bead The difference without the Schrader valve restricting air flow is huge.

I also didn't go into balancing with the FJReady tool. I did put my bare rim on the balancer and marked the heavy spot on the inside of the rim using a sharpie; both a line at the heavy spot and the weight value to balance the rim alone. It's a starting point for locating a tire which may have a weight spot on the sidewall.

[Auburn]

I used to have the Nomar Classic with the posi clamps (they didn't make the Clyde Hill when I bought mine) which cost about $750 plus shipping. Today it is about $810 for the same set up plus shipping. I've done about 100 sets of tires with it through the years at tech meets and my own tires.

then I ran across the Derek Weaver https://www.derekweaver.com/bikers-gara ... e-changer/ for about $1100 shipped, they are now $1469 shipped. Have done about 100 sets of tires with this now. Like the Nomar it takes a little to learn the technique, but once you have it, easy peasy.


If you watch, I am sure you can find the Derek Weaver for less when they are on sale. Great machine. If a few of you live close by, then you could team up to buy one. At $60-90 a tire, it dosen't take too many to pay it off, plus you know it is done right.

[bigjohnsd]

Festar and I bought the Harbor Freight Changer and MC adapter. Used it once as purchased, a pain inn the ass.

First thing I did was get a length of 3/4" cold rolled steel round bar and have one end threaded to screw into the hub on the HF MC adapter. Now I have a reliable pivot point to work my bar from. The HF bar is useless and is guaranteed to booger up your rims.
I bought Mojo Blocks and the Mojo lever.
The blocks are easy to install and prevent the HF clamps from boogering up your rim.
The Mojo Bar works very slick in both removing and installing any tire, Dark side or Bridgestone T30 and then Roadsmart bastages included. I did two sets of the Roadsmarts over the BH Roundup last weekend.

The other absolute necessity is plenty of the proper Lube, as important for chanhung tires as it is for Anal Sex I'm told.

Finally you need a Nomar Big Yellow Thing. The Big Yellow Thing holds the tire down into the drop center and prevents the tire from popping back off the rim as you use your Mojo Bar to slide the bead over the rim.

My Harbor Freight Changer is bolted to the floor when in use, stored by winching it up to the ceiling over my Harbor Freight Lift when not in use.

[baowow]

If interested, I can do a video the next time I change tars using my harbor freight setup. I can make it as special as my oil filter swap video or as professional as Ryan F9 (as close as I can to professional).

Agree with the mojo lever and mojo blocks. Well worth the price if anyone is thinking about the harbor freight unit. A nice set of big wood working clamps are extremely helpful in getting the tire into the drop center without much effort or hernias. I was able to put on roadsmarts without needing to warm up the tire during Chicago spring.

Sent from my F5121 using Tapatalk

[Pterodactyl]

No matter which technique or tools you use, changing tires is like sex; to do it well you need to get the subject hot and well lubed.

Tire warmers designed for road racers can get tires very hot and easy to mount.

[bigjohnsd]

If interested, I can do a video the next time I change tars using my harbor freight setup. I can make it as special as my oil filter swap video or as professional as Ryan F9 (as close as I can to professional).

Agree with the mojo lever and mojo blocks. Well worth the price if anyone is thinking about the harbor freight unit. A nice set of big wood working clamps are extremely helpful in getting the tire into the drop center without much effort or hernias. I was able to put on roadsmarts without needing to warm up the tire during Chicago spring.

Sent from my F5121 using Tapatalk

Hopefully you will not be as long winded as another FJR video producer.

Forgot those invaluable wood workers clamps, I have two of them and they are also a big help as are two 2' lengths of 2x6 to place under the tires when breaking the bead to keep the brake disk and other expensive bits off of the floor.

[bigjohnsd]

Escapefjrtist ,- George you need to post pix Of your Mojo Bar mod,please!

[Hppants]

Barrow - I would be VERY interested in such a video. Please include some footage of any modifications you made to the H/F changer.

Thank you.

[baowow]

Barrow - I would be VERY interested in such a video. Please include some footage of any modifications you made to the H/F changer.

Thank you.

Noted for next tar swap.

Sent from my F5121 using Tapatalk

[raYzerman]

Escapefjrtist ,- George you need to post pix Of your Mojo Bar mod,please!

Seen it... the mounting bar end is a thinner material with a thinner plastic liner (rim protector), thus does not take up as much room while the bead spoons on. Brilliant, will have to do this to mine, yep, pics and dimensions would help..... you can make your own bar easy enough. George's is the best design I've seen.

[escapefjrtist]

Escapefjrtist ,- George you need to post pix Of your Mojo Bar mod,please!

Seen it... the mounting bar end is a thinner material with a thinner plastic liner (rim protector), thus does not take up as much room while the bead spoons on. Brilliant, will have to do this to mine, yep, pics and dimensions would help..... you can make your own bar easy enough. George's is the best design I've seen.

After changing probably a hundred sets of tires, I think we've got it figured out. Nothing special, just a normal Mojo lever with a couple mods. I'll see if I can gin up a pic...and get it to post.

~G

[Geezer]

No matter which technique or tools you use, changing tires is like sex; to do it well you need to get the subject hot and well lubed.

Tire warmers designed for road racers can get tires very hot and easy to mount.

This is the most important thing I have learned from years of prying on tires. A warm tire pops on much easier than a cold one. When possible, I lay the new tires out in the sun for a few hours before installing them. It makes a big difference in the amount of effort required.

[jwilly]

Changing tires isn't in the owners manual and there isn't a TwoWheelObsession video so I figured it was unnecessary...

I do all of my own tires, no fancy mo-chine just a few tire spoons, a couple clamps to add an extra set of hands and some soapy water in a spray bottle. I find the FJR very easy to get tires on/off the rims. Maybe i will do a video the next time i do tires...

[wheatonFJR]

Changing tires isn't in the owners manual and there isn't a TwoWheelObsession video so I figured it was unnecessary...

I do all of my own tires, no fancy mo-chine just a few tire spoons, a couple clamps to add an extra set of hands and some soapy water in a spray bottle. I find the FJR very easy to get tires on/off the rims. Maybe i will do a video the next time i do tires...

Make it an in depth 30 min video....with lots of flash and sizzle.

[John d]

Changing tires isn't in the owners manual and there isn't a TwoWheelObsession video so I figured it was unnecessary...

I do all of my own tires, no fancy mo-chine just a few tire spoons, a couple clamps to add an extra set of hands and some soapy water in a spray bottle. I find the FJR very easy to get tires on/off the rims. Maybe i will do a video the next time i do tires...

Make it an in depth 30 min video....with lots of flash and sizzle.

A little dance with some spoon twirls to finish up would be nice.

[bungie4]

Don't forget some gratuitous explosions for those with ADD. Oh, and some titties. Female ones. (How sad is it that I need to be specific on this forum).