In this video I try and use a recently purchased vintage tyre changer. I used one decades ago but am not sure how I should use it. Anyway, I did the job and by the time I did the second one was a little more at home with how to do it. The truck looks a lot better with some new (to me) tyres and I am looking out for some I can use on the back.
That is the tire changer I learned on when I worked at a gas station, back in the late sixties! You learn how to do it right! Now those big strong machines can ruin a tire! I bought one and it stayed in the shop at the ranch for emergencies. Bones
There's a saying about "A man who chops his own wood is twice warmed." Does this hold true for a man who changes his own tires too? I've used one similar in a small shop, they work well on alloy wheels as well with lots of lube. Nice job.
The gas station I started to work at in 72 had one of the manual changers sitting beside the new air powered one. We had a dirt track in our town, the old manual changer would accommodate the 12" wide tires and wheels the local racers used, but the air changer couldn't handle that width. Most places in town had the air changers. When the guys at the track found out I could change their tires, I change a lot of wide tires on the wide wheels. My boss didn't mind collecting for me changing those tires. Often a good share of Sat's work was changing racing tires. I got pretty fast at it.
If you spray a little liquid soap and water on the beads, mounting and dismounting will go a lot easier. We used to break them down buy using a bumper jack on the beads, under the front of a car, and do the rest with tire irons on the ground. A 4 way lug wrench served as a hammer to knock the tires on.
I've changed many a tire on one of those. However, the tires on Model A wheels and stock wheels on the pre-war Fords need little more than a couple of big screw drivers to change the tires. The one exception I've found is some 6 ply truck tires with a heavier bead need a machine to remove & install them. I have one '32 - '35 wheel with an old 6 ply tire that I've been battling for some time. I'm beginning to think the only way I will get the thing off is with a goodly amount of C-4.
breaking the bead with bumper jack, lowering the brake onto the tire , etc. Working on radial tires I'd be very askeered to accidentally fold the belted tread. Bias plies not so much.
My Dad had one of those old manual tire machines, don’t remember the make. It has a large metal hoop that it is mounted to, about 3’ diameter. It works pretty good.
I used one like that when I was a kid. I have also used tire spoons and sweat. Given all the options I would not be ashamed to use a modern machine. LOL
Never use a tire machine on a tube type tire.... Always a bumper jack and tire irons and of course an hammer....
The 4 way lug wrench serves as a great hammer, with easier reach ! I do have a manual Bishman from the 50's, complete with bead spreader and air lower bead breaker.
Does anyone have one of these old Coats tire changers? Mine is missing the plunger that keeps the rim from rotating. The dealer does not have parts and so I will need to make one.
Oh come on! Have none of you guys never used a tire hammer to break the beads? I spent my formative years changing truck tires on school buses. I really don’t miss those days, but am grateful for the experience.
We also used to drive over the beads to break them down steering the wheels as we went. With someone to watch, and using a 53 Cadillac, it worked as well.
Beads can be broken, with a square ended garden spade, the blade will be slightly curved matching the rim, lever down on the spade with a scaffold pole or similar . Very shade tree or Heath Robinson but it does work..
That bead breaking seems to be the hardest part when I change one out. We frequently use the bucket on the front end loader to make things easier.
I've an old manual bead breaker that has seen its better days given to me by a neighbor & have used it for 40-50 years, use a pair of tire irons & a heavy poly faced mallet, works quite well on 15"-16" tires the smaller diameters & wider rims can be a challenge, particularly removing those age old tires of any size that once resembled rubber & coupled with a rusted rim are cause to warm the body as well as the language.
Mine is a Bishman, very similar. I could take pictures tomorrow. Thanks Marty, I would appreciate that. I think the plunger is just to account for different backsets, and the pivot is for the different bolt circle diameters.
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