Is anybody still using a manual tire changer ?

I'd like to have a manual tire changer. Especially today I've got a few tires I need to change out.

 

I've looked for one of these for years, but couldn't find one. I ended up buying one from Northern Tool for around $100.00. I had to modify the bead beaker mechanism and the tire removal bar that came with it is worthless. I bought a couple of tire spoons from Northern, and with the modified bead breaker and a little practice, it works quite well. It is probably very similar to the one from HF. The only place in town that would do tires for a reasonable price shut down. It's either this, or drive 20 miles and pay $20.00 a tire. You can see that it would pay for itself pretty quickly at that rate.

Out of the box, it was useless, but after some mods, it works quite well.

 

I have the one my dad taught me to use when I was just a little kid. Also taught my two boys how to use it.

 

Yup. Still using it. But, it wont fit "new" wheels worth a shit. I even had to make an adaptor to do Pontiac & Olds rally wheels. It's REALLY old. When we put the '05 Impala wheels on, we have to put a tire iron through one of the holes in the wheels & run it through a hole in the changer to try to stop them from turning. It's a PITA, but works good on traditional wheels

 

We have a Smith - Rolls unit mounted in concrete out behind the Blacksmith shop on the farm . We've been using it as long as I can remember (long time)

 

Gilmore car museum


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Oh yeah.Changed many a set of tires on one of those.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

I have an old coats that I got from my Dad , he got it in 1959.It still works great.

 

Bought one about 5-years ago at an estate sale. It is bolted to a large dia. tubing ring. I was told it was an option. Works really well. You stand on the ring, holds the thing in place. You can also lean it over and roll it anywhere you want.

 

Been wanting a manual tire changer for a while and discovered today that Harbor Freight sells one. I hate the fact that everything's made if china there but I thought I'd give it a shot. Plus HF is about a mile from my house. With my 25% off coupon and the fact it was on sale I walked out with it for $36. To my surprise the thing works great. Changed out my rear tires from 15x10 to 15x7 rims and remounted my slicks. The slicks were a challenge but got it done. Only thing that could be better is the bead breaker is a little flimsy. I'll probably weld in a cross-brace to strengthen it up and it'll be fine.

 

Yep, I've had it for 20 years. Going to use it again today to mount two tires. Yeah, I know, the dog chewed the air line again. I have extra.

I also have a bubble balancer and tire irons including the duckbill hammer. You never know when it comes in handy.

 

Brought one at an estate sale five years ago....one of the most used tools in my shop....lots of friends mount tires for free and drink my beer free too.

 

I got mine in a package deal with some other old shop tools. I use it all the time. I lucked out and mine has the pneumatic bottom bead buster. I was trained on these old things in the gas station I worked in in the old days. I made some post extender to do wider wheels and some other aids.
I drilled new mounting holes in the base to match the base of my manual tube benders, that way I only had to put one bolt pattern in the shop floor. I used 1/2" drop-in anchors and I'm lazy so I usually only bolt it down with two bolts.
Beats schlepping tires and wheels to the local tire guys only to have them say "We won't touch 'em 'cause we can't guarantee we won't break those old wheels".

 

LEARNED on a manual jist LIKE that in the early 60s -- a Phillips 66 station

Back in the day,early 70s I was a tire servicman for Goodyear -- did mosta the tires in the shop on a Coats 10 10 w a bubble balancer besides -- NEVER hada bad balance on that Bada

Did the heavy duty fleet road service , BIG trucks heavy equipment as well --

Have my own 10 10 w air blast bead seatin here fer 35 years -- [ comes in right handy w all the folks I find stranded out on the highways ] long w all the pry bars and spoons, duck bill hammer, and a REALLY great "slide" hammer for stubborn beads.

had a couple of semis come into the Goodyear shop @ Sports Arena & Rosecrans w FTs that were SO hot that I hadta handle em w heavy gloves -- they IGNITED the moment the outer ring was removed! the tubes were literally molten rubber inside the casings -- the moment the air hittum it was POOF!! [ backdraft ]

Fixed a flat on Charles Manson's bus once -- freaky dude you shoulda SEEN them "groupies" he had with him tho they was wantin to "pay" me w sex - boss wouldn't go for it [ wife woulda had a cow as well if she'd caught wind of it ]

had trouble dismountin a rusty semi rim once -- had the retainer rings off but the bead wouldn't budge -- rolled it into the safety cage outside the shop door -- hooked up my *remote* air inflator -- stood around the corner and let er rip -- tire came offa the rim w a BOOM that shook the earth and the shop fellow employees came runnin from all directions likely figurin to find pieces of me everywheres [ in retrospect, I shoulda warned em ]

bars of the cage were bowed outwards!

got the job done all righty

 

I have and use both the harbor freight version and an old Coats unit like the ones pictured. Have dismounted hundreds of tires with it and still have a good back. I think the best thing to do is to break both beads from the top. You will have to take the extra step by flipping the tire over ( another poster also mentioned this ) but, by breaking both of the beads from the top side, you use your body weight to do the work and not your body and back by pulling up.
Yes, they can be dangerous but, like everything else, you have to respect it and use it properly.
The Harbor freight one needs some modifications for specific needs. They will also break and wear out depending on how much you use it. It is light duty.
As for mounting, I have a lot of cars around here so, I mounted the harbor freight one on a frame horn of a car without its engine and front end clip. Then ran a brace to the other frame horn. It works fine.
The other one is mounted to some welded up steel. have never mounted one into concrete.
I plan to continue to use them indefinately .

 

I have one that I use all the time.

If anyone has the opportunity to get one, don't put in a corner. Bolt it to the floor in a high traffic area, off to the side a little.
If it is in a corner, it will have 432 car parts piled upon it,aking it easier to go to the local tire shop than clean it off.

(Ask me how I know)

 

If one wants to buy a new heavy duty unit , it looks like you still can.

http://www.mile-x.com/coats-310-tire-changer.aspx


How about getting parts for the older units? anybody carry them?

 

X 2 here

 

One just poped up here for 70 bucks.

 

I have changed hundreds of tires,on many different machines in my 45 years of working in garages and gas stations.I have access to a coats 20-20 to change my tires now.but after blasting and painting the wires for my T-bucket,I wasn't about to mount them on one of those old machines.The local tire place uses a rimclamp changer and mounted mine without a scratch.I balanced them on the FMC spin balancer after they were mounted. Those old machines might bo OK for old steel wheels,but I wouldn't use them on any wheels that I valued.They are traditional though.

 

I bought the HF changer and have done many tires with it. I had to re-weld the anti-rotation rod back onto its handle, but other than that it works good.

I mounted to a 4'x4' chunk of 3/4" plywood with carriage bolts.

If you do alloy wheels, plan to scratch them a wee bit. You can wrap the iron in duct tape. I also use napa's ruglyde lube.


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I'll add too, the HF bubble balancer works good. I do all of my cars' balancing and not one problem.


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6-71. I have used my old manual changer to mount and dismount all my old Halibrand and American magnesium wheels with no problems. You just have to think it out and show a little finesse.
It would be great to have someone to trust with these wheels but I just don't. I refuse to hand my treasured wheels over to a fast talking tire salesman, if they hurt one I can't afford to replace them at current prices.

 

You guys are spoiled! I don't have one, could definitely use one, but will probably never have one. I don't swap tires around very often, but when I do I use my old method of using my pickup truck, a 5 foot long 2 X 6, and several tire spoons. Place the tire in the street (I live on a 15 house culdesac), place the 2 X 6 against the tire close to the rim so as to form a ramp, and drive the truck up the ramp until the bead breaks, and then turn the tire over and repeat. Yeah, it takes a while, my neighbors probably think I'm nuts, and it is't fun, but it has't failed me yet. If the wheels are nice ones such as Cragar S/S, or aluminum slots, I lie them on a blanket for protection. Maybe I'll look into the HF unit, and set one in a concrete block out back behind the garage/shop. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

I worked in a tire store back in the late 70's and we used one to mount mag wheels.

 

I prefer to think of it as gym equipment