Been busting tires for over 35 years, first one was at the age of 10. My folks started the tire/service station in approx. 1959. I went out on my own in 1984 and have probably busted what seems like a million tires. Around here I am known as Trucked Up but around my town I'm known as Tirebaby/Tarebaby if you use southern draw..........
i also work on big rigs...doing a rip and strip is easy, but not a good deal on a none steel rims...generally ya gotta clamp vise grips on to keep it from spinning when ya re mount it.....bead release really makes it easy for doing a car tire when they come in..squirt some on and the bead will just pop off by itself...car tires are a bit tougher, imho, then trucks due to the flimsy bead and sidewall compared to a truck tire.but i find truck tires to be toooo easy ....our shop has become popular with the local 4 wheelers....there's noone around who does big 4x4 tires, so they come see me...they know i play with jeeps and both mine have bigger tires on them
I've been doing tires myself a lot since there are no shops nearby my garage. To break the beads I use my carlift with a car on it to set down on the tire and pull it from the rim. Works like a charm. I've always wanted to have tire-changer myself so I bought one used sometime ago. It has an airpowered bead-breaker on the side, but unfortunatly the airbag inside started leaking badly recently so I have to use the carlift again at the moment.
Another trick... If any of y'all are tractor guys (or just need to take some big junk tires off...) A sawzall, hammer, and a chisel is about the easiest way.. Cut a 'V' Into the tire (down to the steel in the beed of the tire) then to break that steel, use a sharp chisel and a quick smack with the hammer, works great... Thats how we get all the junk tires off our ol' Deeres, and a few 'trationals...
That's the unit I have. 50 dollars on special. I used to be a tirebuster in my teens. Give me an old Coats or an FMC machine and I could still run it. Like riding a bike!
Found this on the "Tube" its a pretty cool vid... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmRd-MWxVGg&feature=related
Not sure about that clip being "cool" when I see someone fighting with a tire for 45 (or 15?) minutes timelapsed into 1min.25, on a bend as hell wheel. 'Cool' would be someone mounting that tire, in realtime, in 1 minute 25.
Back in the day we'd bust tires using muscle, it' helps to have a heavy friend. I've used a back hoe bucket, weight of a vehicle, a jack crowbars etc to mount tires and dismount tires. But this is only doable IMO on steel wheels. I've had the HF style manual machine, and about the only thing useful on it was the bead breaker, and I ended up making a better one for it. Better yet, make friends with someone who has a tire machine, or find a used one to buy. I have a coats rim clamp machine now that I picked up for $100, and stuck $50 in paint, bearings for the turn table, and airlines. Before I have two friends that have tire machines, I just got tired of waiting for them to be around to use them. As a matter of fact I have a friend who's gotta do a tire tonight. You don't need a balancer, you can get balance beads, and they eliminate tire balancing. The OTR guys use them. I still want to get a bubble balancer for doing my slicks and tires with tubes.
Reading this made me laugh. I was a tire monkey at age 12. I wasnt allowed to touch cars in my dads shop after a small miss hap so I was the tire boy. Dad figured I couldnt screw that up. I use to break beads on 18 wheelers with a sledge. Tire cage to blow em up. My dad had an old blind guy just for that task. Thick grease like soap to help set the bead, S****s to slap the tire back on and off. After hurricane Andrew hit south Florida. We fixed flats in the front yard off Kings Highway for 5 dollars (this included patches by hand when the plugs ran out). Guys in Miami were charging 50 to hundred. I was about 12 or 13 and everyday for a few months my take was at least 150. I wouldnt think twice about paying someone to change a tire for me. I tried changing my motorcycle tire a few months ago and about killed myself.
Thanks for the tips. I'll try a jack between the bead and my van tomorrow to pull some old tyres off.
I have a harbor freight bead breaker, been using it for years. I'm not going to pay a tire shop $60 to mount a set of tires. It's bad enough that I have to pay $20 the get them balanced.
Usually let the dealer do it when I buy 'em new, quicker and easier. When swapping around or repairing used stuff I do my own, quicker and more convienient than the drive to town. Manual made in USA bead breaker I bought from J.C Whitney 40 something years ago, a couple of irons made from spring leaves, and a 2 1/2# hammer to asist. ATF wiped on the tire bead with a rag helps 'em slide over the edge without tearing , seat, and seal well. Bubble balencer. All works for me. Ed
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