Do you change your own tyres?

Do you change your own tyres?

Author
Discussion

DuraAce

Original Poster:

4,240 posts

159 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
I'm thinking of investing in some tyre changing tooling as I change a few sets per year so reckon it'll pay for itself fairly quickly.

Anyone do it? What tools do you use? Do you balance them as well, or just not bother?

Edited by DuraAce on Tuesday 15th April 10:53

jasesapphy

726 posts

208 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
TBH I can't be arsed

Local places change them for £15 pair balanced
Or £25 drive in drive out

jasesapphy

726 posts

208 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
TBH I can't be arsed

Local places change them for £15 pair balanced
Or £25 drive in drive out

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
DuraAce said:
I'm thinking of investing in some tyre changing tooling as I chnage a few sets per year so reckon it'll pay for itself failry quickly.

Anyone do it? What tools do you use? Do you balance them as well, or just not bother?
I've got one of the Sealey manual changers. Seems easy enough, although I've not given it any real hammer yet, because it's not bolted down yet - it does need to be. It costs the same as a set of four tyres being changed by my local tyre place.

Balancing? Not easy. You can get manual balancers. For the cars I want to use it on mostly, then balancing isn't either easy (no centre hole) or particularly necessary.

RemaL

24,967 posts

233 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
I've been tempted to get the gear to change my own tyres. I know you can do it without special equipment but what do people suggest is the best to get without spending a fortune?

ABBA stuff?
http://www.abbastands.co.uk/product_details.asp?id...
http://www.abbastands.co.uk/product_details.asp?id...

or is there better out there

DuraAce

Original Poster:

4,240 posts

159 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
jasesapphy said:
TBH I can't be arsed

Local places change them for £15 pair balanced
Or £25 drive in drive out
£25 in/out? Bloody hell, I cant find anyone local to me cheaper than £60 for ride in/out. £40 for 2 tyres fitted to loose wheels is the best I've found so far. Well I did find one bloke who would fit them for £20 but he was using car equipment and gave me no confidence when I asked if he'd change them without any marks/chips on the wheels. Dodged a bullet there I think.


RemaL said:
I've been tempted to get the gear to change my own tyres. I know you can do it without special equipment but what do people suggest is the best to get without spending a fortune?

ABBA stuff?
http://www.abbastands.co.uk/product_details.asp?id...
http://www.abbastands.co.uk/product_details.asp?id...

or is there better out there
That stuff looks pretty good, If I change a few sets for friends then it'll earn the money back even quicker. Worthy of further investigation.

Alternatively does anyone know anyone in Lincolnshire who is happy to fit tyres not supplied by them for a reasonable price?

Prof Prolapse

16,160 posts

189 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
Just re balancing....

I wonder, rather than buy costly equipment, could you not just use beads?

Like from this terrible website; http://www.tirebalancebeads.info/

I've no doubt it works and it would save a lot of hassle if you're DIYing it.


4G63T

2,947 posts

171 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
someone on here posted a link you youtube where a bloke was removing his old tyre with giant cable ties.

brilliant idea IMO, and pretty easy and cheap too.


not too sure on how to get them back on again, guess is the same as taking them off but backwards.


have to take it somewhere to get balanced tho.

4G63T

2,947 posts

171 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
someone on here posted a link you youtube where a bloke was removing his old tyre with giant cable ties.

brilliant idea IMO, and pretty easy and cheap too.


not too sure on how to get them back on again, guess is the same as taking them off but backwards.


have to take it somewhere to get balanced tho.

Wedg1e

26,760 posts

264 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
I used to, in the days when wheels had spokes and inner tubes and you could do it with a couple of spoons, but I wouldn't fancy it with tubeless tyres and alloy rims...

LouD86

3,278 posts

152 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
Yup, quite happily. Although the garage I run does have a tyre changing machine, makes life a little easier

mpusch

269 posts

145 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
Prof Prolapse said:
Just re balancing....

I wonder, rather than buy costly equipment, could you not just use beads?

Like from this terrible website; http://www.tirebalancebeads.info/

I've no doubt it works and it would save a lot of hassle if you're DIYing it.
Dynabeads have a decent following over here (basically the same thing). People are split over whether or not they are as good / safe as a true balance.

As for me, I'm looking to purchase some used tire changing equipment this year. I just had my front tire changed and it cost $60 ride in, ride out, to have it mounted and balanced. I figure if my friend and I go half in together, the tools should pay for itself in a season and a half or so.

DrDoofenshmirtz

15,187 posts

199 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
I change my own tyres - but you do need some proper Man tools.

1. Break the bead. I use my Record number 6 vice for this. Simply crush the tyre until the bead pops off the rim.
2. Dismount the tyre. Rather than using tools and risking damaging the rim, I 'simply' cut a V into the tyre and use bolt cutters to cut the remaining bead.
3. Slide the new tyre on. A bit of tyre soap and you can usually slip one side on without tools. I use a couple of levers to get the last part of the other side on.
4. Finally, I balance using one of these...http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MOTORCYCLE-WHEEL-BALANCER-BALANCING-STAND-BIKE-MOTORBIKE-RACE-TRACK-DAY-PADDOCK-/350827031595?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item51aeebac2b



DuraAce

Original Poster:

4,240 posts

159 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
Great stuff, decision made and I'm investing in some decent tools. Will be ordering them and a pair of tyres tomorrow.

13aines

2,153 posts

148 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
If I didn't need to balance them I would use the cable tie method so some careless tyre fitter doesn't take chunks out of my immaculate wheels.

Perhaps I should, and use Dyna Beads... just not convinced by them!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9MpgD-xIjg


Yazza54

18,464 posts

180 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
Where I get mine done it's like 5 quid extra per tyre for them to do a ride in ride out, not worth the fking about.

crazy about cars

4,454 posts

168 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
Wow, before I've found this thread I thought I've got a bargain at my local tyre place @ £20/corner fully fitted...

Don't have skills or space for proper tyre changing tools but I do want to get a proper jack and impact drill soon so I can remove wheels for proper cleaning.

Edit: ops...didn't realise this is BB...

defblade

7,396 posts

212 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
A spade to break the bead, slit hose pipe for rim protector and 3 tyre levers. Washing up liquid for lube. Then a balancer kit that sits on my paddock stand. OP: don't forget new valves!


The hassle of doing them yourself isn't worth the saving in money by my book, it's just that if I need to change a tyre, it can be a week or two before I can get to a garage during opening hours... doing it myself in the evening gets me back riding a lot quicker!

dern

14,055 posts

278 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
Just did the ones on the GS as my first try. Have nothing more sophisticated than eBay tyre levers and lube from eBay and its not that bad. Will link to the levers when I get a minute as some we tried were brilliant and the others useless.

The lube makes all the difference in the world. Will link to that later too.

Use garden hose cut on one side length ways as rim protector. Much better than the ones you buy.

Breaking the bead is done with a g clamp or similar unless you want to buy the proper tools.

You'll need a compressor to get the tyre back on the bead or you could piss about with a foot pump and a tie down strap if you want.

Balanced my front with a balancer off ebay. Works fine.

Motivation for me was a quote of nearly 300 for tyres fitted vs 150 tyres delivered plus maybe 30 quid tools and now I can do them on the gs and the ttr and the kx when it's ready.

Only bother if you like to be self sufficient and are mechanically minded so if it doesn't go to plan you can figure it out.

Cheers

DuraAce

Original Poster:

4,240 posts

159 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
Bead breaker and tyres arrived today. Balancer due next week after the bank holiday along with weights/levers etc. Got the tyres I wanted for £205 delivered. The cheapest local quote I could get for fitting to loose wheels was £245 so I'm happy with the choice to invest in the kit.

I don't know where people are getting these tyres fitted so cheaply, nowhere near me will remove/refit wheels for a fiver!

Got two guys at work who also want tyres fitting so the kit will start earning its money back soon. Said I'd do it for free but they insisted on giving me £10 towards the equipment costs, happy days.