Bead breakers

[buck91]

What are some options for DIY tire bead breaking? I have tried the jack against the trailer hitch or frame before with poor results. Actually thinking about bolting together a 2x4 lever but curious if anybody else has gone this route or anything similar? I've had good results with DIY motorcycle tire changes before and want to be able to at least remove tires from rims to reuse one or the other without paying a shop even MORE extra money for mount/balance with cars and trucks.

I have seen some of the commercially available DIY tools which look very tempting except for the cost. The HF unit looks nice, too, but ever since they decided to declare themselves "gun free" I am reluctant to shop there...

 

[SonicMustang]

Harbor Freight is gun free? Screw that. Let's see how that plays out in Scecond Ammendment land. Costco did the same thing years ago and I asked the manager of the store in Billings why his store did not have a no guns sign at the entrance. He replied posting a sign would decrease his business 50%.

Getting to your DYI bead breaking, speaking for myself I learned years ago that I do not need to do everything myself and that I need the correct/best tools for the jobs I attempt. I cannot tell you how many times I was attempting a little DYI repair/maintenance and came up on situations where I didn't have the correct tool at hand and couldn't get what I needed until Monday. Being impatient, I'd try to substitute another tool for the correct one and cause some damage and or minor injury to myself.

It strikes me that unless you're stuck on the side of the road in the middle of the desert with a flat and ISIS is 5 miles away, there's no real reason why you need to use some half-baked DYI tools or methods to bead break tires. The forces involved are enough to let me pay somebody else, what, 5 bucks to get a tire iron in his face.

 

[SonicMustang]

It looks like Harbor Freight changed its mind and posted this last friday:

 

[SwampSurvivor]

This is something my Father made probably 55 years ago. Works great! It's just some tubing, welded into a square. Put the tire in, use something to keep the wheel there and use a jack.

He used to always use a bottle jack, but the hi-lift is SOOOO much easier to use than the bottle jack.

It works quite well. I used to use the jack under hitch method, but the last time I tried that, I picked the rear of a 1 ton truck clean off the ground.

This works great!

 

[The_Jeff]

I use the HF changer, not even bolted to the ground. That works 98% of the time. Only once in all my life with all my grunting and swearing was it ineffective. I put the tire on the ground, a 2x4 on top of the sidewall, and a cheezeball scissor jack between that and my truck frame under the cab. That was slow but worked fine. The 2x4 steadied things and the weight of the truck was all there, unlike the rear end which isn't much.

I also have a shop press though it would be comically haphazard propping it up at work height. A huge c-clamp with appropriate 2x4s would work.

 

[CT8]

Originally Posted By: SonicMustang
Harbor Freight is gun free? Screw that. Let's see how that plays out in Scecond Ammendment land. Costco did the same thing years ago and I asked the manager of the store in Billings why his store did not have a no guns sign at the entrance. He replied posting a sign would decrease his business 50%.

Getting to your DYI bead breaking, speaking for myself I learned years ago that I do not need to do everything myself and that I need the correct/best tools for the jobs I attempt. I cannot tell you how many times I was attempting a little DYI repair/maintenance and came up on situations where I didn't have the correct tool at hand and couldn't get what I needed until Monday. Being impatient, I'd try to substitute another tool for the correct one and cause some damage and or minor injury to myself.

It strikes me that unless you're stuck on the side of the road in the middle of the desert with a flat and ISIS is 5 miles away, there's no real reason why you need to use some half-baked DYI tools or methods to bead break tires. The forces involved are enough to let me pay somebody else, what, 5 bucks to get a tire iron in his face.
In general I doubt people care about gun rights

 

[SonicMustang]

Originally Posted By: CT8
[/quote] In general I doubt people care about gun rights


Specifically, The OP mentioned it. Don't for a second believe your California opinions are worth a [censored] anywhere outside California. Just look around you to see what Californians did to their state. Enough people care about their rights to have forced an about face by Harbor Freight.

 

[EdwardC]

I've only broken beads on motorcycles myself, I did the 2x4 lever method. I tried the same method on some average sized tired, 205/55R16 and I couldn't get them to break with the same system. I still think I could have done it if I rearranged the pivot point, etc, but I gave up trying.

If the tire size allows for it, I would consider just using a piece of wood laid on the sidewall and then slowly drive up the ramp.

If I had more garage space, I'd probably grab a HF tire changer.

 

[OtisBlkR1]

Originally Posted By: CT8

You must be kidding.....

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: OtisBlkR1
Originally Posted By: CT8

In general I doubt people care about gun rights


You must be kidding.....


King Comrade Cuomo strong armed NY politicians into passing SAFE act. And no one did a darn thing. People are too apathetic

 

[Kawiguy454]

I have the HF and it works. If you think about it you could make one using only 2x4's and some bolts. At one time I thought to bolt a 1' 2x4 vertical on a wall stud then bolt a longer one maybe 4' to it couple feet off the floor like a long lever. then a foot off the wall bolt a short 2x4 like an upside down T to the lever. When done you slide the wheel under the T then press the lever down to break the bead. when done just push the lever up against the wall and latch. maybe $20 total