mounting tires myself with the $40 harbor freight changer

[onion]

Maybe I will sometime. The procedure is simple enough.

You put the tire onto the wheel and lube the beads. Then you move the tire around so that there's a little air gap open so the flame can get through and into the tire. Spray A LITTLE ether into the gap- just a little squirt. Maybe half a second or less.

Now stand back a few feet, light your lighter (preferably one of those long BBQ lighters), and use the ether can as a flame-thrower to light the tire up. The point of this being that you don't want to be too close to the tire, for obvious reasons.

My brother used to occasionally seat the tires on class 8 trucks this way. Seems to work well enough.

But yeah- please don't try this at home. Unless you're gonna post a video.

 

[Carbon]

Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
You need to post a video of seating a tire with ether-I'd like to see that!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_e1suUBoT0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABuvbUIzj2U

 

[onion]

Those guys have the right idea. It's not 'safe'. But most fun activities aren't.

 

[jim302]

Ether assisted tire mounting looks fun and effective. I first heard about this a few years ago, and have wanted to try it since then.

I have always wondered if the brief exposure to high temperatures has any long term impact on the tire's life or durability.

It is also entertaining to see the ones where someone sprays half a can in and lights it... very dangerous, but funny!

 

[bigmike]

I kept wondering when he was going to STOP spraying! Yikes!

 

[onion]

Those are bigger tires than what I usually mess with at home... but they're using four times as much ether as I use, too.

As for high temperatures, I doubt it has much effect. The high temp is so brief, and the mass of the hot gas is so small compared to that of the tire, that I doubt it has any effect at all.

 

[supton]

Thought about making a new thread, but this thread seems relevant.

I'm intrigued by the HF tire changer. Almost enough so to buy one for the heck of it. However: the tire balancer costs more! $40 for the changer, $80 for the balancing tool.

Is there a cheaper tool for balancing, or is this as good as it gets? At $120 (plus wheel weights and tire lube) I'm a bit slower to get into tire changes.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: supton
Thought about making a new thread, but this thread seems relevant.

I'm intrigued by the HF tire changer. Almost enough so to buy one for the heck of it. However: the tire balancer costs more! $40 for the changer, $80 for the balancing tool.

Is there a cheaper tool for balancing, or is this as good as it gets? At $120 (plus wheel weights and tire lube) I'm a bit slower to get into tire changes.


Even if you use the mounting machine once, it will pay for itself. Then bring to Walmart or something to get balanced.

I know in the of road community, balancing beads / bbs are pretty popular.

 

[eljefino]

If you're in eastern NH, PM me. I'll show you my Snap On spin balancer, gratis. It was an order of magnitude more expensive than the HF doohickey but I figure when I die my estate will get the money back. You can sorta see it in this vid:



You can find them on craigslist for $400-500ish if persistent. Mine doesn't take much space and runs off a "wall wart" or even a 12V battery! Cranking the tire myself saves a massive amount of complication, you'd think.

PS, years later, I still haven't bolted the HF changer down.

PPS I finally got around to ether:

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Originally Posted By: supton
Thought about making a new thread, but this thread seems relevant.

I'm intrigued by the HF tire changer. Almost enough so to buy one for the heck of it. However: the tire balancer costs more! $40 for the changer, $80 for the balancing tool.

Is there a cheaper tool for balancing, or is this as good as it gets? At $120 (plus wheel weights and tire lube) I'm a bit slower to get into tire changes.


Even if you use the mounting machine once, it will pay for itself. Then bring to Walmart or something to get balanced.

I know in the of road community, balancing beads / bbs are pretty popular.



I was in Walmart this morn and did see balancing for like $10 or so. Not sure on the cost savings there, not when typ mnt/bal is $15-20 and they will bugger up your car for no additional cost. It's also a 45min drive to walmart for me, one way.

eljefino, thanks for the offer, someday I might take you up on it, but I'm more central/western. Maybe this fall, I might take a spin up into Maine. $500 would pay for lots of tire changes I'm afraid.

I have a temptation to mount changer to the bed of my trailer. Store in doors but bolt it down when needed.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: Miller88
Originally Posted By: supton
Thought about making a new thread, but this thread seems relevant.

I'm intrigued by the HF tire changer. Almost enough so to buy one for the heck of it. However: the tire balancer costs more! $40 for the changer, $80 for the balancing tool.

Is there a cheaper tool for balancing, or is this as good as it gets? At $120 (plus wheel weights and tire lube) I'm a bit slower to get into tire changes.


Even if you use the mounting machine once, it will pay for itself. Then bring to Walmart or something to get balanced.

I know in the of road community, balancing beads / bbs are pretty popular.



I was in Walmart this morn and did see balancing for like $10 or so. Not sure on the cost savings there, not when typ mnt/bal is $15-20 and they will bugger up your car for no additional cost. It's also a 45min drive to walmart for me, one way.

eljefino, thanks for the offer, someday I might take you up on it, but I'm more central/western. Maybe this fall, I might take a spin up into Maine. $500 would pay for lots of tire changes I'm afraid.

I have a temptation to mount changer to the bed of my trailer. Store in doors but bolt it down when needed.


I have seen them modified and mounted to the back of pickups.

 

[eljefino]

Last time I had WM balance a tire they did a "one time" eg not lifetime for $6. I take it you can't bring in loose mounted tires off the car?

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Last time I had WM balance a tire they did a "one time" eg not lifetime for $6. I take it you can't bring in loose mounted tires off the car?


I did see that price too.

It's a bit of work, just have to buy spare rims for vehicles, or leave it on jack stands.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Last time I had WM balance a tire they did a "one time" eg not lifetime for $6. I take it you can't bring in loose mounted tires off the car?


You have to specifically ask them for then not lifetime balance

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

hahahahahaha!!!!

Love your tire implosion... Predictable with a car tire. Truck tires are stiff and don't do that. Might not have happened if you had pulled the valve core.

Good job..

Wayne

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: supton
Thought about making a new thread, but this thread seems relevant.

I'm intrigued by the HF tire changer. Almost enough so to buy one for the heck of it. However: the tire balancer costs more! $40 for the changer, $80 for the balancing tool.

Is there a cheaper tool for balancing, or is this as good as it gets? At $120 (plus wheel weights and tire lube) I'm a bit slower to get into tire changes.


Toss a handful of Dynabeads into the tire...no balancer needed!

 

[Bladecutter]

Originally Posted By: supton
Is there a cheaper tool for balancing, or is this as good as it gets? At $120 (plus wheel weights and tire lube) I'm a bit slower to get into tire changes.


For a car tire, if you can find a fwd car that uses the same lug nut pattern as your vehicle, you could mount it plumb to the wall of your garage, if you have exposed beams, and use that for a static balance.

I mostly use my HF tire changer for it's bead breaker.
I spoon the motorcycle tires on and off by hand, but haven't given car tires a proper go as of yet.

BC.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I dismounted 9 tires by hand and mounted 5.

What I found interesting - the LT215 85R16 tires were MUCH easier than the 185/65-15 tire. My guess is the much taller sidewall.

The other thing I noticed: if you use orange coolant as bead lube and get it on your hands, you will have orange fingernails for a day or two ...

 

[supton]

I've read the shorter trailer tires are a pain to mount/unmount. I just picked up a camper with 13" tires, for some reason the PO replaced the two main tires--but left the 17 year old cracked spare tire alone. ? I can mail order tire&rim but am halfway tempted to at least try unmount and remount.

At least for trailer tires you don't have to balance. Why I've never figured out, never seen a trailer with unbalanced tires (but plenty of cars and trucks).

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: Bladecutter
Originally Posted By: supton
Is there a cheaper tool for balancing, or is this as good as it gets? At $120 (plus wheel weights and tire lube) I'm a bit slower to get into tire changes.


For a car tire, if you can find a fwd car that uses the same lug nut pattern as your vehicle, you could mount it plumb to the wall of your garage, if you have exposed beams, and use that for a static balance.



I did this with my FWD car, I pulled a brake drum off the rear so there was very little drag then spun my wheel/tire a few times, noting where the valve stem stopped. If consistent, I added weight to the "top" then re-did.

If the tire stopped and reversed, it was more than 1/2 oz off, I found.