Home-Made Tire Spoons (Mini-Project)

[ChuckE2009]

Goodmorning, everyone!!

So, here's a quick little job that I just thought I'd share...

Last weekend, I picked up a 2006 Kawasaki KLR650 for a song, but part of the reason that the bike was so cheap, was that the tires and brakes were pretty much worn out...

So, I ordered up a set of Shinko 705's, and some EBC brake pads, and set about showing this bike some love...

Now, I'd never installed a tire (I'd sliced a few with a saw-zall to scrap the rims they were on, tho, haha), so I called up my mechanic friend Danny...

He said he'd changed a ton of them, and it wouldn't be a problem at all... I just needed some tire-spoons and a valve core tool... That worked out really well, I weld stuff up for him all the time, and he helps me out with projects like this...

Anyway, I knew the Tractor Supply store where I used to work (loved it there, but I quit when I started school) sold Tire-Spoons, so a quick stop was all I needed, right?

Nope... I got to the tire isle, and saw that these simple little steel devices were THIRTY FRIGGIN' DOLLARS a PIECE!! And I needed three of them... Come to think of it, in the nine months I worked at that place, I honestly dont think I ever sold or stocked a tire spoon... Guess I know why, now

I stood there in the isle for a minute thinking about what I could do now... I knew there were a couple of auto-parts stores about 15 miles away that would *probably* be open on a saturday, but I didn't really want to make that trip, and time is (as always) of the essence... I stay pretty busy now, but I like it that way...

Anyway, I knew I'd better think of something...

I could just heat and beat some 1" round stock I knew I had until it was spoon-shaped, but that would just be mild steel, and I was afraid I'd bend and/or break the tip off of it...

But then I got another idea...

I just wandered over to the tool isle and bought three pry-bars for $6 and $7 a piece, and prayed they weren't just hardened steel...

As soon as I got home, I traced out a radius over the ends of them, and hit it real quick with the ForceCut 42i...

Then I took an abrasive wheel to them, and as soon as that disc made contact, I knew I wasnt working with mild steel...

The sparks were bright and had a lot of flair, indicating they were tool steel!! For a change, something turned out just like I hoped it would

I took an 80-grit flap disc and went over everything to remove those tube-slicing burrs, and called it a day...

Danny showed up, we lifted up half the bike at a time with a chain-lift, and had those tires off and on in no time...

I still maintain that front tire is on there bass-ack-wards, but we installed it according to the "ROTATION" arrow, so I guess all is well

After switching out brake pads, we put everything back together and called it a night...

I saved roughly $50 versus having the tires mounted, got a lesson in installing tube-type motorcycle tires, and got a set of home-made tools I'll use well into the future... So, I'm pretty thrilled...

What would I have done differently? Well, They were a little on the "thick" side... I think I'm going to grind some of the "meat" off the back of the "spoons" so they're a little easier to get between the bead, and the rim...

But the bike is in MUCH better shape now, and I'm pretty happy... Doesnt take much

Haha...

I just thought I'd share, hopefully this can help someone else save a few bucks on tire spoons....

Thanks for reading, everyone, and have an awesome weekend!!

 

[puckgrinder85]

You'll notice that alot with bike tires, the front will be completely opposite tread pattern from the rear as far as rotation. New skins make anything look new(er) doesnt it?

 

[crazyal]

A tip to help keep from pinching the tube while putting the tire on the rim is to put some air in it.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

I've built them from old engine cranks and hammered the ends after heating them up. It's amazing how you can forge your own stuff if you try.