Harbor Freight Tire Changer Mods With Pics

[dngspot]

I bought a Harbor Freight tire changer with a bit of skepticism and justifiability so. I bent the tire rim breaker and the bar used to remove the tire right away. The tire I started with was a 31 10.5 15 on a aluminum rim. This rim has one of the tightest beads I have worked with. At one time in my life I broke down tires as part of my job. Anyway, I managed along and removed the tire and reinstalled it. There is no way that this thing can be treated as an industry standard tool, but who would expect any tool from HF to be of industry quality? To make this a bit stronger here is what I did.

I welded in two plates to make the bead breaker stronger; I also cut a piece of thick wall pipe to use to break the bead. I mounted this guy to the floor; it would be pretty tough to work with it loose. Here is a pic of the finished product.

I have replaced the tire bar with a new one from HF, seen at the top of the pic

In this pic you can see some of the damage to the bead press. I pulled one of the adjustment holes, out of round. If this continues to be a problem I will make a thicker piece.

I will be replacing the tire bar with a Ken Tools Snake. They make one 42 inches long; it is used with their tire changer. Ken Tools tire changer cost over $400.00. Mine will cost just over $100.00 with the Ken Tool Snake and work just as well when I get the tool.

 

[Bedlam]

Great idea. i had to weld mine with some metal to stiffen it as well. How do you find the end of the tool when putting tires BACK on? I thought it is thick a metal and i just use some spoons to do the put on.
I bought mine years ago from Northern and paid about 120 dollars now they are like, 40 at HF. Even with having to stiffen it up its well worth the money.
Sure beats other methods.

 

[dngspot]

I used the sharp end of the tool to put the tire back on the rim. It was not much of an effort and it worked like a spoon.

 

[Barry Bowen]

I bought that tire changer about 2 years ago, and it has more then paid for itself over and over. Not the best piece in the world, but for 50 bucks at the time, good deal. I use WD-40 for bead lubricant and it does fine. With heavier tires or tight beads you have to move the rim around and do it in several bites. Needed it on the farm to repair flats quickly, but have used it for all kinds of truck tires, and implement tires. Most of my wagons use 31x10.50x15 and it has no trouble with them. 16 10 ply are a lot tougher, but it still gets them done. And yes it is easier to put the 10 ply on with spoons instead of the tool that came with it.

 

[deepNdirt]

I have the exact same changer, and had to reinforce the exct same things,
But once I built it the way I need it it has been working out good, its worth having the bead breakers if nothing else,.... actually everyone that knows I have one comes to use it when they need change out a trailer car truck tire etc, I've changed out as large as 33 x 12.50 tires on 10"wheels to as small as 10" lawn tractor tires, I have had mine bolted to 3 different stumps over the past 6 years, so it has out lasted the stumps, come to think of it I'm probably going to have to cut down me another tree soon

 

[Travelover]

Congratulations, you now work in the Harbor Freight tool refinement department.

 

[Workstead]

I bought a Harbor Freight tire changer with a bit of skepticism and justifiability so. I bent the tire rim breaker and the bar used to remove the tire right away...
.
I welded in two plates to make the bead breaker stronger; I also cut a piece of thick wall pipe to use to break the bead. I mounted this guy to the floor; it would be pretty tough to work with it loose. Here is a pic of the finished product...
.
I will be replacing the tire bar with a Ken Tools Snake. They make one 42 inches long; it is used with their tire changer. Ken Tools tire changer cost over $400.00. Mine will cost just over $100.00 with the Ken Tool Snake and work just as well when I get the tool.

dngspot,

I have been looking at youtube videos for the better part of this evening to see how Ken Tools tire changer works and also some pretty poor videos using the HF tire changer. I've had the equivalent of the HF changer for a few years and haven't used it much, even though I've changed quite a few tires. Mine isn't bolted down so I basically only use it to break the beads.

Your posting today gets me to wanting to use mine in a better way and I have a few questions.

1. Is yours bolted down permanently? I don't have the room to do that.

2. The pipe you are using for the bead breaker looks like a piece of angle iron. Could you post some close ups? How did you get the pipe to look like a bead breaker? Did you replace the HF breaker or reinforce it with the pipe?

3. The Ken Tools Snake looks like a real labor saver. Are these available locally or did you get a knockoff at HF?

4. Would the 42" Snake work on smaller tires than car/truck tires? Or, would a smaller one be needed for smaller tires?

5. What is the price of a Snake?

Thanks for any answers that you have time for. And thanks for starting this thread.

Clem

 

[bx24]

Not doing tons of tires, I did not want to permanently bolt it to the floor. What worked well enough for me was to bolt it to a sturdy pallet that I could stand on. I busted a couple of dozen tires doing it this way and it worked out pretty well.

I am sure bolting it works better, but every decision comes with consequences ... but to someones earlier point, $50 well spent

 

[Workstead]

BX24,

Good alternative.

Did you put a piece of plywood on it or just bolt it to the slats?

Clem

Not doing tons of tires, I did not want to permanently bolt it to the floor. What worked well enough for me was to bolt it to a sturdy pallet that I could stand on. I busted a couple of dozen tires doing it this way and it worked out pretty well.

I am sure bolting it works better, but every decision comes with consequences ... but to someones earlier point, $50 well spent

 

[Runner]

I have railroad ties lining my driveway, so I just take mine out and bolt it down to one of the ties with lag bolts when needed. I change tires rarely enough that it's not a big deal to install/remove it each time it's needed.

 

[dngspot]

dngspot,

I have been looking at youtube videos for the better part of this evening to see how Ken Tools tire changer works and also some pretty poor videos using the HF tire changer. I've had the equivalent of the HF changer for a few years and haven't used it much, even though I've changed quite a few tires. Mine isn't bolted down so I basically only use it to break the beads.

Your posting today gets me to wanting to use mine in a better way and I have a few questions.

1. Is yours bolted down permanently? I don't have the room to do that.

2. The pipe you are using for the bead breaker looks like a piece of angle iron. Could you post some close ups? How did you get the pipe to look like a bead breaker? Did you replace the HF breaker or reinforce it with the pipe?

3. The Ken Tools Snake looks like a real labor saver. Are these available locally or did you get a knockoff at HF?

4. Would the 42" Snake work on smaller tires than car/truck tires? Or, would a smaller one be needed for smaller tires?

5. What is the price of a Snake?

Thanks for any answers that you have time for. And thanks for starting this thread.

Clem

1. I drilled into the concrete and installed 4 3/8 inch anchors. I simply bolt it to the floor for use, then remove it when done. The process takes about 5 minutes. The unit is set up in an area that my wife parks in, in a two car garage.

2. The bead breaker is the same unit that came with the machine. I cut a couple of plates to attach to the two legs that attach to the pipe via a clevis pin. I then welded the plates to those legs at the bead breaker shoe, and about 2.5 inches below the top of the legs. There are two plates one on the front and one on the back of the legs. The pipe goes into the adjustable pipe that attaches to the legs of the bead breaker; it is thick wall pipe I got from work, and looks like simple black gas pipe.

3. I do not have the Ken Tool Snake yet. I know that Ken Tool has a distributer here but can bet that when I go to see them they will tell me that they have to order it, this seems like the way of life here in Wichita. After I see them and verify their price I will order it from them or on line. I know they can be had for about $52.00 on line.
Harbor Freight does not have a Ken Tool Snake knock off. I bet I would bend it if they did.

4. A 4 foot snake would be a bit over sized, but I bet it would be manageable.

5. Answered in question 3.

This is a pic of the anchors.

Close ups of the breaker.

Anytime,
David

 

[dngspot]

I bought that tire changer about 2 years ago, and it has more then paid for itself over and over. Not the best piece in the world, but for 50 bucks at the time, good deal. I use WD-40 for bead lubricant and it does fine. With heavier tires or tight beads you have to move the rim around and do it in several bites. Needed it on the farm to repair flats quickly, but have used it for all kinds of truck tires, and implement tires. Most of my wagons use 31x10.50x15 and it has no trouble with them. 16 10 ply are a lot tougher, but it still gets them done. And yes it is easier to put the 10 ply on with spoons instead of the tool that came with it.

I used the thing like most tire tools I have used in the past and being a Caterpillar mechanic I used it like most of the tools that I own. I put enough force down on that bead until it was loose. I am 6'2" and weigh 240 lbs, yep that is too much for that tool, I guess they do not have folks that big in China. With the reinforcements that I have made to the tool it should take whatever I give it. Also I will be a little easier on the tool now that I know what it can take.

 

[valley]

It doesn't matter how much you weigh, I weigh 160 pounds, mine bent too. I haven't reenforced it yet. The U.S. made manual type I used when I was a kid had a sleeve on the upright to slide the tool in to remove an instal the tire. The H F didn't come with one so I have to hold the tool to the upright to R&R. Are they all the same?

 

[dngspot]

I am afraid I do not understand. My system was designed to take the tire bar and insert it into the adjustable pipe and that is what I used to push down to break the bead.

 

[Bedlam]

Me too fits right inside
as illustrated here
http://www.harborfreight.com/manuals/34000-34999/34542.PDF

 

[dfkrug]

I am afraid I do not understand. My system was designed to take the tire bar and insert it into the adjustable pipe and that is what I used to push down to break the bead.

From your photo, it looks like you used an extra long pipe as a breaker
bar. I never used one that long, and there were a couple of tire beads
I could not break. With the kind of leverage you had, it is no wonder that
you got some distortion of the pivot hole in the pipe. I have used the
bead breaker feature downward, as well as upward, with the changer
mounted to my tractor's loader.

Here is my thread on using my HF tire changer:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/151905-mounting-dismounting-your-own-tractor.html

 

[bx24]

BX24,

Good alternative.

Did you put a piece of plywood on it or just bolt it to the slats?

Clem

Just the slats rotating the jig so that no two bolts were on the same slat. If you use a beefy pallet, it will last a while, but even with a weaker one, it always worked well enough to work on 4 tires. For $50 its a great tool, but I don't use it more than once or twice a year.

 

[dngspot]

dfkrug

I have not busted a tire with the upgrades yet. The damage to the breaker adjustable pipe was done with the tire bar inserted into the breaker pipe. The original breaker bar is 39 inches long; the pipe that I am using now is 40 inches long. I guess the pic makes it look a bit longer. I used nothing but brute force to bend both the tire bar and the legs on the breaker shoe.

The funny thing there is a guy that is working a tire on You Tube that jumps up and down on the tire bar while breaking a bead. If I did that I would probably break the bar and crash onto the floor.

You have a great thread thanks for sharing.

 

[Bedlam]

oh yes the original design it flexed alot

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

they are little hard to find but they are only about 100-150......the old coats mechanical tire changers.....they are light years ahead of the HF ones....i've abused mine and i honestly don't think i could tear it up changing tires on it.....

i change most of my own tires and atv tires on it...i have two different models.....one of the old style step on clamp down and a spin down type.....just slightly different and each will do what the other won't, sometimes.......rim offset, rim size, etc...