Mounting a tire

[AlanB]

I am the guy in the DIY camp.

That said, I will also say that at least the first time, you need help.

To your particular question, I use a couple little blocks of 2X4 and wedge them between the wheel and the tire to give me room to get in there with my hands and get the tube in and laying "nice"

That said, as you are doing the fronts, I suggest this

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

I have an older bigger, beefier unit, but it is still a hand unit, I can change tires almost as fast as with a power machine, just not as many

The trick with so many jobs in my opinion is to have the right tools. While being an expert makes things go better, it also goes hand in hand that the expert has the right tools for the job which helps to make it look easy.

The Gemplers video's are great by the way, and it is the same procedure, you will just wrestle more with a smaller tire and wheel to try and hold it.

Proper tire irons are available at TSC and Rural King at about $20 each, the curves and dips in them help hang into the rim, and not reach through and grab the tube.

Good luck with whatever way you decide to go.

 

[Soundguy]

I do mine like iron horse does his. i can only add that i use a valve stem fishing tool.. it is more or less a lanyard that threads on the valve stem so that you can get the valve stem out the hole if it drops in while seating the other bead.

I'll do 16" and 19" tractor front tires.. but would just as soon let the tire palce do em unless I got the time and no $$. I also usually let them mess with the rears as well..

soundguy

 

[Eagleview]

No disrespect intended , to those who let the experts do everything for them . IMHO this is not the way to better educate ones self on such things , riding a bike , horse , playing sport can kill you . The only danger is when the tire is being inflated , if you use a clip on tyre valve chuck and keep clear while it is inflating there is no problem (a trick i use that i forgot to mention is to put a couple of small chains through the rim centre @ 9and3 o'clock , around the tyre and back onto themselves for safety). The satisfaction of doing something yourself and being able to pass on that new found knowledge to your kids/grandkids is a lifting experience . Evolution will see us with no arms and legs if we dont have a use for them .

 

[Bird]

No disrespect intended , to those who let the experts do everything for them . IMHO this is not the way to better educate ones self on such things , riding a bike , horse , playing sport can kill you . The satisfaction of doing something yourself and being able to pass on that new found knowledge to your kids/grandkids is a lifting experience . Evolution will see us with no arms and legs if we dont have a use for them .

I agree, but . . . . not no one can do, or learn to do, everything. I'd bet that you are very good at some things that I know nothing about, and I probably know how to do a few things that you don't know how to do. Trial and error is one way of learning something, but sometimes it can be a painful way to learn, or even fatal. For some things, it's much better to have a teacher, and not everyone has a teacher available when they want to learn something new. So then it's better to let the pro do it. Of course, when I do that, I sure do like to watch the pro do it because I might learn how to do it myself next time.

 

[RichNJKubota]

I've done 100s of tires by hand. So far I've never got hurt. But it's easy to imagine how you could really hurt yourself real bad really easy. So, if you DIY be very careful. And make sure your hands and fingers are never in danger should something go wrong.

 

[Eagleview]

Let's not forget that were only talking about changing a tyre here . Every one of us has changed a push bike tyre , it is no different , only bigger . If you use the clip on chuck and safety chains as ive said and wear hearing/eye protection you have brought the dangers down to an acceptable level . The OP has asked for advice as he seems willing and able and has the correct equipment to carry out the task . All i was doing was making sure he had as good of advice as i could offer to do the job safely as by the sounds of it , he is going to do it himself .

 

[ancientlake]

Don't be a hero. Put the wheel in the truck. Take it to a tire guy. Never costs much. They have the tools and the knowhow. One of the best bargains I can think of off hand.

 

[Eagleview]

If the OP asked for some tips on using his new CHAINSAW , pound for pound the most deadly piece of plant on the planet . Everyone would be full of great tips and ideas . No one would suggest he employ the services of an expert to come and opperate it for him . If you saw someone pumping up a flat tyre at a servo you would think nothing of it , yet the tyre could just as easily come off the bead then . Yet this is the most dangerous part of the whole proceedure , pumping up the tyre . The rim can't hurt you and neither can the tyre , you could fall on the tyre irons and stab yourself i guess . It's the explosive forces of the compressed air that is the problem . So really , you should get an expert to pump up your tyres .

 

[alchemysa]

As I kid I worked in a garage that had no tyre machines. I did hundreds with just a mallet and two levers. (A good size rubber mallet is essential. The 'prized' mallet was the one that had been worn to a point).

Its easy when you see it, but hard to explain.

To remount the tyre...

Lay the rim flat on the ground with the 'good' side facing up. Stand on the the ground, facing the rim, with your toes on the rim so it doesn't move.

Pick up the tyre and swing it hard down on the rim so that the bottom bead of the tyre hooks over the edge of the rim thats farthest away from you. It might take 3 or 4 goes to get it to 'catch'.

Now use the mallet to bash the bottom bead of the tyre over the rim. Work back towards yourself. Hit on alternate sides as you go. (Your toes will still be on the ground stopping the rim from sliding.

You should now have a rim thats sitting on the ground, with the lower bead fitted and the other bead sitting loosely on top of the rim. If you are fitting a tube, now is the time to slightly inflate it, then push it into the tyre/rim cavity. Pull the valve stem up through the hole and make sure the tube is not twisted or pinched anywhere.

Now its time to fit the top bead. Leave the rim lying on the ground. With a lever, hook the tyre over the edge thats farthest from the valve stem. (Be careful you dont pinch the tube). Stand behind the lever, and with your feet try to push as much of the tyre over the rim as possible. You might get about a third of the tyre mounted this way. Remove the lever.

Then stand on the tyre with your bum directly over the valve, with your feet widely spaced, (one foot each side of the valve stem). Using your weight on your heels, and a few perfect mallet swings, you should be able to knock the tyre bead over the rim edge, working your way back towards the valve stem. At this point you are swinging that mallet very close to your feet so be careful or wear good boots. (A good operater can do this in about 6 swings. A beginner might take about 50).


THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT: Whenever you are using a mallet or levers to fit or remove a tyre its very important to remember that the smallest diameter of the rim is the centre 'well' section. If the tyre feels extremely 'tight' at any stage and you feel like you are getting nowhere its often simply a case of loosening things up by stepping on the tyre and pushing the bead into this centre well. You might need to turn the tyre over and do this on both sides. The tightest fit is achieved when the tyre bead is mounted in the sealing ring at the edge of the rim, so you need to keep the tyre bead out of that ring when you are fitting or removing tyres.

I hope that helps. You might have to modify the technique depending on the tyre size. I fitted a front tractor tyre this way just a couple of months ago, but I've never fitted tyres larger than about 16" using a mallet.

 

[irwin]

I've mounted and installed a lot of tires and installed many tubes with hand tools (irons,big screwdrivers,mallet,etc.). If the aim of this is to save money, you won't be buying a bunch of good tire tools will you? Have someone who's done it a dozen times help with the first one.
If this is to learn how and money isn't that important go for it alone. Experience is priceless.
I've poked holes in a couple tubes durring my learning phase, a big enough hole will ruin the tube.
If money is the reason, perhaps paying a garage to do it would be best. The last 25+ years I've had the use of a proper tire machine, this is far and away the best way to do it, and for a small tire (15-16") the charge is normally* in the $15-25 range per tire.

*some tire jobs will cost much more $100.00+ per.


It's great to know how to, but somethimes it's expensive learning. I've seen tires with the bead wrecked by a large screwdriver. tractor tires ain't cheap.