Help changing tires - no specialty tools

[mortation]

I need to change my own rear wheel and forgo balancing due to a major lack of $$$$$.

The book calls for tire irons and such which I do NOT have. Has any one done a real poor mans tire change before? Can you give me some instructions/tips?

I already took the valve core out and deflated the tire. Its still rock hard due to its age and condition.

I dont car if I have to cut it off with a saw. I just need it off and the new one on.

Any tips and info would be REALLY appreciated!

 

[t3rmin]

I dunno how you'd do it without some good tire spoons. I think I got mine here:
http://www.cyclepages.com/ProductGroupDisp.aspx?ProductGroupID=4603176

$10 + shipping

You've got to have something extraordinarily strong and the little bend at the end to grab the bead is invaluable. I did use a run-of-the-mill pry bar as a third 'spoon' to keep the bead from slipping back over the rim as I worked my way around.

Then I scrounged up an old car rim, drilled a hole through the workbench, and bolted the motorcycle wheel and car rim to the bench with threaded rod. The brake disk on the bike wheel drops into the car rim, and with an old inner tube for padding around the edge of the car rim, the bike wheel is safe and securely mounted to the workbench, ready for prying.

I had bought some "rim protectors" but ended up not really using them 'cause they were more trouble than they were worth. The tire spoons were rounded and didn't seem prone to damaging the rim at all.

Good luck!

 

[SPARKSS]

I need to change my own rear wheel and forgo balancing due to a major lack of $$$$$.

The book calls for tire irons and such which I do NOT have. Has any one done a real poor mans tire change before? Can you give me some instructions/tips?

I already took the valve core out and deflated the tire. Its still rock hard due to its age and condition.

I dont car if I have to cut it off with a saw. I just need it off and the new one on.

Any tips and info would be REALLY appreciated!

NEVER USE SCREWDRIVERS. Sorry about the birth-to-death that follows!

The "poorest man" method I'd recommend is to use tire irons; 2 minimum but 3 is often better. Because you're asking about this I'll assume you haven't changed many tires......the basics are that you have to FIRST break the bead....which means pushing the bead or inner ring of the sidewall INWARD AND OFF of the rim. USE LIQUID DISHSOAP in a spray bottle to help - DON'T USE OIL ESPECIALLY FOR REINSTALLATION! NEXT is to squeeze the tire beads together in one spot and SIMULTANEOUSLY start to work one bead OUTWARD OVER THE RIM EDGE using the first tire spoon - DO THIS AT A SPOT OPPOSITE TO WHERE YOU'RE SQUEEZING TOGETHER. What this does is allow the tire to sink into the well in the center and move sideways. With the tire over the edge in one spot, work a second tire iron under the same bead perhaps 6" away and flip that over......this is where the 3rd one can be handy.....take a smaller bite (maybe only 1-2" away from the last and flip that over.....as you go you'll notice that it's helpful to keep that tire opposite squeezed and that in short order it'll start to get easier. The next bead is easier but is done from the same side so that you accomplish removal of the tire - You'll see quickly how cheap those nicely curved tire irons are

TIPS: If you have a bench mounted vice....say 4 - 6" width.....clamp a stubborn tire JUST OUTSIDE THE RIM to squeeze it together to assist bead breaking.....move the rim around as required......use that soap to help. Messy but effective. I wouldn't recommend cutting a tire off under all but the most SEVERE circumstances - very hard to work with a bead not hooked to anything not to mention possible damage to the rim!



IF YOU HAVE A TUBE: After removing the first bead, pull it out and fish the tube out - you'll have to remove the nut from the threaded stem to complete this. VERY IMPORTANT.....make sure the rubber liner is intact and clean which covers the spoke ends....bad juju these against tube! Reinstallation (new tire always gets a new tube and never patched unless you're out in the boonies!) - SOAP THE BEAD again. Work the first bead over and then push the tube GENTLY using fingers or a BLUNT SMOOTH object into the tire from the inner diameter of the tube (so that it doesn't go in twisted).....the hard part is sometimes fishing the stem out through the hole in the rim - be patient here - once through put the nut on loosely. USING ONLY THOSE TIRE IRONS, kneel on one side of the second bead pushing it over the rim and start to work the remainder over the rim. Take smaller bites as you get near completion as this will help......NEVER force it so as to break the bead.......NEVER INFLATE OR DRIVE IT if you have.

EXTRA TIP - if you have some talcom powder (baby powder etc)....dust a little around the inside of the tire prior to installing the tube......this will help the tube NOT stick to the tire in a twisted position during initial inflation.

INFLATION.......20 or 25 psig initially MAKING SURE BOTH BEADS slide up (that soap!) to the rim equally all around. If you have a tube deflate now....and bounce the wheel gently on the tire......reinflate to running pressure - this often helps correct minor tube twists inside.

NEVER USE SCREWDRIVERS. Did I mention how cheap those tire irons are?

 

[mortation]

Unfortunately I do not have spoons. Nor as I am sad to say do I have $10 + shipping to order them.

Why cant I use screw drivers?

 

[pvtschultz]

You'll booger up the rim with screw drivers. What has been suggested before is a pair of "Wonder Bars" that have the corners rounded off nicely.

 

[t3rmin]

Why cant I use screw drivers?

Unfortunately I doubt you have a screwdriver which is heavy-duty enough. The kind of force I had to use when I changed my tire the other day was easily enough to annihilate my stoutest screwdriver. Tire spoons are super-tough, but I was even worried I'd bend them. What's more, you've really got to have the little bead-grabber bend at the end or I don't think you'd get anywhere.

I hate to be disheartening, but I just don't think you can do it without the spoons... Maybe you can find a local source that's cheaper? Auto parts stores (Walmart) might have 'em.

 

[twistedwankel]

If it was still holding air and you could afford a new tire???

Geez man why didn't you just go el cheapo and ride slow???

Until you could afford to have the "man" change it for you.

When you screw up the wheel you won't need the tire anymore cause it won't hold air without an inner tube.

The guy said: "$10 plus shipping" WAIT until you can afford that as you/re all ready out a C note for the new tire???

 

[mortation]

If it was still holding air and you could afford a new tire???

Geez man why didn't you just go el cheapo and ride slow???

Until you could afford to have the "man" change it for you.

When you screw up the wheel you won't need the tire anymore cause it won't hold air without an inner tube.

The guy said: "$10 plus shipping" WAIT until you can afford that as you/re all ready out a C note for the new tire???

Tires I bought a while ago, before loosing my job. The tires were WAY to bad to ride on cracks all around on both sides. Wouldn't pass inspection and one good bump and I'd be eating asphalt

I will screw with it tomorrow and see what I can do. I'm pretty clever, we shall see

 

[jimcor]

Be real clever, hang around some local guys and ask to use theirs. Be very clever and get 'em to show you how it's done...then if you have a fence that needs painting...:-D

 

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Not sure where you live but some tire stores will sell you tires and install them free if you bring in just the wheels. I found a place that does this several years ago and I don't have to do it anymore. The tires don't cost any more than other competitive priced shops. Great deal and their tire change equipment won't scratch the wheels.:-D

 

[mortation]

I am using a C clamp to crush the side walls of the tire on the rim together. The tire is ROCK hard and its a REAL bitch. Is that breaking the bead or is the bead some place else deeper in? This method is pulling the tire away from the side wall of the rim. Once it is broken all the way I am going to cut it by drilling a hole then cutting out away from the rim so as to not damage the rim (any more).

 

[t3rmin]

Depending on whether you have rims designed for tubed or tubless usage, you may not really have much of a bead to break. The way I understand it, a true tubeless rim has something of a channel which in which the bead seats, and it can be quite difficult to coax the bead out of this channel, even when deflated.

On my tubed rims, the bead wasn't held in place by anything other than air pressure. Once deflated, I could dislocate the bead with just my hand. There was a tube in there, but I went tubeless, as many have done.

After failing at an attempt to go tubeless with my previous bike (the 650), which was a tire "professionally" changed, I thought I'd have another go at it now that I'm changing my own. This time when the tire was off, I cleaned the bead seating area carefully, as there was lots of rubber residue and general grime. So far so good, it's holding air perfectly.

 

[mortation]

OK here is the status.

I successfully removed my really hard crappy old tire without any specialty tools or any major damage to the rims.

DO NOT TRY IT.

it SUCKED.

What I learned is that the tubeless tires have about 15 steel wires that are in the bead of the tire and THAT is what is holding them on. This was learned after fudging with it for some time. The second side was a little easier since I knew what I was looking for and what to do.

Basically all the monkeying taken out this was the process:

1) Drill lots of holes in the side wall on both sides of the tire in a circle.
2) Use metal sheers and snip from one hole to the next in a circular pattern on both sides till the top of the tire comes off and you can see inside.
2) take a very sharp razor and cut a 1 inch section of the tire off in the channel from the inside.
3) take snips and or a flat head screw driver and start snapping each of the steel wires on at a time.
4) when done use the razor to cut the last of the rubber. The piece of tire will fall off the rim, repeat on other side.

I nicked my rim in a couple of places, small, nothing major due to not knowing the above in time. But the other side just had a couple shallow scratches on the inside of the rim from the screwdriver.


I am now going to powerwash the rim and finish scrubbing it with a wire brush. I will post my saga of the install when I get to that part.

OH! Is the yellow dot on my new tire the "low" spot to be put near the tire valve?

AND special note: When mounting the tires the rotation arrow points TOWARD the word Suzuki on the ROTOR side of the rim.

 

[BassCliff]

OH! Is the yellow dot on my new tire the "low" spot to be put near the tire valve?

Yes.

AND special note: When mounting the tires the rotation arrow points TOWARD the word Suzuki on the ROTOR side of the rim.

The arrow points in the direction of rotation, the way the tire rolls once you're riding again.

You are certainly going about this with gusto and ingenuity. My hat's off to you Mr. mortation. But do try your best to borrow the proper tools when mounting your new tire. You don't want to damage either your tire or wheel. I wish you all the best.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[mortation]

You are certainly going about this with gusto and ingenuity. My hat's off to you Mr. mortation. But do try your best to borrow the proper tools when mounting your new tire. You don't want to damage either your tire or wheel. I wish you all the best.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

Thanks I grabbed a pry bar from my dad for putting the new tire on. Gotta see if I can get weights cheap local for balancing.

 

[t3rmin]

Thanks I grabbed a pry bar from my dad for putting the new tire on. Gotta see if I can get weights cheap local for balancing.

Pssst... don't tell anyone, but I haven't put on any weights at all after my new tire. I ripped the old weights off the rim and put on the new tire and so far it feels smooth... I'd heard tire manufacture has come a long way and you often need little to no weight.

 

[mortation]

Pssst... don't tell anyone, but I haven't put on any weights at all after my new tire. I ripped the old weights off the rim and put on the new tire and so far it feels smooth... I'd heard tire manufacture has come a long way and you often need little to no weight.

I think it has more to do with Rim warp, damage, etc than the tires. And mine are pretty rough. I will check it out any way even though I dont have weights

 

[bwringer]

Pssst... don't tell anyone, but I haven't put on any weights at all after my new tire. I ripped the old weights off the rim and put on the new tire and so far it feels smooth... I'd heard tire manufacture has come a long way and you often need little to no weight.

I installed a set of Avon Storm radials on my VX800 and a set of Avon RoadRiders on my GS850 (both new designs for 2007), and I can verify that new design Avons do not come with balance marks anymore. I balanced the bare rims, and they were still perfectly balanced with the tires mounted. Amazing.

Older tire designs still have balancing marks, but the last set of Pirelli Sport Demons I mounted needed only 1/4 ounce in front and none in the rear.

 

[t3rmin]

I installed a set of Avon Storm radials on my VX800 and a set of Avon RoadRiders on my GS850 (both new designs for 2007), and I can verify that new design Avons do not come with balance marks anymore. I balanced the bare rims, and they were still perfectly balanced with the tires mounted. Amazing.

Older tire designs still have balancing marks, but the last set of Pirelli Sport Demons I mounted needed only 1/4 ounce in front and none in the rear.

What's weird is my el-cheapo Cheng Shins didn't have a balancing mark either. The last set I put on did, but these don't...

 

[Guest]

Bead wire has high tensile strength and is rather brittle. Ordinary wire cutters are damaged by cutting it. The damage you did to your cutters was halfway to the cost of tire irons.

Be very careful where you scratched the rims. The outer surface of the bead seals against the rim. The rubber surface there is very hard, and won't conform well to scratches. This could lead to slow leaks, low air pressure, and dangerously bad handling.