OT: Manual Tire Changer

JNP · Sep 3, 2008

Has anybody ever used a manual tire changer before? I am considering buying one but I would like to know how well they work. Right now I use a big slide hammer type tool to break beads but it is very tiring and has mixed results. It seems to me that it would be tough to get enough leverage to break a tire bead.

Anonymous-0 · Sep 3, 2008

Was also skeptical until I borrowed my neighbor's $50 Northern Hydraulics el cheapo. Worked great so I have since bought one. Been able to fairly easily dismount 10 ply truck tires, although a little tougher to mount them.

GA Dave · Sep 3, 2008

Are you refering to tractor tires? Lay them down on a hard surface and use another tractor (or other vehicle) to break the bead. You may have to turn one that's stubborn. David...........

2x4 · Sep 4, 2008

I have used mine for 37 years. Very rare to have any trouble & faster than air machines on car & pickup tires. If you get all the tools that go with it & someone shows you a few tricks of the trade, you'll wonder why you didn't have it 10 yrs ago.

ohfred · Sep 4, 2008

Bought one of the Harbor Freight el-cheapos and turned it loose to any of the friends that needed to use it. Found out that if you don't tighten the top down real tight, it will slip and break the guide pin off and you will have to remove the little bracket underneath to weld it back together. Also accumulated a bunch of old tires....you have been warned. They do a pretty good job after you find how to use it. Keep a tincan over the threaded top if you store it outside. ohfred

jose bagge · Sep 4, 2008

They work pretty good...in fact, I have often used the manual top bead breaker on a center post air tire machine to break beads on deep dish or reverse mounts. The name of the game is leverage and lube when you are using manual stuff

Nolan (foxtrapper) · Sep 4, 2008

Not hard to get enough leverage, problem is the size of the footprint reducing the force per square inch. The harborfreight unit works well on breaking beads because the foot is small. Those bead breakers with a big foot are lousy because you have very little force per square inch.

I got a harbor freight tire changer some years ago, and use it. It works well. The bubble balancer works pretty well also. But then I'm stuck with old tires.

I'm ashamed to admit it, but the last time I sent the wheels over to walmart and let them change the tires, balance it all, and throw the old tires away themselves.

Mike M · Sep 4, 2008

Can't hardly use them on any "newer" made things.
I thought I'd do one on my 1996 Dodge steel wheels. It was VERY HARD to do as they have a bead lock on the inside of the rim . I think the alum. rims have these too. It is a bump on the inside all the way around right below where the tire bead sits. VERY hard to break bead down over this !

Tractor front tires and wagon tires should work fine on them.

OT: Manual Tire Changer

JNP

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Anonymous-0

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GA Dave

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2x4

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ohfred

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jose bagge

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Nolan (foxtrapper)

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Mike M

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