How do you change your tires?

[NookieMonster]

Do you change your own tires or take the bike to a shop to have done?


I do my own, no need to pay someone to do something so easy. Just seeing who all overpays

 

[JOEL9]

how do you do it? what kind of tools do you use? you should post pics. of this some time. i'm interested.[up]

 

[TooFst]

My dad can do it with two screwdrivers in about 20min. I say f that. Spend the 18$ and then ya know it's balanced corectly. If it's on the bike they usually charge 60-80$. Take em off your self, both are really east. Just make sure an torque down the axels to the right specs.

 

[faseljd]

Watched a You-Tube video and saw how easy it was so now I do my own. Bought 3- 12" tire spoons and 4 nylon rim protectors and run Dyna-Beads to balance.

 

[Trill]

I'm saving up for a Nomar Tire changer!

 

[firebolt020283]

that tirechanger is really nice.

 

[TooFst]

Watched a You-Tube video and saw how easy it was so now I do my own. Bought 3- 12" tire spoons and 4 nylon rim protectors and run Dyna-Beads to balance. How do those things work?

 

[Fock347]

i change mine my self also, i just use a shovel to pop the bead, and 12" tire spoons

 

[upthemaiden]

I'm trying to change my own for the first time currently. That thing is quite a hassle to get off the rim though. I have no idea how old this tire is, but it's quite stiff compared to the new one, and I think I might buy some better tire irons and some rim protectors before I try again. All I could picture was one of mine snapping and me taking a trip to the hospital.

What all did you guys use to break the bead? I thought "I'll just squeeze the tire with a c-clamp" but it really didn't work like I thought, so I'm either gonna try to make something out of some 2x4s or go but he $20 bead breaking from Harbor Freight. I squeezed it off the bead at several points, but it looked nothing like the guys who did it on youtube, so I don't know if it's actually off, or if the tire I'm trying is just 15 years old and it's so stiff that it's gotten harder than it used to be.

 

[samiam901]

I found a local guy who charges $25. All I do is drop off new tire ride bike to his shop and about 15 min later fresh rubber. Question for all the DIY guys, How do you balance the new tire?

 

[twobuells]

A vice will break the bead but to do the back tire you need one that opens wide enough.

 

[konarider94]

those dyna beads seem interesting. they work that good?

i have a ton of weight on my rims, im thinking someone aligned the dots instead of putting them 180 degrees apart on mine. id like to pop the tires off and take a look see.

 

[upthemaiden]

I don't know why I didn't think of that. I have a pretty big vice that even rotates vertically so I wouldn't even have to try to hold the wheel in it with 1 hand while I tried to tighten it with the other. I'm gonna run to Napa this weekend for some tire lubricant and a longer tire iron and I'll give it another shot.

Question for all the DIY guys, How do you balance the new tire?

you'll either have to pick up a stand ($60 at harbor frieght) or make your own from stuff you can grab at home depot for probably $10-15. Pretty much you're just spinning the wheel with as little friction as you can. Do it a couple times and you should see the same spot stopping at the bottom every time, which is the heavy spot. Then you just stick on a weight on the rim on the opposite side to even it out. Keep spinning it until it's not landing in the same spot each time you spin it. If you look it up in google you'll see tons of home made setups and pictures to show you how to make something.

 

[samiam901]

Thanks for the info upthemaiden.[up] +1rep for you

 

[NookieMonster]

That is the same tire changer my dad wants to buy too trill.

The rear tire is a breeze but the front can be tricky sometimes. We have come up with a good way to break the beads and getting the tire off is easy, this part doesn't take long at all. Getting the new tire on can sometime be a pain but with enough lube it's easy.

All we use is simple little tire irons and rim savers.

 

[crxtasy169]

I'm a bike tech here in Florida, just take it to the shop near you I've seen the worst of the worst when people try to change their own tires.

 

[konarider94]

for those of us that know which end of a screwdriver to not stick in our eye we should be able to handle a tire change. and if the dyna beads work like they say balancing is also not an issue

 

[Fock347]

ill make a tutorial one of these days, but ill try to explain it as best as i can.minimal tools needed- spade shovel- 1, 12inch tire spooon- 2or 3 flat head screw drivers, electrical tape, dawn soap and a sponge.

1. take the rim off the bike
2. either take the valve core out or slash the tire
3. take your dawn soap,water and sponge and wet the whole bead
4. take the spade shovel place the tip in the bead and jump on the shovel(do this on bolth sides if the rim)
5. take your tire spoons and screwdrivers and wrap the ends
6. press the tire in the center of the rim (you have to keep the tire in the center so kneel on the edge of the tire) and pry with the tire spoon and screw drivers and work your way around
7. now that you have one side off use the tire spoon again and go from the inside of the rim(i.e inside the tire) and pry on the outside edge of the rim(remember to use that soap and water) and it should just slip right off with some force.


now that you have the tire off now its time to put the new one on you can get rid of the shovel now
1. wet the outside and inside of the rim and tire with the soapy water

2. depending on what kind of tire you buy there should be some sot of yellow/orange dot on either side of it, that where you like it up with the valve stem and of course make you have it in the right direction

3. now that you have that figured out you should be able to slip the tire on over the out side of the rim , so now you have one side of the tire in the rim and one side of it out

4. on the part of the tire that is out side , start pressing it in as much as you can without any tools(using your knees depressing the tire in the center of the rim) now when you cant go any further. start using the tool

5. use the tire spoon to pry the tire in and use the screw driver to hold the tire on( start from the ouside and work your way in)remeber to use those knees too it will make it alot easier.

hope this helps some what.

 

[twobuells]

Glass plus or any glass cleaner used to be the poor racers tire lube. Also it helps if you install tire starting away form valve steam saveing stem area for last because it consumes some room

 

[TooFst]

Watched a You-Tube video and saw how easy it was so now I do my own. Bought 3- 12" tire spoons and 4 nylon rim protectors and run Dyna-Beads to balance.  How do those things work?^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I DIDNT POST THIS!!!!!!! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^. How dose that happen