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To all you who mount your own tires

5K views 29 replies 19 participants last post by  broggyr 
#1 ·
What do you use to do this? I am looking at a tool from Cycle Hill. I have a 21 gallon compressor that will got to 150 PSI. Anything else I should consider?
 
#2 · (Edited)
I use a debit card or a credit card and ride my bike or bring the wheel into a local dealer to have them change the tires. IMHO, the cost, typically well under $50 a wheel, for them to do it far out weighs the expense of the equipment and the hassle of changing tires myself in my garage. Any good shop will have a tire changing machine that costs several $1,000's of dollars, doesn't damage the wheels and they get the entire job done in under 30 minutes. That, for me, is by far the best option.

YMMV,

Mark
 
#7 ·
I know this is about changing your own tires, but I gotta agree. My dealer charges $45 - on the bike - if you buy your tires from them, and their tire prices are about $5 more than the internet price. I schedule changes for around lunchtime, drop the bike off and walk a couple of blocks to a great Mexican restaurant for some enchiladas, walk back to the dealer and it's done.

I've changed plenty of tires, laced wheels, etc. on my antiques, but the XC? Yeah, for fifty bucks I'll let them do it.
 
#3 ·
I pay 5 U$D for a shop to do it..... But I help them and bring my own

1 stainless beads
2 rim protection
3 ventil tool

Andre using TaPaTaLk
 
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#4 · (Edited)
My 2 cents.

I have a similar setup , mix of harbor freight and no-mar though. It is not as nice but has gotten the job done in the past for quite a few tires. But there are those moments when you need more stuff and since the bike shop used to be 100 moles away this is similar to what I ended up keeping on hand, roughly.

2 pair of these:
https://www.amazon.com/Motion-Pro-0...qid=1491462873&sr=8-4&keywords=rim+protectors

and this
https://www.amazon.com/Motion-Pro-0...1463123&sr=8-1&keywords=motion+pro+tire+irons
Be really careful withe 16 inch iron it will tear a bead or gouge a rim in a heart beat if your not thinking. It's very good for those difficult moments though. Just make sure your brain is completely engaged before operating with it.
It's very easy to get ahead of yourself and damage a good rim or ruin a tire.

Then you need to balance it:

Harbor freight wheel balancer 98488 look around for a 20% off coupon in gun mags, mechanics illustrated etc. 25% off Sunday blow out coupons on occasions through the store. That sort of stuff.

You'll need Balance weights. If you use the harbor freight ones you'll need to use aluminum tape over them to keep them on if you live in an area with really rough roads like we do. There are other sources of better quality weights.

If I want them perfect I add beads after I balance the wheel. Not really necessary but sometimes I get anal about things.
.

If you use beads also, then you will need a vibro engraving pencil to help get them in. Anything that vibrates would do.

Sears.com

Don't have too much fun.
 
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#5 · (Edited)
Do a similar thing as @Chattanooga Mark
1. order the Avon Cobras I need.
2. dismount mount the rims/old tires.
3. bring the rims/tires to a local shop, I pay $55 front, $60 rear for the mount, dyna-beads and old tire disposal fee.
4. remount the rim/new shoes and ride on :)
While have the rims and tires off I use the opportunity to clean the brake calipers and all the nooks/hard to reach places. Also very important but often overlooked on Vic Cross bikes with the rear rim/tire off I pull the rear shock pivot pin and lube it good as well as inspect and clean that whole assembly.
 
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#6 ·
I do it the same way as @PaiN, except I pay $40 for each end ;)
 
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#9 ·
Yeah, you gotta have a good dealer. When I say "my dealer", I'm not talking about the one closest to me; I make a 100 mile round trip to the one I like. They seem to have good wrenches, they're quick and courteous. 'Course tire changes are the only thing I've had them do. Serious stuff goes to the Vic Shop.
 
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#11 ·
I understand the desire to DIY, but in this particular instance, I have to agree with those saying it is worth it to pay someone else to do it. I have done it myself before, and decided right there and then "Hell no, not again". hahahahahahha. I get a lot of satisfaction from working on my bike myself, but there are limits for me, and tires are in that area.
 
#12 ·
I definitely understand the recommendations to just bring the wheel to the dealer and be done with it with the CC. It's just a PITA to take the wheels off, toss em in the back of the truck, go to the dealer to get the tires that i needed to buy there or else they won't install them installed for 50 bucks each. Drop the wheels off, go home for a day or 2, then go back to the dealer to get the wheels, drive home, put em of the scoot, occasionally discovering that the direction of rotation was wrong on one of them, so needing to repeat the process. This is why I do like DIY when ever I can. Anyway, still thinking about it, no coin dropped yet. Tires got plenty of life, so no hasty decision needs to be made. :ride:
 
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#14 ·
yeah the shop here charges about $100 over internet prices per tire, $299 for the back, and $199 for the front.......also they will not mount a size that is different than what came on the bike (no 260 on the jackpot, and no 160 on the front of an XC)
 
#27 ·
There are a couple of shops here that wont install tires unless you buy the tires from them. One guy told me the insurance company wont let him because of liability.
 
#17 ·
A bit late to this party, but I'm gonna throw in anyway...

I've been slinging tires for 15 years, but primarily with the aid of a Coats 5060 or 7060AX pneumatic rim clamp machine. Now, I can do it the hard way, sure, and have. The duckhead arm won't swing in far enough to work on 10" wheels for ATVs, et cetera. So you just clamp her down and get after it with the spoons.

I used to just pull the wheels and drop them off at a dealer for the bike since the balancer I use at work doesn't have the right attachments for a bike wheel. However, since it's now a half hour labor to get a tire mounted and balanced anywhere in town, I'm starting to feel a tire change table and a set of spoons might be a good investment.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 
#18 ·
I have a Cycle Hill changer that I have been using for about 8 years. I just used it this week to install new tires on my FZ1. Get a yellow thing, the padded pry bars (usually don't need, but nice to have when you do), some spare bar tips, padded bead breaker, misc. blocks of wood to space the wheel when breaking beads, I like to use some bicycle inner tube between the spools and the rim to provide better grip. There is a technique to using this, so if you are having to fight it, something is wrong. Use plenty of lube.

I have the hitch mount on mine.

Are you planning on getting the balancer?
 
#19 ·
Take the wheel off and take it somewhere unless you are going to change at least 10 sets of tires a year. Most shops charge 25-30 bucks a wheel off the bike(that's what I charge, it's a sliding scale on the bike depending on how much a PITA they are to get off the bike). It'll take 10 sets before you're money ahead. Changing the tires especially the rear which is a 180/60/16 requires some technique. I can do both tires on a Cross Country in 10-15 min off the bike, that's just old tire off, new tire on and does not include the 10-15 min for balancing. I have the full NoMar setup and have done hundreds of tires with it.

I get the DIY thing but it's so easy to tear up a rim why bother. To be honest the only thing keeping me from selling all my gear is the fact I'm back into Flat Track Racing and I need to do tires.
 
#20 ·
Here is what I use....
 

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#21 ·
I just dropped my front wheel off at the local dealer for tire mounting. Hope to pick it up tomorrow or so.

By the way, if you need an idea about what to do with an old PC, how's this?



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
#23 ·
one more thing.

Some may think this is going to far. BUT before I remove the front wheel I usually tape a block of wood or something similar between the right handle bar grip and the brake lever. This prevents the brakes from accidentally being applied. For example that old friend drinking a beer watching you change your tire f--- around while he tilts his beer and squeezes the brake lever, ooooooops. Or the bike is left overnight with the front wheel off and the kids/grand kids get in the garage for a bit, again ooooops, did not mean to bump into the lever. Or the final one you have your refreshment, decide to pick up some tools, etc, and you back into the lever. NOTE this is easier done on a XR or a bike without a full fairing.
:eek
 
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#28 ·
That sounds like bullshit to me. The guy I bought my tire from will mount "internet tires" for $40, whereas they charge $21 for tires bought through them. Overall it cost me about $30 more, even with the discounted mounting cost, but I figured it was worth it to support a local business.
 
#29 ·
I agree. worse yet they wouldn't even match the internet price. Hell even the loacl dealer would matc the internet price but they want $115 to install a rear tire.
 
#30 ·
I assume that was bringing the whole bike to them. If I left the wheel on the bike, it would have been $80. Which is odd, seeing as it took me just about 15 minutes to remove the wheel myself. Including the time it took to jack it up :D
 
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