HF Portable Tire Changer

[Safety Guy]

I'm thinking about getting one of these:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=34542

Anyone ever buy one? How do they work? Okay, or too cheap and hard to use? Would this be okay for alloy wheels?

The bottom of the stand looks like it would accept 2 X 4s for steadiness.

I'd like the ability to take off and put on tires without damaging anything. I can then buy rims with tires at the 'yard and return the tire for a refund. I can also save money by installing and taking off my own tires. That way I'd only pay for balancing when ready to use them on a car.

As for the valve stems, is there a good place to buy them in batches of maybe 20 at a time, and a tool to install them as well?

My impending work will involve taking off old tires from my 13 X 5.5" VW alloys and installing newer 175/70s on them.

Oh yeah, 20 percent off coupon! Final cost: $40.00.

Thanks,

Karl

[big_ty2003]

don't forget to balance them! That's the hardest part.

[Tommychu]

I always just bring my bead ax and tire bars out to the junkyard and dismount them on the spot, but it took 4 years of practice to bust car tires on aluminum wheels that way and not wreck anything. That contraption doesn't look like it would be much fun to use (much akin to a monkey and a coconut if you know what I mean), if I was you I would just get a small manual bead breaker (such as a ken-tool T41 and a 40 oz hammer, or the t100 for less work) and use a couple of pry bars or small tire bars.

When I was in the shop doing car tires before I went to the heavy truck stuff I only ever used side cutters to do stems. there are pullers but they're slow and clumsy, and there's a chance of scratching the wheel.

To get a good balance you're pretty much stuck going to a tire shop. You can do a static bubble balance but a bubble balancer is still expensive and doesn't take care of any lateral balance.

[1988redfordfestiva]

bubble balancer i have one lol but i will look in to the tire machine i might just get one lol

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=39741

[Safety Guy]

Ha! Bubble balancer! I think I'll pass on that one. I'll pay to have my tires properly balanced.

I'm still thinking about the tire changer though. I've never used a "real" tire machine so I'm not spoiled for something "nice" or "professional." I just want something to make it a bit easier to do.

Karl

[batstiva]

Ha! Bubble balancer! I think I'll pass on that one. I'll pay to have my tires properly balanced.

I'm still thinking about the tire changer though. I've never used a "real" tire machine so I'm not spoiled for something "nice" or "professional." I just want something to make it a bit easier to do.

Karl

Curious what your issue might be with the 'bubble balancer'? We 'borrowed' one from a shop up the road from us growing up all the time. Never had any issues from tires we balanced on it. Just curious why you mock them?

Tho, you guys are making me want to hunt down the nearest HF and go in there with a wad of green.

[Safety Guy]

Hey! I mock what I don't understand!

I thought static balancers were inferior to the spinning kind.

Or were you using that bubble balancer for your Conestoga wagon wheels? :p

Karl

[freshtiva]

I changed four riding mower tires today with three large screwdrivers and my whole vocabulary of cruse words.

[Tommychu]

Fresh: That's understandable. Mower tires still give me the gears sometimes after five years of doing this.

The only balancer I will mock is an on-car balancer.
Spin-up balancers can do both static balancing and dynamic.
Static balancing has it's place. Bubble balancers aren't the best way to achieve a static balance, but they don't require any power.

I personally prefer my bars to any tire machine, even our $50,000 custom tire machine. I can still see that HF thing being a pain. Only advantage is you don't really need any technique.

If you lived anywhere near me that wouldn't be a problem since I love teaching my style of tire busting...

[Safety Guy]

Tommychu said:

"If you lived anywhere near me that wouldn't be a problem since I love teaching my style of tire busting..."

How about a "how to" pictorial?

We're a cheap bunch, ya know!

Karl

[1988redfordfestiva]

theres one in ct i drive to theres none in vermont thats why i have to travel but its worth it for the price of the tools plus i use most of the power tool on my jobs up here good way of stayin business for cheap the only reason why i travel far is because i have family in ct and new york so i have to travel alot my dads 61 and doesn't like the highways so i volunteer to drive so he doesn't get frustrated when we have to see relatives once a year or when ever the occasion

[Dave G]

Tommychu said:
We're a cheap bunch, ya know!
Karl

I got you all beat on cheap - I just fabricated a muffler this evening. We'll put it on tomorrow and report back

You know you want that tire changer Karl - just go ahead and get it!

[Safety Guy]

Dave, you need to get over here and admire AquaMutt in all her not-quite-turquoise glory!

All four of my babies are inhabiting my back yard. I think the neighbors are jealous. They're probably violating some loitering laws or something.

Bring your home made muffler, too. Yep, you need a horn that goes "cheep cheeeeeep!"

Karl

[Pu241]

Dave G,

I still recall your oil blow-by collection unit.
Nice work!
Want pics of the muffler!

[Safety Guy]

John requested:

"Want pics of the muffler!"

Just picture the Tin Man being dragged underneath his car. I bet the scraping noises and sparks will attract cops!

Now back to my sledgehammer tuning project...

Karl