Buying tire irons

[TominMO]

For those of you who use 'em, who makes the best ones? What lengths are optimal? Where is a good place to buy them? This is for automotive-size wheels. Also, what styles (curves) of tire iron should I get?

[TominMO]

Answered my own question. Gonna buy this one http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...1774_200331774

and this pair http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...ct_14318_14318

based on the reviews I read on that site, I think this is the best way to go. And one of these stores is like 15 miles away!

[Prafeston]

For removing and installing your own tires?

[Bert]

Offshore ratchets and tools are so cheap now that tire irons really have no use except to intimidate people. I tossed my OEM 'lifesaver' package and have a set of sockets, multiscrewdriver, pliars and a ratchet under the spare tire. I do admit to having enjoyed the old 4-spoked tire irons of yore though. An OEM Festy unit is such soft steel that a stuck lug nut on an alloy wheel caused mine to bend over when I jumped on it.

[TominMO]

For removing and installing your own tires?

Yup. I've got a couple of 15" space-saver rims I want to put skinny regular tires on. I want to mount the tires myself and just take 'em in for airing up and balancing. Someone advised that I might get less hassle that way for using space-saver rims. Plus the bux I'll save on the mounting cost will at least pay for part of the irons.

[sc72]

Back in the day, well many days ago we would call those tire spoons

[TominMO]

A-yup.

[zoom zoom]

haha, totally worth 3$ a tire not to have to do all that! Good luck though, as long as your having fun it doesn't matter!!

Karl has a HF tire remover, he says it does a pretty decent job with 12's and 13's, I haven't tried it myself but it sounds like fun.

[TominMO]

haha, totally worth 3$ a tire not to have to do all that! Good luck though, as long as your having fun it doesn't matter!!

Karl has a HF tire remover, he says it does a pretty decent job with 12's and 13's, I haven't tried it myself but it sounds like fun.

You mean this: http://www.harborfreight.com/portabl...ger-69686.html

Looks interesting too.

[mikeyjd]

You mean this: http://www.harborfreight.com/portabl...ger-69686.html

Looks interesting too.

that looks mighty handy ^

[Banana Bonanza]

I use couple old short leafs from discarded car leaf springs. Ground so ends are rounded and smooth. To break bead, a handyman jack works nice. For smaller tires can usually just jack against vehicle bumper with bottom plate of jack against bead, may take couple tries at different spots on bead. I have an old metal frame that along with handyman jack have serviced upto 38 inch tires off a farm tractor. Where there is a will there is a way. I grew up on old type farm where you did all tires and mechanical repairs yourself. So was amazed people were so afraid to do own car and truck tires. Course practice makes perfect. I can manually change out a tire lot faster than driving to tire store and cooling my heels, waiting for some high school kid paid minimum wage to use the fancy machine.

To lube the bead, I have used different things. ATF wont hurt rubber and works fair. But really I like the thick wheel bearing grease. Probably little harder on the rubber, but I have never noticed any damage. Lube both the bead seats on the rim and the beads on the tire. Just thin coat grease is fine. Detergent and other such suggestions tend to attract water and rust the rim.

[sketchman]

You mean this: http://www.harborfreight.com/portabl...ger-69686.html

Looks interesting too.

I personally hate that thing. I was doing 165/60/14s, so I may have tried a bit harder size than I should have starting out, but I could not for the life of me make it work.

I then scrounged around and found a pry bar that worked just fine. I have since ordered some "real" bars but haven't tried them yet. Just my opinion, but I like the bars/spoons over the tire changer.

[Safety Guy]

I love my HF tire changer! It paid for itself within a month or so, mainly in allowing me to take off older 12" and 13" tires I didn't want, and to install other used tires on those rims. If you go online to youtube you can get a number of folks' ideas on how best to use the HF changer. It takes a bit of practice.

However, I do have trouble with 14" wheel sizes and in installing new tires. My guess is that used tires are stretched a bit from age and wear, while new ones are "tighter" somehow.

Tom, if you think you'll be doing more than ten or twelve old tire removals (mainly 12s, 13s and some 14s), the HF changer is well worth it. If you have mainly larger tires, and want to install new ones, it may not work so well. I did take some 14s off some RX7 rims easily enough, but I couldn't budge those 205/55-14 Victoracers off the Miata wheels. I don't think I've tried removing the stock Miata tires off the Daisies yet. That may work okay.

I don't regret buying mine at all! I just wish the HF "bubble balancer" had worked for me. It didn't. I couldn't seem to get any consistency out of it.

Karl

[TominMO]

Great input guys, thanx!

[Pu241]

haha, totally worth 3$ a tire not to have to do all that! Good luck though, as long as your having fun it doesn't matter!!

Karl has a HF tire remover, he says it does a pretty decent job with 12's and 13's, I haven't tried it myself but it sounds like fun.

You mean this: http://www.harborfreight.com/portabl...ger-69686.html

Looks interesting too.

I have used Karl's HF unit, works pretty well, best if it is firmly mounted to an immovable object.
saved some $ de-tiring a bunch of bald tires from various alloys and steelies.
And could do it on my schedule and not have to haul 10-12 tires to someone else.