How to: Change Your Own Tires

Guides and how-to's for the brakes, wheels, bearings and tires
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This How-to describes the process of replacing your tires, manually, using levers.

Process/Technique:
Tires are relatively easy to change and if you do any sort of off-road riding, you WILL eventually need to change them yourself. I could explain the technique but it's one of those things you really need to see done. Here are some good videos. Give them a watch and see if you think you're up for it. It's really quite easy but very labor intensive.


How to remove the old tire:

[youtube]0Pfp2Z9k0n0[/youtube]

[youtube]jQZM402U2x4[/youtube]


How to install the new tire:

[youtube]AerHAYs435s[/youtube]


How to balance the wheel:

[youtube]T2AuivYzaBs[/youtube]


Tools:
Here's what I use:

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From left to right:

24" tire paddle (three levers shown above): I bought these from Harbor Freight for $5 a piece. You will need at least 3. They are used to pry the old tire off and pry the new tire on.

Sticky tire weights (black things in the plastic bag): I bought these from Motorcycle Superstore for about $5 for the bag. They are used to balance the wheel.

Green clamp: I use this spring clamp to hold one side of the tire bead when prying on the new tire.

Wooden clamp: I use this to squeeze the tire and break the bead. This is done to get the old tire off.

Rim Savers: These are the black plastic things with the wire. They slip over the rim and protect it from being damaged by the tools. I made them from 3/4" ABS sprinkler pipe. You can also buy them for about $10.

Balancer: I bought this from harbor freight for $50 (it's on sale right now for $40). You mount the assembled wheel in it and the heaviest part rolls to the bottom of the wheel. You then add the sticky weights to the top until the wheel is statically balanced.


Seating the Bead
swartz77 wrote:I have a small air compressor. Enough to fill a tire, but I'm not sure if it'll seat the bead. Any thoughts/opinions? If I were home, I could post a pic w/ specs.

I might give this a try too:

http://www.customfighters.com/forums/sh ... re+zip+tie
It doesn't take a lot of pressure but it does require flow. I usually turn the compressor up to 40 psig and seat the bead with plenty of soapy. Typically it pops right on. I did have some trouble beading the 150/60 I recently put on the FZR wheels, though. You could always take the tire to a gas station and use their compressor.

I dig that link. it might work well on my BMW which has tubes. Thanks for posting it!
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