DIY tyre change equipment

[jchesshyre]

I have decided to bite the bullet and start changing my own tyres. I do all other work on my bikes myself and with the miles I do I'm sick of paying £25 a wheel each time I need a new tyre.

https://abbastands.co.uk/product-detail ... e&pid=38

This seems pretty good value considering what's in it and knowing that their stuff is good quality, and it'd pay for itself after about six tyres, but can anyone recommend some equipment that's any cheaper but still well made and built to last?

[sirch345]

That's only the breaker and wheel balancer in that kit. You need the tyre changer as well, otherwise it's going to be tough work with just tyre levers

Chris.

[haynesjones66]

i'd rather pay the money. i hate changing tyres. i used to change tractor tyres by hand (and bars obviously). absolutely knackering!

[sirch345]

i'd rather pay the money. i hate changing tyres. i used to change tractor tyres by hand (and bars obviously). absolutely knackering!

I can imagine changing tractors would be a lot of sweat

Changing tyres on a motorcycle was easier before tubeless tyres came on the scene as tubed tyres have more flex in the side walls.
Not that I would want to go back to tubed tyres after suffering a blow-out in the rear tyre two-up on a Triumph 650 pre-unit Thunderbird many, many moons ago.

This is what you want for DIY tyre changing:-



Chris.

[jchesshyre]

Thanks for the advice. Excuse my ignorance but what does the tyre changer do and what makes it hard work with just the bead breaker and tyre levers?

[KermitLeFrog]

Thanks for the advice. Excuse my ignorance but what does the tyre changer do and what makes it hard work with just the bead breaker and tyre levers?

It can be very hard work removing and refitting tubeless tyres with just tyre levers.

[E.Marquez]

I change a LOT of tires .. 90 training bikes, 6 personal bikes, customer bikes in and out of the shop a lot...

Most of those are done with a manual bead beaker and tire stand, 3 levers and a tool called the "Yellow Thing" that holds the bead in place as you lever the new tire on.
If you get a manual breaker or stand, make sure the center hold down fits your wheel axle diameter for the common wheels(tires) you will be changing.

So wheel stand, rim guards (4), 3 levers( at least 2 long ones) a Yellow Thing

and spray bottle of tire lube, Dont skimp on the lube Not dish soap and water, not the stuff you and the misses use, but tire lube....Its not that much in cost and it works better over home spun make do.

Dynamic Balancing done on a Snap On motorcycle wheel balance I all but stole from a shop that had to upgrade in order to balance the ultra fat rear wheels that come on HD and some metric cruisers. Its an outdated one in today's market, but will handle any wheel I will let in my shop, so works for me.. There are likely deals like this all over as the fat wheel marketing craze continues at least here in the US.

If your not going to dynamically balance them after mounting, and we are talking street bikes, Id say skip the whole thing..Some will say static balancing works good enough, and I suppose, if good enough is ok with you, that's true. Personal I want it done right, the best way possible.

The only tires I wont change right now is on bikes with clean, nice and expensive wheels. The risk to the wheel finish is just too great.
There is one Manual changer I would use on a nice wheel, A company called No Mar https://www.nomartirechanger.com (they sell the "Yellow Thing" )

They have several models of changers and they all work as advertised, and can change a tire on expensive, clean wheels with almost no risk to fit or finish.
The only down side...SPACE you need a large area 360deg around the changer to work the long lever.. I just don't have the space.
So for me it has to be a powered tire changer for nice wheels I cant risk damage to...and i have not found the deal I need yet...Someplace out there is a As new Coats RC200 tire changer

CoatsRC200-2T[1].jpg (5.1 KiB) Viewed 3772 times

gathering dust and a Ex spouse, ex business partner, disgruntled girlfriend, is wanting to get out of the basement or garage

[Gnarly]

The Abba stands bead breaker is good quality but the bead is broken by winding the handle down and back up, the lever type breakers are a bit quicker to use.
The other thing that makes it easier is to heat up the tyres first, I stick tyre warmers on mine before changing them, but leaving them in hot sunshine or a even warm room makes the tyre much more pliable.