Tools for tyre changing?

[defblade]

So, a nice gash through my rear tyre tonight has rendered it junk (why does it always happen in the rain?? (Oh yes, I live in Wales..)) and once again I'm working more hours than the tyre places are open for about the next week or so.

Thinking again of getting the kit to do it myself - easy enough to buy the tyre locally or internet, it's just the fitting.

The adaptors for to turn a paddock stand into a balancer look cheap enough and OK for that job, so my list goes:

balancer adaptor
weights
2 (or 3?) big tyre irons (I'm guessing my plastic pushbike ones won't cut the mustard!)
garden spade (= bead breaker, already got)
old hose pipe for rim protectors

Will I need a new valve (and is there any sort of special tool for that?) and will I need that gloop they put on the bead when fitting?

Last off, any idea if my 12v air compressor will stand a chance of seating it, or will the local petrol station's compressor be likely to be up to the job?



And anything else I'm not taking into account?

Thanks in advance folks
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Honda Varadero 125cc => Suzuki Bandit 650 33bhp => 77bhp =>
BMW K1200R Sport 163bhp => Aprilia Shiver GT 750 95bhp

[stinkwheel]

The gloop they use is ordinary soap like you'd wash your hands with.

A little 12V compressor may well struggle to put air in fast enough or to a high enough pressure to seat the beads on a tubeless tyre.

You'll need one of those little tools to take the valve core out prior to inflating it to seat it on the bead.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[jjdugen]

Dont forget lots of bandages and sticking plasters. You are OK now, the doctors are back off strike.
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[defblade]

[defblade]

[bodger]

Bad luck about the tyre
You guessed right about inflating the new tyre. I have tried in the past to reset the bead and inflate tyres I have fitted with those little electric inflater,s and failed. The local garage airline does it double quick and puts the necessary pressure in to get the bead to seat properly. You may be lucky if you give it a go but my guess is not.
all the best

[defblade]

[P.addy]

I do mine with a hammer, 3 tyre levers (plastic ones...wont work, trust me ) and a wide headed chisel.

If I am feeling lazy, I'll break the bead with the car rolling it over the tyre...

[yen_powell]

If you have a low powered compressor you can use a lorry tie down strap around the outside of the tyre to hold the bead against the rim whilst inflating. This gives you at least a fighting chance of seating the bead and getting the big bang.
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XT1200Z and a DR350 in bits

[bikenut]

:karma: hi dude,

i liked the spade idea to break the bead, im in the north ( gog )

soap to aid removal ( and refitting ),

car wheel and tyre ( unless you have a very firm stand and wheel spinlde sized shaft on which to hold and steady the wheel at waist hieght etc..... ) which allows bike wheel ( and discs etc ) to sit in the wheel well, for easy tyre removal.

bead reseating can be achieved by forcing by hand and foot one bead in place, then gently coaxing the other bead into position whilst giving air...........but dont force off the forced on bead.........dificult i know but it can be done.

120psi gush of air helps..........

dont over pressurise the tyre to seat bead, leave in the sun ( would you believe its pissin it down here today )

watch your fingers dude, and remember if your fighting it, your doing it wrong.

[defblade]

[DrDonnyBrago]

I use a length of 4x4 timber as a lever, a slice of 2x4 cut as a wedge as a bead breaker and a car sill as a weight to the end of the timber down whilst pressing on it. I used shampoo as lube, put a bit on before you break the bead and whilst levering on the new tyre. Also use a few bits of 2x4 made into a triangle to keep the wheel from touching the concrete.

Tyre levers, 3 cheap 12 inch silverline levers, cost about £1.50 each. Trick seems to be to lever on a few inches at a time, shouldn't need a lot of force. When fitting, the first bead will go on the wheel without levers and when removing, the first bead should come off the wheel without levers, just need to lube and lever the second bead in each instance.

Once the tyre is on, seating the bead is easy to do with a foot pump unless you are particularly unfit. Get the tyre most of the way on, bounce it a bit to make it set it's position correctly and get pumping, you only seem to lose the first few pumps of air, after that it seals itself and builds pressure. My beads then popped on at about 40psi.

I made my own wheel balancers out of axle stands, scrap bits of steel, small eBay bearings and some bolts. Basically make a bearing holder to bolt to the top of axle stands then use the bike axle as the balancer axle - a DIY version of static motorcycle wheel balancers you can find on gayBay. I was sceptical, but it worked really quite well.

[Fizzer Thou]

Just before you lever the final bead onto the rim do not forget to align the spots on the sidewall of the tyre adjacent to the valve.The spots are put on by the manufacturer to show the lightest part of the tyre.
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[DrDonnyBrago]

[defblade]

[defblade]

Ok, I'm going with useless tossers as it all went well, wheel's back on and I've been out for a run, no probs

Hardest part was getting the new valve in! My tyre compressor popped the bead on without any struggling.

Thansk again for all the help guys

Going back out now to do the front discs and pads on my wife's Aygo, so it's all spanners this weekend
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Honda Varadero 125cc => Suzuki Bandit 650 33bhp => 77bhp =>
BMW K1200R Sport 163bhp => Aprilia Shiver GT 750 95bhp