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I have several tire wiz hand tire changing tools. PM me if you want to buy a set. I will get a price for you.
Richie
I just heat them up in the oven and wrestle them off and on by hand. I use a little dish soap in water to lube up the rims and tire beads. Push the new tire on at a 45 deg angle with the rim on the floor with a rug. It makes a mess so use an old rug. Once you get the hang of it, it actually is pretty easy. The key is to heat the tire up for me….
BTW, it’s a good workout for your hands and arms too!
No need to get expensive stuff, mounting tires is just something you will be able to learn by looking at others do and by asking. Everyone has their own style and trick, you will come up with yours and get your own technique by the time you have mounted your 3rd set…
Looking forward to seeing you at the track :cheers:
OK, so no special tools required. I ASSume tire irons are needed to remove the old tire. How about breaking the bead? Any special techniques to share if fancy tools are not used?
Sorry for such basic questions.
Graeme,
I remember the pain of learning to mount tires! You might do a search on the topic on ekartingnews.com, where you’ll find lots of descriptions of both manual techniques and specialized tools. Here’s my quick summary, on a recent post: http://www.ekartingnews.com/viewtopic.php?t=54180&start=15&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=
Tires should be mounted–and removed–from the “inside” of the rim. If you’re doing it by hand, put the tire on the floor (or better yet a carpet or piece of cardboard) and insert the wheel into the tire at about a 45 degree angle WITH THE VALVE CORE SIDE OF THE WHEEL FACING UP. Sort of twist the wheel while holding it at a 45 degree angle and it will slip right in (lube helps a LOT here). Then flip the wheel over so the valve core side is down. This is where it gets tricky. I push one side of the tire down with my knee, then work my way around tire shoving the rest of the tire under the rim. Pushing the center of the tire (tread) in helps collapse the tire so that it will more easily fit under the rim (try squeezing the tire at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions.) Technique, warm tires, lube–and optionally one of the fore-mentioned tools–is key (and practice, and maybe the forementioned beer). After 4 years, I can now mount YHCs, MG Yellows, and MoJos by hand–but I prefer to use a tool if one’s handy. I’ve been using a Tire Whiz the last two years, but the biggest problem is that you really need a way to hold the tire while using the tool.
There’s also an excellent video showing the use of the Tire Wizz tool on that thread (which makes it look easier than when I do it!).
Most people suggest NOT using soapy water as a lube, on the argument having water inside the tire makes the tire pressure increase when the tire heats up. Alternatives include WD-40, Tire Snot (sold at IMI) and Simple Green (though I presume it contains water).
As for breaking the beads, you’ll need a bead breaker tool–all the local shops should have them for sale.
As others have said, the best bet is to watch someone mount/dismount tires, then practice till you get the feel of it. Don’t be surprised if you’re frustrated and sweating–it really does get easier! And I strongly recommend wearing gloves (the first time I mounted tires by hand I ended up with a couple nasty blisters).
Buy:
*a bead breaker: IMI has the best ~$125
*tire whiz
*WD40 or soap or whatever lube you want*bulk up
*watch the older guys changing as it is an art
*heat them via the sun or heat gun or oven
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