So You Want To Change Your Own Tires: Steps from 1 to Z

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Wheelman-111
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So You Want To Change Your Own Tires: Steps from 1 to Z

Post by Wheelman-111 »

Greetings:

Having been charged as much as $45. for an Indy shop to change a Sportster tire, I was determined to see if a $20 scooter tire could be done using simple hand tools such as pointy sticks and rocks. Turns out it's possible.

Aside from a new tire, here's What You Need:
Image
Here C and iv are reversed. C, the Master Stick, is an old axle nut wrench from a Yamaha tool kit. Sparks flew whenever it touched the Honda rim... :)

1. A Spray Bottle of Diswashing soap and water solution. Put lots of soap.
2. A couple or three of big C-clamps and/or ViseGrip C-clamp.
iv. A few flat thin slats of metal. I actually used those leftover furniture-assembly wrenches. Tire irons are better here.
C. A slightly stronger, longer Master Stick
5. A WorkMate is nice to hold things.
F. Patience
Q. Determination
Z. Lots of hand soap to wash up.

The most important thing to remember is not to use the rim as a prying surface. Thin-walled and easily bent they are. Like Yoda I speak.

Instead, you can create a considerable measure of slack by squeezing the beads together. This allows the pressed-together beads to drop into the center channel. This in turn lets you drop the rim down and away from the bead at the opposite end.

From the top, Give the side of the tire and rim edge a generous spray with your soapy water. Now pick a point to squeeze 90 degrees away form the valve stem. Don't crush beyond the point at which the beads touch. Add a second c-clamp about 45-60 degrees away from the first. If you have a third clamp, place that one 60 degrees away on the other side. The WorkMate can substitute for that third clamp.

If you've done it just right, the tire is standing up with the bottom pinched in the WorkMate or clamps. Squeeze the upper beads together just at the horizontal positions and the rim should drop neatly down, exposing the inner edge of the bead at the top.

Using your longest, strongest flat metal stick, poke it in past the rim edge and hook onto the tire bead, being careful to push the tube out of the way so it's not pinched. Leverage, gently applied, will pull the bead over the edge of the rim with surprising ease. The force applied shouldn't break a plastic knife. OK maybe a bit more than that but not much.

Put a thinner slat next to the Master Stick - just to hold the bead out. Take the Master Stick and move over 45 degrees and repeat the gentle leverage. Park a second slat next to hold that one out.. Next move 45 degrees to the opposite side of the first slat and repeat once again. Continue to work your way around. By the time you've done 3-5 reps, the bead you're working on will just jump off the rim on that side.

At this point, you can probably remove the inner tube and its valve stem. You did remember to deflate first, didn't you? :) The second "half" is even easier, because now only a single tire bead fits more easily down into the center channel of the rim. A second spray-down with the soapy water is a good idea at this point. The process is the same.

Reassembly, as the Honda Manual says, is the reverse of disassembly. I had to fuss a while with my groovy 90-degree kinked valve stem, but it's worth it not to have to try to stuff my bike pump between the rim and the hub a scant couple of inches away. Walk the first bead on, then the second. Some muscle is required only as the last 4" or so of bead goes on.

The net result is minimal scratches at worst, a very cheap installation, and great personal satisfaction. Now go wash up.
Wheelman-111
Most of my money is spent on scooterparts. The rest is just wasted.
"ISO": '03 Vespa ET4 Malossi187 74MPH
Flash 9: 2001 Elite SR Contesta 72 ZX Tran, 9:1 Gears, Stock Airbox/Carb/Pipe 58.8 MPH
Punkin: 2010 Vespa/Malossi S78, 61MPH
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Wheelman-111
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Lubricity

Post by Wheelman-111 »

Greetings:

Remember that spray bottle of soapy water? Forget it!

Y'see the key to many things mechanical - indeed to life itself - is Lubrication. WHile soapy water does a fair-to-middlin' job of providing that slipperiness, it's nowhere near as good as a bottle of Mother's Tire and Trim Dressing. There are many, many other brands, all containing a high silicone percentage, that should work as well. Lightly slather the beads and inside edges of the tire and add just a bit to the rim. I was able to mount one tire last night with NO tools - at all. Dismounting still takes a bit of leverage once the bead is unseated, but that task is also considerably easier with the Mothers Dressing than with the soapy spray.

Beware: There is at least a theoretical possibility that the tire might spin on the bead under heavy acceleration or (more lilkely) braking. for that reason, consider wiping off the Dressing before inflation.

One more tip: a light dusting of baby powder inside the tire keeps the tube from sticking and getting in the way and being pinched by any pry levers you're using.
Wheelman-111
Most of my money is spent on scooterparts. The rest is just wasted.
"ISO": '03 Vespa ET4 Malossi187 74MPH
Flash 9: 2001 Elite SR Contesta 72 ZX Tran, 9:1 Gears, Stock Airbox/Carb/Pipe 58.8 MPH
Punkin: 2010 Vespa/Malossi S78, 61MPH
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