Tire Mount/Dismount on Steel Rim
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- čas přidán 24. 07. 2024
- A short video showing mounting and dismounting of Honda Odyssey tires on steel rims using a modified Harbor Freight tire changer. The rotating duckbill mount/dismount head from Lucid Autowerks was used as well as a few small modifications to the standard tire changer. I also talk a bit about different tire lubes and the tradeoffs I have found between them.
I made this video in hopes it might be useful for other manual tire changer folks out there. Hope you find it useful!
Links:
RuGlyde (I got mine at NAPA, but looks like this is the same):
www.amazon.com/AGS-RG18-Gal-R...
EuroPaste Tire Lube:
www.amazon.com/Ken-Tool-35848...
www.walmart.com/ip/X-tra-Seal...
Murphy's/Black Jack Tire Lube:
www.amazon.com/BJK-Murphys-Co...
Love your solution for placing a spacer under the steel rims. It takes a smart person to see a simple solution. I was racking my brain about this and over thinking it LOL. Also great idea in your other video with the removable leverage pipe mounted up high and facing the correct direction. Rob.....
Thanks much for the nice comment! It was definitely an iterative process with lots of bad ideas along the way!! 😀
This an excellent demonstration of the duckbill tool. If you are just replacing the valve stem or TPMS sensor, just break the bead next to the valve stem and change it out while holding the bead down in that one location. This way there is no need to rebalance the tire since the back bead was not broken and the top bead was only broken next to the valve stem. I originally bought this tire changer just to replace dry rotting valve stems that the tire shop installed 6 months before. There was a bad batch of Chinese valve stems about 15 years ago that would dry rot and fail quickly and the tire shop wanted to charge me the full mount and balance fee to swap out the faulty stems they installed. It cost me far less to buy the HF tire machine and put quality valve stems on the rims.
Thanks for the nice comment! Good point regarding all the other uses for a tire changer like replacing valve stems and TPMS sensors. It took me a while to become proficient at it but I enjoy having the capability to change my own tires even more than I thought I would. In addition to replacing valve stems and TPMS sensors, it is also handy to be able to patch holes versus using the plugs.
Finally somebody taking time to show the proper way to use a duck head for tires. Thank You !! I’ve been building my own changing bar.
Thanks for the nice comment! Good luck with your custom changing bar!
Great video, no substitute for the lube. He really makes that clear here.
Good job on the video. I actually learned a couple of new things about changing tires. Thanks for uploading. I am making the "Blue Wolverine " an upgrade for the Harbor Freight tool that mskes this process much easier.
Thanks Clint. I enjoyed watching your videos which were helpful when I was setting it up! Thanks!
I'm in the process of making my own duckbill set up. You have some good ideas That I will incorporate into my project. I especially like the spinner hold down. They now want $20 to $25 dollars each to mount and balance tires.
Nice. I like the pin that drops in from the top and the speed handle for the hold down.
Great demo, I like using the No-mar bar with the changer. That attachment does seem more efficient, but i don't wanna spend that!
Just make your own. Cost less than $40. $500 for the Lucid one is ridiculously pricey
LIGHTING!!!!!! the video is fine, the problem is I had to rewind the video 15 times just to try and see/hear (Ru-Glyde Tire Mounting and Rubber Lubricant) man you should've linked that I never heard of it before and couldn't understand what you was saying. I wish this video came up 3 days ago when bought the Euro paste stuff, now back to the video........Thanks for the tips!!!
Very helpful video. Thanks keep up the good work
This is a really helpful video! Cheers
Thanks for the nice comment Joseph!
thnks you are awesome n good detail on describing your process
Jeez! The price is ridiculous! But what's really putting one down is how much more complicated and time consuming it becomes!!! :-o
I can assure you. To anyone really knowing what is doing, with such machines. It's a breeze to mount and unmount a set of tires...Sorry, but not even the argument of "not scratching the wheels" save it. Because once more, if one knows what is doing the wheels will be OK! ;-)
Great job very helpful/ you work very smart
Thanks for the nice comment, Matthew!
Nice video I wish you would have put a link in the description for the eBay site for the adapter
Here is the link to the one in the video (from Lucid Autowerks). Looks like he has modified the design some on his newer ones. Also, he has different kits available with different amounts of assembly required:
www.ebay.ca/sch/lucid_autowerks/m.html
Here is another variation on the theme but much cheaper. I haven't used one of this style but it is another option people have commented on and is much more affordable:
www.ebay.com/itm/Manual-Tire-Changer-Swing-Arm-Duck-Head-Duckbill-Mod-2-Models/313406990602
Could you tell me what the distance of the 2 bolt holes is?
Awesome video , thanks
Thanks for the nice comment! Appreciate it!
Is there a similar mod to the lucid for a cheaper price? They cost $400. I only plan to do my own tires to save money not as added income.
Thank you very much, nice video. I am curious about the way you have the entire apparatus mounted to the floor. I see some boards there. Is it bolted to the cement at all?
Thanks for the reply. It looks quite stable. You have given me much to ponder.
Thanks for the nice comment Taldish. No, the tire changer is mounted to the 2x6 boards, but the 2x6 boards are not bolted to the cement. It would be nicer if it was bolted down, but I only have a single car garage and no good spot to mount it permanently. I thought about putting temporary anchors, or just holes in the cement with alignment pins, but it seems to work okay the way it is. I get used to stepping on the wood boards to hold it in place as I am mounting/dismounting the tire. But definitely, if you have the ability, I think it would be easier if the tire changer was bolted down to the concrete. Thanks!
I have mine on a piece of OSB 1/2” thick 2’ x4’ then I stand on it while changing the tire. Works good.
Great video. How does your Atlas tire balancer work? Does it work good? Have been looking at getting one myself. Thanks
Thanks! I would wholeheartedly recommend the Atlas tire balancer. I have balanced lots of wheels on lots of different kinds of vehicles at this point and I have not had a single case of any vibration or any other issue. I have the lowest end model which is hand spun. I don't find that the hand spinning is any bother at all and it is nice that the unit is really compact (and even portable!). I just balanced a set of P225/50R17 wheels for my Accord, which are relatively wide and therefore really require the dynamic balancing for a good ride. They ride perfectly at all speeds, absolutely zero vibration I can detect and I tend to be pretty fussy about things like that! So, yes, I would definitely recommend it.
I kind of wish it had a laser to point to the spot to add the weight (rather than just adding to the 12'oclock position). I thought about adding my own which probably wouldn't be too hard. Also for the stick-on weights it is a bit of a pain sticking them on at the 12'oclock position (just physically getting in there and seeing well). I usually mark the spot with a piece of chalk and then rotate the wheel and add the weights at a more convenient angle. For clip on weights, it is totally easy as-is since you don't need to see up inside the rim. But those are minor points... no big deal.
From playing round a little to gauge the reproducibility of the balance, I did find that it helps a lot to follow the mounting instructions carefully, where it says to fasten down the wheel slowly while simultaneously lifting up on the wheel occasionally. This helps ensure that the centering cone pushes all the way through and that the wheel is perfectly centered, ensuring precise balance and repeatable results. If you just slap the wheel up there and crank it down then the wheel can push the cone down flat against the backer but might not be perfectly centered on the cone and being a little bit off-center makes a HUGE difference (having the 35lb wheel a few hundredths of an inch off can quickly add up to the equivalent of a 0.5oz weight at the inside of the rim). A little care here makes a big difference - I am guessing this is probably applicable to all wheel balancers. If I get a chance, I'll try to make a video of it to demonstrate this.
Thank you John for the instructive video. Very helpful. What are you using as the second tire iron? I see that you are using a HF style tire iron on the duck bill but what are you using for the long white plastic looking bar you hold down on the rim when you are turning the jig? I built a similar mod and it is working pretty good but I would benefit greatly from the second bar you are using. Thanks again. Ron
Thanks Ron, The white plastic bar is a homemade tool. I just cut a strip out of a sheet of 1/2" thick HDPE (high density polyethylene) plastic and then shaped the end to have a taper (just with a sander). I tried a couple of different shapes to get the taper right. If it helps, I could send you the dimensions and/or close-up pictures....
@@john_c Thanks John. Close up pics and dimensions would be great. Looks like Amazon has a couple of options for me to duplicate that tool. Thank you again.
I tried several different geometries but here is the one that I think worked best:
17" long (long enough so you can get a good bit into the tire but still hold on to the other end on the other side of the rim) X 1" wide X 1/2" thick. The HDPE is really tough and it can bend quite a bit w/o breaking. So far it has held up really well and of course it is nice because you don't have to worry about it marring up the rim...
The following gallery has several pictures:
postimg.cc/gallery/16gaji50w/
Adding the contour on the end really helps make it easier to fit in the triangle shaped gap the tire makes with the rim at the edge of the duckbill. To my surprise the HDPE was really easy to sand and work to make the contour (just using a random orbital sander and coarse regular wood sandpaper).
What if you put the lucid cone on upside down before you put the tire on so you didn't have to use the spacer
Interesting idea! I'll have to try that. I'd worry a little about whether the wheel would stay flat (not rock on the cone), but maybe as long as the nut is tight enough it might be fine. Good thinking!
they don't have the lucid kit on Ebay where I live. I found some people on the internet selling them. It is ridiculous what the tire shops want for mounting and balancing.
Yep, the tire shop prices have gone up dramatically by me. The "new normal" as they call it! Hopefully not but who knows. It definitely takes some practice, but getting used to changing your own tires can pay off in the long run, and it is kind of fun too!
@JohnNH Did the orange bar that you're using to rotate the Lucid Autowerks duckbill tool around with come with the Harbor Freight manual tire changer? I'd also like to ask you what tool you're using to break inner and the outer tire beads with? Thanks again for the nice straightforward demonstration video work.
Yes, the orange bar came with the Harbor Freight tire changer. I use the bead breaker on a manual motorcycle tire changer similar to this one:
www.garageappeal.com/tuxedo-tc-mcatvm-motorcycle-atv-manual-tire-changer/?sku=TC-MCATVM&network=g
It is similar to the harborfreight bead breaker (on the manual tire changer) but a little stronger and better made and provides a little more leverage. Harborfreight also makes a dedicated bead breaker that a lot of folks say works well.
Thanks for the comment!
@@JohnsDIY Thank you for the kind response, John. As I've worked on my share of heavy equipment tires using nothing more than my Ken-Tool irons and some ruGLYDE, I'm determined to find something that will make changing our car tires easier. I've considered the Harbor Freight (HF) manual tire changer that you featured in your nice video, but, like a lot of things HF, I'm skeptical about its durability. Do you like the Tuxedo tire changer that you so kindly linked me to over the HF one you use? I think that I'd like to find something that's made exactly like the HF manual tire changer, but built stronger materials. By the way, I got in touch with the professional machinist who's making a changer modification that competes with Lucid's and, in short, he purposely made his a bit simpler that Lucid's. He said that he doesn't see the sense in using a bearing on something that you're going to use a 4' to 5' pry bar on. He also believes that the centering cone is like adding a surface that will add to the possibility of wheel slippage. Anyway, those are his thoughts on the matter...but I'd still like to get your thoughts on a brand that's designed like the HF tire changer, but with more strength? Thanks very much for your time.
@@bt5526 I am not the biggest HF fan in the world either, and often wish I could spend more to get something better. That said, it is pretty amazing they can even sell that manual tire changer for $40 and about $32 with their common 20% off single item coupons! The "Tuxedo" motorcycle tire changer is much better made than the HF unit. I also like how it holds the tire much like a "real" tire change machine, from the underside with arms that come out. I thought that this would make it much quicker and easier to mount the tire on it. I used this for a while with the no-mar bar for tire changes and it worked okay. Unfortunately, it is not easy (without modification) to make this setup work with the Lucid style attachment since it doesn't have a solid center arm (only the smaller, removable center pole that has a lot of slop in it, relatively speaking and also it doesn't center the rim as well (not important with manual tools, but more important with the lucid style attachment). So while the Tuxedo tool is better made for sure, I went back to the HF unit since it works with the lucid tool (which I find is a BIG improvement over the no-mar and other hand bar tools). I have used the HF unit with no complaints for a long time and it has held up fine. Honestly, you are not using it to do much. I did make the modifications to remove their centering pin that came up from the bottom (it was hard to use as you had to align it through a lug hole while holding the tire up in the air each time). The biggest complaint I had was with the HF bead breaker. It does work, but it is flimsy and bent over time. The Tuxedo is much better - much more rugged, and works better. However, there is a dedicated bead breaker from harbor freight that looks pretty decent and gets pretty good reviews. The lucid autowerks guy has a video of some mods to improve it further. so that might be another option for the bead breaking:
www.harborfreight.com/bead-breaker-92961.html
@@bt5526 Also, I agree, I think the design could be simplified and made cheaper. I agree, the bearings are nice but I don't think they are really necessary at all. I do like the centering cone however, just because it is nice to have the wheel centered well so the duckbill can staqy close to the edge of the rim and not bind as you rotate it around (due to miscentering). Also, slippage is not a problem (if I understand what you mean correctly) because you can just stick a pin in the lug hole to keep the wheel from rotating. One other mod I would make is to make the upright portion of the attachment about 3 inches longer. Right now the upper arm doesn't give much clearance at all for really wide tires (265). Does he intend to commercialize. I think if you could get this down in the $150 range or so it would make a LOT of people happy and could be a pretty profitable EBay side business!
@@JohnsDIY Thanks again for your honest thoughts, John. After watching a self-described "beginner" using the No-Mar manual tire bar, I ordered it, so it should be on the way on Monday (they only ship from Monday to Thursday). Given your thoughts on the use of the Harbor Freight (HF) manual tire changer, I think that I'll give it a go as a simple wheel holder. As I mentioned, I've been using large Ken-Tools bars for dismounting and mounting large heavy equipment tires for years, so the manual bar from No-Mar has some appeal for me. As far as breaking the bead goes, I normally use a piece of lumber and a couple of teeth on a CAT backhoe for that purpose. It has never failed me, so the flimsy bead breaker on the HF changer is not a big concern for us. One thing still comes to mind, though...Is centering the wheel any kind of an issue if we use the HF changer and a No-Mar mount/dismount bar? As always, your kind words are greatly appreciated.
Bonjour
Belle démonstration, merci
L'ensemble est fixé au sol ou juste sur des planches ?
Pat
Hi Pat, juste sur des planches! Yes, it is just fastened to the planks not to the concrete. It would be nicer to have it fastened to the concrete but I need it to be easily removable in my case. It seems to work okay just fastened to the planks as long as you remember to stand on them when mounting/removing.
Merci pour l'information, je compte l'utilisé comme vous, et le ranger
How did you break the bead? you certainly didn't use the harbor fright tool.
How would you even know? I just broke 8 tire beads the other day using the HF tire changer.
The bead breaker works ok on the HF. I did add a longer blade that works better for the larger diameter tires.
Instead of a metal spacer to put under the rim I got a 12"x12" square of some 1" hard rubber and cut out a spacer from that.
Sounds like a great way to go! And, thanks for your service!
Do you have a number to reach them at ?
How to buy this where is the location NSW
www.ebay.com/str/lucidautowerks (No affiliation)
Required
I just looked up the price on your Lucid attachment😂 did you really pay 430$ for an attachment for a 40$ Harbor Freight tire changer? Plus a 50$ aluminum cone? You will need to change quite a few tires to make that pay!
Yes, I noticed that it had gone up in price. When I bought the Lucid attachment on Ebay it was $200 and something. I wonder if that is a permanent or temporary increase. In any case, even at the lower price, whether it is worth it or not probably depends on your personal situation and how many tires you will change (as you point out). In my area, it costs about $100 to $150 to mount/balance four tires depending on the shop. I change tires on several different vehicles, one that has very high annual mileage and some with separate sets of snow tires as well, so I think I have paid it back a few times now. In addition, I have often found it useful to be able to remove tires to replace TPMS sensors and also to flip directional tires (snow tires) on the rims to get better wear (so they can be rotated to the other side of the vehicle to even the tread wear and get better tread life). Also, it gives me the ability to switch between snow tires/regular tires on the same rims in cases where I don't want to invest in a second set of rims -- which would be prohibitively expensive if done at a shop twice per year. Finally, I find that occasionally one can get significant savings on tires over the tire shop price by purchasing online. (Many local tires shops around here charge an extra fee if you ship tires to them or bring your own -- since they don't get the mark-up on the tires in that case). Overall, I think in my particular case it has made sense financially, plus I get some enjoyment out of doing it myself and often it is pretty convenient to do it on my own schedule.
John C I see your point, but 430$ seems excessive for what it is. I like the concept, and was interested in making my own for the cost of some pipe, square tubbing and a ducks head. I too have several beater cars with high mileage and think this would be handy for fixes on the farm, but I’m cheap and so are most of the guys buying tools at Harbor freight. But that aside, very nice video and very good tutorial, I just hope Lucid gives you a commission on sales, because with out your video, I never would have heard of them.
@@stephenufkin6236 I agree with you Stephen the current $430 price seems very steep to me too. Hopefully, that will come back down in the future but I agree, if you have a welder and some basic metal working tools you could definitely make your own and that's probably the way to go. The duckbill, split collars and bearings (if you even use any) are all readily available online as well.
I agree! The guy who makes them needs to stop making them himself and mass produce them. Too labor intensive for hand-making. He's charging for welding at $75-$85 per hour. This thing would sell like hotcakes at $50-$75 a piece, fully assembled. He could then approach Harbor Freight to offer it as an upgrade on their website and do revenue-share. If he doesn't have the money to order a minimum quantity plus retooling cost from a manufacturer, he could do a perpetual royalty with Harbor Freight and let them handle the manufacturing. He would become rich with the increased volume. This should sell for no more than $75 for the DIY'er.
Guys, just make your own. It costs less than $40. I''ve never done welding before in my life and managed to weld the attachment myself. If I can do then you guys can do it as well. Metal is expensive in Canada. You can probably buy them for less than us in the north. By the way tire shops here charge $15 to $20 to change and balance a tire here in Alberta. It does not make economic sense to buy a manual tire attachment for $450!
Sounds like alot of work/application compared to the normal red manual harbor freight tire change. Thanks but no thanks.
How so
Just use WD-40 to mount a tire for lube best thing there is.
I erased race cars and I've had not one problem in the past 25 years and my dad too. Old school way
Bead was already broke down this is a load of bull.
Yes, the bead was already broken using a manual bead breaker before the tire was changed. I don't know why that makes "this a load of bull" however. The intent of the video was to show some modifications to the tire changer, not the bead breaker (which in my case is a separate device). If I get a chance to, I will make a video that includes the bead breaking. That part is not usually too hard and there are lots of videos on that already (if you google "HarborFreight bead breaker" you should get a bunch of them). I just put this video out in case others might want to make similar modifications to their tire changer.
only a fool will pay the price he wants for that 200 more dollars gets a whole machine of ebay shipped
Well John. What something is worth depends weather your selling it or buying it.