how easy is it to change a tyre over yourself without a machine?

gilbert_and_sullivan

The hardest part is breaking the bead seal of the tyre to be removed, assuming you can manage that....

You preferably want two proper car tyre levers, they are roughly 2ft long with a smooth blunt long slightly shaped edge to do the business.

The most important thing is lubricant, a 50/50 diluted mix of fairy liquid will do fine, without lubricant it will be a dickens of a job.

The secret is in knowing which side of the wheel to remove the tyre from, the narrowest section before the deeper centre dish usually, the other side will have a wider section before the deeper dish forms, take no notice of the ridge that helps hold the bead in place against the wheel edge thats irrelevent for removal refit purposes.

Properly lubricated it is possible to hammer the new tyre on with a mallet quite easily but thats for those who know how to.

Inflating could be a problem unless you have access to a compressor with reserve tank, if the tyre is stubborn to seat then apply a tourniquet around the circumference, a stout rope and using a lever as a winder will do fine.

The above defeatest posts are piteous, you can see why the country is a worldwide joke.

agrinnall

spaceboy wrote: »

Well, I could take it somewhere to get it balanced if it needed it. If you're just driving around town balancing isnt too important.

The trouble is most places wont change over used tyres, I have asked. The first thing they ask is "is it a brand new tyre?"

I think you need to ask at some more places, tyre fitters are very used to changing between winter and summer tyres that have already been used (well, they are up here in the frozen north). Perhaps a mobile fitter might do it if the big boys won't.

ILW

My local shop is happy to change used tyres. Ten quid inc balancing.

redux

spaceboy wrote: »

Well, I could take it somewhere to get it balanced if it needed it. If you're just driving around town balancing isnt too important.

The trouble is most places wont change over used tyres, I have asked. The first thing they ask is "is it a brand new tyre?"

agrinnall wrote: »

I think you need to ask at some more places, tyre fitters are very used to changing between winter and summer tyres that have already been used (well, they are up here in the frozen north). Perhaps a mobile fitter might do it if the big boys won't.

Agreed. A large firm were willing to do it for £12 + vat, as long as the tyre was less than 5 years old

The nearest place didn't mind how old they would be, just said they'd go on condition, which was good for me as two were about 10 years old but perfectly ok.

They had quoted £8 + vat, but then charged less than that. I took in 10 wheels and had 9 tyres removed and 5 fitted, 5 balanced and 4 disposals, for £37

I got them to check they weren't under-charging, but they said fine. Maybe doing them as loose wheels saved a bit. At that price it's certainly not worth setting up to do them myself.

NeverEnough

spaceboy wrote: »

The trouble is most places wont change over used tyres, I have asked. The first thing they ask is "is it a brand new tyre?"

How odd. The fitters local to us do, I have winters changed over for £5 a corner and balancing included in the price. Some places sell part worn tyres and obviously fit them too. Provided they are not damaged or dangerous and are within legal limits, I cannot see why you can't get it done? Who has refused to do it - name and shame!!

StrongWork

spaceboy wrote: »

The trouble is most places wont change over used tyres, I have asked. The first thing they ask is "is it a brand new tyre?"

I've had that before too.

Went to the next tyre place in town and no issues at all. I suspect you're more likely to have success at a place willing to accept cash in hand. Tenner per corner (inc balancing) is about right ime.

alastairq

''professional elitism?''


I have a manual tyre removal tool, bought off eBay some years ago....still bolted to a friend's driveway!

The lever was a tad fragile.....and has been replaced, but it works. [it's a good test for your underarm deodorant!].

I'd prefer an air-powered version, now I'm older.....missed out on a worn Dunlop machine decades ago at a garage sale...quite compact, too...too worn for commercial use..ideal for occasional swaps [I go trialling, swapping tyres is sometimes essential]...

Have ..in the past, spent many a happy hour belting a lorry tyre with a sledgehammer.....


Regarding the naysayers?

Well, to be fair, we live in a different world now, expectations are vastly opposed to those of even a decade or so ago....

facade

I and my late father used to change all my tyres over by hand.
I used to pop the tyre off the bead by simply driving the car onto the one I wanted off, if it doesn't go first time rotate 1/4 turn and repeat until it does.

Nowadays, I just do motorbike tyres, I press these off in the vice and roll around on the floor with tyre levers and rim protectors on bits of string.
It isn't easy on my own, I can get them off, but getting the new one on is a struggle.

The second hand car tyre dealers fit them nowadays, not worth the trouble at home, but there aren't many places that do 'bikes.

Lum

For the sake of a tenner in the back pocket of one of the people at your local tyre fitter on a quiet day is it really worth all that effort?

Has anyone posted one of those videos of someone sealing the bead with lighter fluid yet?

facade

Quite so.

I have a set of tyre levers, a compressor, the means to break the bead, the will to save a tenner and I've done it before, but if you have to buy the equipment and find out how to do it it is easier to just pay.

There are plenty of lighter fluid popping the tyre on the rim videos on youtube, even Top Gear showed it once in Iceland.