Harbor freight tire changer

[josehpatrickgray]

I have a huge pile of rims and tires I need to separate. HF has a tire changer for under $50. Does anyone have any experience with these?

 

[chris]

It was ok to break the bead but I couldn't get the damn tire off the rim. Ended up taking the tires to the local speed shop and had them take the tires off the rim. Just too much work.

To be honest, it may have worked if I bolted it to the floor though. %)

The new tires I put on the rims with two tire spoons from Harbor Freight. The first one took 1/2 hour. the 5th one took 5 min.

 

[byson1]

Yes they work ok for breaking the bead loose. I still use big pry bars to remove the tire from the rim though. That's assuming not too much rust. I can dismount 4 tires in about 45 minutes and I used to work for a tire company so I'm familiar with the "mechanics" of it. Some tires are easier than other too. If the tire is not too old and has a relatively flexible sidewall it goes easy. If it's an old stiff tire than it can be very difficult. Quite honestly, it's a lot of work and boils down to either how much exersize you want or how much value you put on your time.

 

[daddyg]

I have a tire changer like the one harbor freight sells and I have to agree that if it's bolted down it would work ok..

 

[dieselracer]

I have a better way to break a bead and it won't cost you anything, well maybe $5. You will need a 2.5 ton floor jack and a bare wheel that will fit your bronco or another truck. Just take a bare wheel and mount it to the vehicle you intend to use. Place the deflated tire and wheel on the ground flat under the bare wheel with the valve core removed. Then slowly lower the axle to the ground with a floor jack so that the bare wheel SLOWLY pops the bead. Then jack the vehicle back up, flip the tire/wheel over and repeat. Once the beads are broken you can use soapy water(dish soap) and some long pry bars to pry the tires off the wheels. This is how I changed the tires on my diesel pick-up. If you have never changed truck tires before it may take a little practice, but it is possible.

 

[Skiddy]

I have a better way to break a bead and it won't cost you anything, well maybe $5. You will need a 2.5 ton floor jack and a bare wheel that will fit your bronco or another truck. Just take a bare wheel and mount it to the vehicle you intend to use. Place the deflated tire and wheel on the ground flat under the bare wheel with the valve core removed. Then slowly lower the axle to the ground with a floor jack so that the bare wheel SLOWLY pops the bead. Then jack the vehicle back up, flip the tire/wheel over and repeat. Once the beads are broken you can use soapy water(dish soap) and some long pry bars to pry the tires off the wheels. This is how I changed the tires on my diesel pick-up. If you have never changed truck tires before it may take a little practice, but it is possible.

I just break my beads loose by running my truck over them;D

 

[evil69]

Just air down around 2psi and wheel. The beads will come off for you

 

[BigO]

I have that changer, and it works great! I dismounted and re-mounted some 30"x9.5" tires on a different rims with it. Like anything, there is a learning curve. The first couple of tires, I felt like I was wrestling a greased pig. ;D But then I got to where I could remove and install each tire in about 10 minutes.

Like others said, you need to anchor it into your shop floor, or something. And while you are at it, pick up a couple tire irons at the store too. You need more than the single "all-in-one" iron/handle tool that comes with the changer.

 

[Bronc076]

I have the HF tire changer and it works great. I have used it to both mount and dismount lots of tires. Last week I put a 35 on my spare rim and it took about a minute. Seriously it took more time to get the tire machine out of the shed and bolted to the floor than it took to mount the tire.

You have to bolt it down, some people bolt it to a 4' x 4' piece of plywood so that it can be stored elsewhere easily (read drag it behind the shop). This works but you need a piece of plywood large enough to stand on when using the changer.

Also use some lube when you mount the tire (dish soap and water) and it will go on or come off a lot easier.

HTH

 

[76eb]

I have the hf tire changer and its worked great for me so far. It is a little tougher to remove a stiffer tires like swampers of a rim but plenty of soapy water helps with that.

 

[earlybronco5]

i use my hi-lift jack to break my tries down