Changing your own tires with hand tools. -$

[FuzzyRSTD]

I posted this else where and thought this might help someone else to. So copy and paste and add a little and here it is. I like doing my own, I know it is done to suit me.

 

I changed my rear tire today. Here is how;

 

http://venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=555

 

#1. Mark the axle position at the side with the pinch bolt line, make a line with the corner edge of a flat file and you will always have it there. Remove the rear wheel. The axle will come out easily if you turn the axle at the Allen head side (rotor side) and pull at the same time.

 

#2. Take the valve out of the tire. Mark the valve placement with the tire location on the old tire and the new tire for location. Make sure you get the tire on in the correct rotational direction. Motorcycle tires are rotational oriented. They have arrows showing the direction of travel. If you have tires that have the balance dot, then if this is the case, the balance dot should line up with the valve and supposed to be balanced.

 

#3. Put the wheel on some small pieces of 2" X 4" or 4" X 4" works best, one on each side of rim in a place that you can back a pick up or some vehicle up to it.

 

#4. I used a 8' long 4"x4" and a 8" inch piece of 4"x4' to put onto the tire edge close the rim, 1/2" or so on tire edge and from the rim. Back a vehicle up to the tire location. I used a pick up with a ball hitch on it and pried under the ball mount stinger. There are tools made for this, but I do not have one yet. I am thinking of adding something to the side of my garage wall and have a friend weld me up a tool for this.

 

#5. Put the long 4"x4" on top the short piece of 4"x4" and under the vehicle/hitch,bumper or what ever to get leverage.

 

#6. Pry down and the tire will brake loose from the rim fairly easy on the first or second try.

 

#7. I use a cheap set of tire irons from JC Whitney. They are 12" long and come with rim covers to keep from damaging your rim. Two sets are nice to have. Only about 10 -14 dollars a set. Remove the tire while the rim is still on the 4"x4" short pieces you laid your rim on.

( The back side is a little tricky, but will come off. I laid my tire with the brake rotor down for this part.)

 

#8. Once you have the tire removed, use a fine wire brush to remove any black junk from the inside rim edge and inside the rim. I used a copper pipe cleaning tool. Then I used WD 40 & PB Blaster to spray on a cloth and wipe the inside of my rim. Cleans it very well after you brush the rim edge and rim on both sides. If you have a plastic 50 gallon barrel, it works great for a bench to work on the new tire and rim.

 

#9. Now orient your tire in the correct direction of travel according to the arrows on the tire and your rim direction of forward travel.

 

#10. Have your self some dish liquid from the kitchen (or regular tire liquid from auto store) to put on the tire edge and the rim edge. Only put the liquid on one side of the tire at a time. Start the tire on and apply pressure to a point that you will need to put the rim protectors on the rim and begin prying the tire on. Only 2-3 inches at a time. Just takes a 3-4 minutes and if you cleaned your rim and lubricated the tire and rim, no problem at all. I can put the front tire on with my bare hands and no tools.

 

#11. Now that you have the tire on, very important to align the tire in the corect spot according to your marks or dot on the tire. Pay close attention to this as you proceed to the next step.

 

#12. Have yourself a small ratchet strap. Put the strap on the tire in the center of the tire and cinch it up tight. Also align the tire edge and rim together as you do this. Pay attention to the markings to keep the tire in the right position.

 

#13. Replace the air valve in the rim. Air the tire and see if it will take air, if not check for problem spot and fix it. Make sure tire is in right position. Make sure you get enough air in the tire to get it to pop onto the rim all the way (watch the fingers !). Check the rim once you hear the pop and make sure it is properly attached all the way around. If not add more air until it is. Set at proper air pressure, factory says 42 rear and 36 front. I personally go a little more because I weigh 278 lb.

 

#14. Now clean and follow these instructions before putting the tire and wheel back on.http://venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13263 AND

http://venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1705

 

#15. Check air pressure again and put the tire and wheel back on. Put the axle in at the mark you made and align all completely. A real good tech section on putting the wheel back on correctly is http://venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=515 AND http://venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=4660 Pay special attention to properly aligning the axle to the mark you made, filed my mark into the pinch bolt line, tightening the acorn nuts and aligning the wheel and dive link properly and getting the drive shaft aligned and inside the yoke.

 

Not sure if there is a good tire removing thread in the Tech Library. I never found one with all the information in one place. Had to skip around. So if this works then ask Freebird to put it in there. He usually will not, unless asked and there is not already an existing write up. I am not sure about that. I have been wrong before, just ask my wife.

 

Someone else may see something I missed to, so please jump in if so. Will not hurt my feelings at all. Just trying to help out and give back to the site that has helped me so much.

Thanks all.

 

Fuzzy

Edited May 10, 2012 by FuzzyRSTD

[Guest Slab_Ryder]

I JUST changed mine on my own. Took me around 2.5 hrs to do both tires. Took an extra 30mins to change all Brake Pads.

[FuzzyRSTD]

I JUST changed mine on my own. Took me around 2.5 hrs to do both tires. Took an extra 30mins to change all Brake Pads.

 

Yep, nothing like doing it yourself if you can. I know some can not and that is the way we will be one of these days, if the Good Lord lets us live that long. I will do it myself as long as I am able. Took me longer than that. I did a lot of cleaning and adding a little more Honda Molly grease. One hand and brother helping. Shoulder surgery and recovering.

 

Fuzzy

[mbrood]

I had a neighbor over while I was working on an older bike of mine. It's toolbag was open and he grabbed a long spoon shaped device and asked what it was. I said it's a tire iron, for fixing your flat on the roadside. He just looked at me and with his 27 years of youth gently declared... "You know, you really can't do that!"

 

I lifted the seat and showed him the patch kit and spare innertube and said, "Done it more than once!".

 

He left, just shaking his head.

 

Now I think I have become one of those "crazy neighbors" I remember from my youth.

[Holly]

All I will say is get it balanced before you put it back on. Dots mean nothing.

[Jonesboy]

I must admit Fuzzy, it would take me longer to type out the instructions than to change the tire.......LOL

[Snaggletooth]

I had a neighbor over while I was working on an older bike of mine. It's toolbag was open and he grabbed a long spoon shaped device and asked what it was. I said it's a tire iron, for fixing your flat on the roadside. He just looked at me and with his 27 years of youth gently declared... "You know, you really can't do that!"

 

I lifted the seat and showed him the patch kit and spare innertube and said, "Done it more than once!".

 

He left, just shaking his head.

 

Now I think I have become one of those "crazy neighbors" I remember from my youth.

 

So we have the same neighbor looks like.

 

A couple years back I was setting my float levels on the bench in the garage using diesel fuel. The neighbor showed up and was asking questions about what I was doing and surprised at the diesel fuel. A few days later I had the bike out in the driveway running and he stopped over again. He commented he was surprised a bike that ran on diesel burned so clean.

 

I still haven't told him. Probably won't.

 

I have considered putting a "Diesel Fuel Only" sticker on the tank cover just for chuckles.

 

Mike

[twigg]

So we have the same neighbor looks like.

 

A couple years back I was setting my float levels on the bench in the garage using diesel fuel. The neighbor showed up and was asking questions about what I was doing and surprised at the diesel fuel. A few days later I had the bike out in the driveway running and he stopped over again. He commented he was surprised a bike that ran on diesel burned so clean.

 

I still haven't told him. Probably won't.

 

I have considered putting a "Diesel Fuel Only" sticker on the tank cover just for chuckles.

 

Mike

 

Consider this a moment to educate me ....

 

Why were you using diesel? Not that I can think of a reason not to ...

[Yammer Dan]

All I will say is get it balanced before you put it back on. Dots mean nothing.

 

All you need to balance are two cinderblocks and the axle. And weights if needed.

[djh3]

Twigg, I have a guess on why deisel. A its what was handy B: dont evaporate as fast.

[Marcarl]

Consider this a moment to educate me ....

 

Why were you using diesel? Not that I can think of a reason not to ...

Doesn't evaporate, you can smoke without it blowing up in your face, it doesn't cause things to rust, it cleans as it goes, and once your done with it, it kills thistles.

[GaryZ]

All you need to balance are two cinderblocks and the axle. And weights if needed.

 

I hang the axle on a pair of jack-stands to check balance.

 

For the last couple of tire changes, I removed the old tire, left the weights on the wheel and checked the balance. The balance was good. Then I installed the new tire (with the dot aligned to the air valve) and found it still good.

 

[FuzzyRSTD]

I hang the axle on a pair of jack-stands to check balance.

 

For the last couple of tire changes, I removed the old tire, left the weights on the wheel and checked the balance. The balance was good. Then I installed the new tire (with the dot aligned to the air valve) and found it still good.

 

 

Thank you sir. I was not sure about the dot alignment. I was told to do that by several people. I use Avon Venoms and they do not even have a dot. My rims where balanced on a digital motorcycle wheel balancing machine the last tire change, over 12,000 miles ago. So this time I aligned the tires back up perfectly as they came off the wheel. I will soon know the outcome in about a week or so.

 

I did call and talk to a Technician from Avon and he said to go right ahead and put the tire on in any location and it would be OK. He said the tires are manufactured so close to perfect balance that you would not know the difference. But I did line them up just as the old tires came off. If I have a problem with balance, you all will be the first to know it. Yes, as some have said, it would be easy enough to balance your own by using your axle and some short pieces of 2X4 and a couple cinder blocks.

 

Fuzzy

[Flyinfool]

Great writeup.

I am now considering changing my own tires next week instead of taking them into The Shop.

But then The Shop charges 18.50 to mount and balance a tire if I just bring in the tires and rims.

 

I guess I would have to agree with at least checking the balance.

 

From my other hobbies, if it spins it needs to be balanced, so that carries thru to the bikes as well. I even checked the flywheel balance while it was of after I had the starter clutch upgrade.

[OB-1]

Great writeup.

I am now considering changing my own tires next week instead of taking them into The Shop.

But then The Shop charges 18.50 to mount and balance a tire if I just bring in the tires and rims.

 

I guess I would have to agree with at least checking the balance.

 

From my other hobbies, if it spins it needs to be balanced, so that carries thru to the bikes as well. I even checked the flywheel balance while it was of after I had the starter clutch upgrade.

 

I change my own MC tires, but for $18.50 each I'd certainly cart the wheels to the "Shop". My nearest MC shop is 50 miles away so I tend to do all my own maintenance and repairs. However, the older I get, the less I like wrenching...

[Peder_y2k]

Doesn't evaporate, you can smoke without it blowing up in your face, it doesn't cause things to rust, it cleans as it goes, and once your done with it, it kills thistles.

I use common paint thinner (mineral spirits) as it has the same specific gravity as gasoline, and when I 'm done with it, use it to clean paint brushes.

-Pete, in Tacoma WA USA

'83,88 Venture

[Coolbrz]

Last time I changed tires and front rotors. To balance I used dyna beads. They can be found online and work well. Don't know if they will harm the rims, but other reviews say no. They also keep the tires balanced as they wear.

[Guest scarylarry]

My dealer charges me 20.00 a wheel and that includes spin balance, we have a machine at work that will do bike wheels, the same machime my dealer has but I always let him do it, drop off the wheels and eat one of most greasy burgers known to mankind next door with a cold beer....

 

I know I should do my own but this way I keep my cholesterol high and my doctor pocket padded real good..