Hi all :
Many moons ago, I asked for opinions on the manual tire changer that Harbor
Freight frequently has on sale for $45. Several people asked to hear about
my experiences if I got one.
Having struck a deal for one with a local lister (Thanks Dave !) some time
ago, I finally got a "round tuit" and tried it out last Saturday. After
dismounting and mounting several tires on both TR3 disc and wire wheels, my
conclusion is that it does make it possible to change a tire, but isn't
something I'd want to do all day long.
The changer definitely needs to be bolted to something solid (I used lead
anchors in the concrete floor in my garage), and there is a fair amount of
effort required to mount or dismount a tire. The bead breaker also did
it's job, although one tire (which had probably been on that rim since
1958) required 4 repetitions per side. Once you've got the bead broken, a
lubricant definitely helps. (We used some Simple Green in a spray bottle
that was handy, rubber lubricant would probably work even better.) The
tube in the wire wheel was a casualty, but I think with a little more care
it would have been OK. The tube was stuck to the inside of the tire and
fouled on the end of the tool. One of the remounted tires (a "NOS"
5.60-15) didn't want to seal to the rim, and required some encouragement
from a improvised bead seater (1" ratcheting tie down strap).
So, I'm happy with the tire changer, it will do what I wanted, which is to
shuffle spare tires around between wheels. I'll probably continue to take
my new tires (which I mail order from TireRack) to a local shop for
mounting and balancing, but the tire changer will do for odd jobs.
Randall
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