DIY Tire Changing Scratch Free
05-12-2010, 12:23 PM
#1
haole kama'a-ina
Thread Starter
DIY Tire Changing Scratch Free
Start with a Harbor Freight Tire changer (about $50) and modify it so that wheels can be bolted down using OEM lugnuts and hardware store bolts. I cut off the single lug pin from the HF changer and cut 5 slotted holes in the mounting plate. The slots will fit most common wheel bolt circles:
Some people have modified the HF changer bar with plastic to make it wheel friendly, but I just went a bought a No-Mar changer bar (about $100). Then I made a pad for the wheel from heavy foam floor mat and covered the sharp bead breaker point with a 2X4 padded with floor mat. Got a little carried away with some left over paint and here is the finished product with the No-Mar bar:
Mount the unit into the garage floor using plywood and Hilti 1/2" concrete anchors (about $15). Use hardware store washers and bolts that match your lugnut threads to bolt the wheel to the padded plate:
Three Duoklamps (about $20 each) are used to hold the bead in the drop center following the No-Mar bar as it goes around. I like the Duoklamps because the handle is facing you when it's on the tire:
It's very important to hold the bead in the drop center or you will fight and the tire will not go. With the bead fully in the drop center the No-Mar bar will slip the last few inches of bead into place with light effort. This is a low profile, very stiff Dunlop Sport Signature held in place with the Duoklamps:
It took about 20 minutes working alone to mount each of these Dunlops on these newly refinished Enkei wheels absolutely scratch free. That's with practice of course, but there is plenty of advice on the internet to help learn to use the No-Mar bar and HF tire changer.
Shops usually charge about $25 per tire in mount/dismount fees and the scratching is free. Total outlay for this setup was about $225 and free of scratching.
Some people have modified the HF changer bar with plastic to make it wheel friendly, but I just went a bought a No-Mar changer bar (about $100). Then I made a pad for the wheel from heavy foam floor mat and covered the sharp bead breaker point with a 2X4 padded with floor mat. Got a little carried away with some left over paint and here is the finished product with the No-Mar bar:
Mount the unit into the garage floor using plywood and Hilti 1/2" concrete anchors (about $15). Use hardware store washers and bolts that match your lugnut threads to bolt the wheel to the padded plate:
Three Duoklamps (about $20 each) are used to hold the bead in the drop center following the No-Mar bar as it goes around. I like the Duoklamps because the handle is facing you when it's on the tire:
It's very important to hold the bead in the drop center or you will fight and the tire will not go. With the bead fully in the drop center the No-Mar bar will slip the last few inches of bead into place with light effort. This is a low profile, very stiff Dunlop Sport Signature held in place with the Duoklamps:
It took about 20 minutes working alone to mount each of these Dunlops on these newly refinished Enkei wheels absolutely scratch free. That's with practice of course, but there is plenty of advice on the internet to help learn to use the No-Mar bar and HF tire changer.
Shops usually charge about $25 per tire in mount/dismount fees and the scratching is free. Total outlay for this setup was about $225 and free of scratching.
05-14-2010, 03:32 AM
#3
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